54 pages • 1 hour read
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
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Symbols & Motifs
French and American Revolutionary Symbolism
The Lunar revolutionaries draw heavily from the symbols of the American Revolution and the First French Revolution. These allusions in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress symbolize the connections between the fictional Lunar revolution with these 18th-century historical revolutions. One key example of French Revolutionary symbolism is the red “Liberty Caps” “with a bulge in the front” worn by the Lunar revolutionaries (25). These “caps,” known as phryges in French, are peasant caps that were worn by republicans fighting against the monarchy in revolutionary France. (This style of cap was the mascot for the 2024 Paris Olympics.)
As the rebels begin to plan their rebellion, they use these Liberty Caps to identify themselves. The first time Manuel sees one of these caps is during the first meeting he attends in Chapter 2. At the beginning of the meeting, a “banner unfolded over [the] platform” reading “LIBERTY! EQUALITY! FRATERNITY!” (27). This is the motto of the French Republic. During the Lunar rebellion, Mike “rewrote lyrics of old revolutionary songs,” including the “Marseillaise,” a song sung by republican revolutionaries during the French Revolution and the national anthem of the contemporary French Republic. Fittingly, Manuel himself was born on Bastille Day, July 14, a critical day of the First French Revolution and a French national holiday.
The revolutionaries also use symbolism from the American Revolution. Like the American revolutionaries, the Loonies are rebelling against a colonial power that claims monopoly power over their trade. Crucially, the Loonies declare their independence from the Lunar Authority on July 4, 2076, exactly 300 years after the issuance of the American Declaration of Independence. Capitalizing on this symbolic alignment helps the Loonies build support for their cause on Earth.
Loonie Pidgin
The entirety of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is written in the form of a memoir by the protagonist Manuel in his Loonie dialect or pidgin English. This language is comprehensive: it includes slang terms and a unique, simplified syntax, and it incorporates words from other languages, particularly Russian. The Loonies’ use of their own pidgin English is representative of their separation from Earth—their long separation has resulted in even their language shifting. Loonie pidgin also gives the work a distinct, estranging tone, creating distance between the contemporary moment and the future in which the story is set.
The motif of Loonie pidgin is introduced in the opening paragraph of the novel, as Manuel writes: “I see also is to be mass meeting tonight to organize ‘Sons of Revolution’ talk-talk” (11). The syntax of this sentence lacks indefinite articles (“mass meeting” instead of “a mass meeting”) and the adverb “there” (“is to be” instead of “there is to be”). Finally, instead of the typical English word “debate,” Manuel uses the slang term “talk-talk.” This sentence is representative of the kind of language used throughout the novel.
When Manuel goes to Earth, the Professor warns him to “try to curb the Loonie talk […] [and] speak standard English” (256). Although the reason for this is never specified, there are two likely reasons for this instruction. First, it is likely Loonie pidgin is looked down upon by Earth English speakers as a sign of lack of intelligence. Second, Loonie pidgin is a sign of the distinct cultural cohesion of the Lunar colony. While they are still negotiating terms, it might be more beneficial for them to not overly emphasize their independence.
TANSTAAFL [There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch]
There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch and its acronym TANSTAAFL is the motto of the Lunar colony and a motif that expresses the work’s fundamental libertarianism. (It is also one of the expressions coined by the author Robert Heinlein that has filtered into the mainstream lexicon.) The expression is first introduced in Chapter 11. After serving as a “judge” in LaJoie’s trial, Manuel and LaJoie go to a bar where LaJoie asks Manuel about the meaning of TANSTAAFL. Manuel explains that “anything free costs twice as much in long run or turns out worthless” (162).
Libertarians believe that government should not provide public services like roads, education, or health care; they think such a system creates costly burdens in the future or is otherwise inefficient. Instead, they hold that all services should be privatized. As Manuel puts it, “[Y]ou paid for what you got” (204). This is how society functions on the fictional Lunar colony in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Even air isn’t free on the Lunar Colony; as Manuel points out to LaJoie, “This air isn’t free, you pay for every breath” (162). To show their commitment to this motto, the Loonies adopt a flag with TANSTAAFL along the bottom.
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By Robert A. Heinlein
