Trauma of Identity in John Steinbeck’s The Moon is Down

Abstract

This research on The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck attempts to show a vivid portrayal of traumatic experience in human life triggered by the violence of the war and colonization. In the age of total war, people lost their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, along with people lost their identity by colonization. World war and its destruction and the frustrated world view where colonization has captured the identity of people. And the material list world ‘machine and time’ standout of human values and sentiments. Here, Steinbeck portrays and explores the resistance of people against invading force and he also shows the pathetic condition of armed force, where both sides—townspeople and armed force lose their identity and make effort to revitalize the freedom. The longing of identity and freedom runs from top to bottom of this novel.