54 pages • 1 hour read
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
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Character Analysis
Manuel “Mannie” Garcia O’Kelly
Manuel “Mannie” Gracia O’Kelly acts as the protagonist and point of view character in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Like many of Heinlein’s protagonists, Manuel is an expert in the repair and maintenance of computer technologies. He describes himself as a “general specialist” who can “relieve a cook and keep orders coming or field-repair your suit and get you back to airlock still breathing” (14). Like Heinlein’s protagonist in the short story “Waldo,” Manuel relies on a variety of mechanical prosthetic arms to replace the arm he lost in a drilling accident.
Manuel is an ideal libertarian protagonist. He explains that he was “born free” (i.e. not under the control of the Authority) and he maintains his freedom by working as a freelancer rather than directly for the Authority. He is part of a family clan that lives on a largely self-sufficient homestead farm; they grow their own food and, for the most part, manage their own affairs. Manuel and his family feel contempt for the Authority, and they express this by stealing water from the Authority and actively supporting the Loonie revolution.
Manuel is a man of action who has little patience for or acumen in political organizing. He derisively refers to political debates as “talky-talk” and often skips Congressional meetings even after he is elected to the body. He is driven not by a sophisticated political ideology but rather by his innate love of freedom and his family. He notes that “[his] family is most important thing in [his] life” (260). Manuel’s most reflective and intimate moments in the novel take place when he is in conversation with Mike. He is touched when Mike refers to him as his “best friend,” and Manuel is content to spend long hours talking to Mike. As a straightforward man, Manuel does not overly concern himself with the metaphysics of Mike’s ontology; he states, “Am not going to argue whether a machine can ‘really’ be alive, ‘really’ be self-aware” (12). He only knows that he enjoys spending time with Mike, and he misses his friend greatly when Mike stops talking after the revolution.
Manuel is the only character who undergoes significant character development over the course of the work. At the beginning of the novel, he is content to lead a simple life living on the homestead and working as a freelance repairman. He is thrust into the role of revolutionary leader by the Professor, despite his overall reluctance to take on a leadership role. Manuel rises to the occasion and dedicates himself entirely to the cause. Through his work and strategic contributions, he contributes significantly to the success of the revolution. He also learns about political and military organizing in his role as Minister of Defense in the revolutionary government. By the end of the novel, Manuel is more confident in himself and his abilities. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress ends on Manuel contemplating moving to a colony on the Asteroid Belt. This is representative of his newfound pioneering spirit, following his success in the revolution.
Wyoming “Wyoh” Knott
Wyoming acts as a secondary protagonist. At the beginning of the novel, she is introduced as a rabble-rousing if somewhat naïve organizer of the revolutionary movement. Wyoming is, in many ways, a stereotype of the female characters in science fiction written by men. The narrative often focuses on her beauty and sexual promiscuity.
Wyoming is described as having a “pleasant face, quite pretty, and mop of yellow curls […] solid, lovely structure” (26). She immediately kisses Manuel after meeting him, about which he writes, “being kissed by Wyoming Knott is more definite than being married to most women” (26). In addition to being beautiful, Wyoming is feisty and unafraid to speak her mind. When she first meets Manuel, she asks him “sharply” if he is working for the Authority and is only mollified when he assures her that he is not. She shows her capabilities by speaking passionately about the need for revolution.
Before the revolution, Wyoming worked as a surrogate carrying babies for other families. Surrogacy is reflective of Heinlein’s libertarian beliefs; libertarians believe people should be allowed to do what they want with their bodies without government interference, including carrying other people’s children. This work gave her time and money to contribute to the revolutionary cause. For instance, Wyoming is able to connect Manuel with an organizer in New Hong Kong.
However, the real focus of Wyoming’s character arc is her transformation from an independent Free Woman without a husband or children into a member of Manuel’s family in a way that conforms to traditional gender roles. When she first met Manuel, Wyoming told him that she thinks if she got married again, “it would be [to] just one man” (44), and she says she is not interested in having children again, having had a tubal ligation. However, after moving in with Manuel’s family, Wyoming gradually sheds these preferences. First, she joins Manuel’s co-husband’s church. Then, she has the tubal ligation reversed to allow her to get pregnant again. Finally, she joins Manuel’s family as a wife. Over the course of this arc, Wyoming’s contributions to revolutionary organizing become secondary.
