first conflict in The Moon is Down

The book "The Moon is Down" by John Steinbeck is full of conflicts. These conflicts are climatic and eventually lead up to the beginning of the revolt and the explosion of the dynamite on the Nazis rail road tracks. The first main conflict is what I feel starts the domino effect and what gets the townspeople tipped over the edge. The conflict I am talking about is the conflict with Alexander Morden and Captain Bentick. This conflict occurred when Alex was complaining about wanting to quit his job in the mines. Captain Loft was currently on duty and ordered him to get back to work. Alex has a very short temper and defending his freedom, came at him with a pick and in the process killed Captain Bentick who was on his way to replace Loft. He was then captured and put on trial. Before his trial, his wife Molly came to Mayor Orden and pleaded his case and how he does not deserve to be shot because he is a respected man. Mayor Orden does not want Alex to be shot any less than Molly does, but it is out of his control. Alexander  Morden is then shot in a public execution. This does not go over well at all with the townspeople. Lanser predicted that it would not too. " 'So it starts again. We will shoot this man and make twenty new enemies. It's the only thing we know, the only thing we know' " (Steinbeck, 38). This was really the first main threat of the Nazis on the townspeople. Even during Alex's trial, someone had thrown something to make the window glass crash inward and it ended up wounding Lieutenant Prackle's shoulder. It is also because of this event that causes Molly Morden to grow bitter and later murder Lieutenant Tonder. This to me was like a drop in a pool of water and it just keeps rippling and causing after effects. Later in the book the townspeople work towards a revolution that I am sure would have made Alexander proud.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down, by John Steinbeck,... Stockholm: Continental Book C°, 1949. Print.