Colonel Lanser

While reading the book The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck, I found the character Colonel Lanser very ironic and important to the plot of the book since he is the antagonist. The reader is first introduced to Colonel Lanser at the beginning of the book when the army begins its occupation of the town in this story. The colonel is described as carrying out his orders now matter how he personally feels (Steinbeck 24). The reader is told that Lanser has been involved in a war before and has served in the military long enough to know how horrible war truly is (Steinbeck 23). He is also very weary throughout the story, and knows through his own experience that the occupation will not last and that the townspeople will rise up and try to defeat them (Steinbeck 41). The character of Lanser is important because it makes him a very reluctant antagonist. He even tells the mayor, "I'm very sorry about this. I have a job to do. You surely recognize that. We don't act on our own judgment. There are rules laid down for us. Rules made in the Capitol." (Steinbeck 47). He clearly respects the mayor and is even apologetic for what he must do. This makes the reader kind of sympathize with Colonel Lanser even though he is supposed to be the enemy. He doesn't want to be there, but is bound by his orders, sense of duty, and dedication to the army. He is just a part of the military machine that has taken over. It also makes me curious as to what would happen if Colonel Lanser decided to give in to his personal morals and thoughts. Would he be able to change the cruelty of the soldiers in the town? Would he fight along the people for their freedom? I think that if he was able to find his identity and escape the tyranny of the army he could have a positive impact. This makes the Colonel seem very weak because if he could only find the power within himself to fight for what he believed instead of just following orders he could help someone as opposed to be helping with a war.

Bibliography: Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York. Penguin Group USA, 2009. Print.