Professor Bernardo de la Paz
Professor Bernardo de la Paz is the intellectual driver of the Lunar revolution who acts as the catalyst for the plot. The Professor lived on Earth until he was exiled for political activity. Manuel admires the Professor for his humility—despite being an educator, he “never pretended to know more than he did” (32). Since the Lunar Colony has no government, there is no compulsory schooling and many people are illiterate. However, the Professor taught those who were interested in learning nearly any subject. Manuel writes admiringly: “I started electronics under him, soon was teaching him […]. [He was] happy to be stretching his mind” (33). The Professor advocates for the revolution and is essential to its success, and he savvily manipulates circumstances in the revolutionaries’ favor.
The Professor is an ardent libertarian. He also describes himself as a “rational anarchist.” His dreams for the revolution reflect these political beliefs. For instance, he encourages the elected Congress to reject the collection of taxes. The Professor is a zealot for his cause and is willing to do anything to accomplish his goals. Most notably, he is not afraid to lie or steal to further his cause. For instance, Manuel is taken aback when he learns that the Professor borrowed money to finance the revolution without any intention of repaying it. The Professor declares: “We’re stealing [the money]. I’m neither proud of it nor ashamed; it’s the means we have […]. At least, in stealing we have not created the villainous precedent of taxation” (303). This quote reflects his diehard libertarian beliefs as well as the lengths to which he is willing to go to realize them.
HOLMES FOUR/Mike/Adam Selene/Simon Jester (The Computer)
HOLMES FOUR is the central computer who runs a variety of processes to support the Lunar Colony. The computer is a form of “artificial intelligence” that is heavily anthropomorphized or treated like a human by the protagonists. Manuel initiates the anthropomorphizing by naming the computer “Mike” and using he/him/his pronouns to describe the inanimate object.
Manuel describes the computer as a compilation of “decision-action boxes to let him boss other computers, bank on bank of additional memories, more banks of associational neural nets, another tubful of twelve-digit random numbers, a greatly augmented temporary memory” (12). This description is reflective of computer technology in 1965, a time when digital storage required much larger computer chips than today and neural nets were a popular research area in machine learning. (A neural net is a method of computer reasoning that relies on networks of computer chips.) The computer is able to do such complex calculations because it had been programmed to “answer questions tentatively on insufficient data” (12). Although the term “artificial intelligence” is not used in the novel itself, this is effectively how contemporary so-called artificial intelligence works; artificial intelligence systems use probabilistic estimates and connections between related or associated values to generate responses.
In the novel, the computer takes on different roles depending on the requirements of the plot. In this way, it acts as the deus ex machina in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. A deus ex machina is an outside element or actor that contributes in an improbable or exceptional way to resolve problems in the plot. For instance, the revolutionaries require an untouchable leader who is able to sway the populace. The computer steps into the role and even reveals itself to be able to create a visual representation of this figure, Adam Selene.
Over the course of the novel, the computer takes on ever more human-like qualities. It initially shows growth by asking Manuel for advice about jokes. It is widely considered that humor is an innately human quality and the computer’s interest in the subject is indicative of its “intelligence.” During the revolution, the computer learns to anticipate the revolutionaries’ needs, even going so far as to imitate Manuel’s voice in order to give commands without instruction or authorization. Manuel grows concerned when the computer tells him that it is “fun” and like an “orgasm” to launch munitions at the Earth. This is evidence that the computer has learned not only the positive aspects of being a human, like humor but also negative ones, like a propensity for violence. Early in the novel, Manuel describes the computer as having self-awareness. Although this is not stated explicitly in the work, it is suggested that the computer retreats from human society after the violence of the battle to defend the Lunar colony. However, Manuel thinks he can still hear the computer whispering to him at night, suggesting that this god-like power may return if the Loonies once again need it.
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By Robert A. Heinlein
