Flies Have Conquered the Flypaper?

Question

I just finished reading "The Moon is Down" by John Steinback. His writing is amazing and as I analyze through the book "the flies have conquered the flypaper" catches me. I searched it online and reporters from newspapers talk about Iraq and what not. But what does the phrase really mean?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Tonder said, "Captain, is this place conquered?"

"Of course," said Loft.

A little note of hysteria crept into Tonder's laughter. He said, "Conquered and we're afraid; conquered and we're surrounded." His laughter grew shrill. "I had a dream - or a thought- out in the snow with the black shadows and the faces in the doorways, the cold faces behind curtains. I had a thought or a dream."

Prackle said "Make him stop!"

Tonder said, "I dreamed the Leader was crazy."

And Loft and Hunter laughed together and Loft said, "The enemy have found out how crazy. I'll have to write that one home. The papers would print that one. The enemy have learned how crazy the Leader is."

And Tonder went on laughing. "Conquest after conquest, deeper and deeper into molasses." His laughter choked him and he coughed into his handkerchief. "Maybe the Leader is crazy. Flies conquer the flypaper. Flies capture two hundred miles of new flypaper!"

[Towards the end of the novel, the resistance increases along with the guerrilla killings of the German troops and officers, the mayor of the occupied town is lead off for execution as retribution for the continuing resistance. The town's lone intellectual rubs the situation in the German officer's faces]:

And Winter broke in angrily, "They would know. You do not keep secrets. One of your men got out of hand one night and he said the flies had conquered the flypaper, and now the whole nation knows his words. They have made a song of it. The flies have conquered the flypaper. You do not keep secrets, Colonel."

From the direction of the mine a whistle tooted shrilly. And a quick gust of wind sifted dry snow against the windows.

Orden [the mayor] fingered his gold medallion. He said quietly, "You see, sir, nothing can change it. You will be destroyed and driven out." His voice was very soft. "The people don't like to be conquered, sir, and so they will not be. Free men cannot start a war, but once it is started, they can fight on in defeat. Herd men, followers of a leader, cannot do that, and so it is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars. You will find it is so sir."

Answer 2

The Flypaper

Answer 3

I think it means there were no flies on that flypaper! But I don't have the book and so have no context for the phrase. Maybe the flies have covered the flypaper so thickly it doesn't even show!

Well THAT helped, didn't it.

Hopefully others will elucidate all this for you.

Answer 4

. Gosh, you like John Steinback? Who doesn't??
You took the 'flies' phrase out of context, but I imagine it means the same as, "The crazies are running the insane asylum'! What/who is suppossed to BE controlled is DOING the controling. i think.
Or like we caught the tiger by the tail in Iraq and now we can't let go! Who's controlling what?

Answer 5

Once enough flies Kama Kazi the fly paper those that follow don't stick, thus through tremendous casualty, they have one.

Answer 6

who's controlling who in a a situation where you both think you have the upperhand.