Graffiti Moon Essay

The novel Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley not only tells the story of young people falling in love, but also tells the reader about growing up. The novel tells us how the teenagers find their calling and identities, and explains how each of the protagonists in the story have role models and mentors who help shape themselves and their lives.

Growing up is a large part of a teenager’s life, not just physically but mentally too. In just one night Ed, Leo and Lucy go from being teenagers to adults, taking responsibility for their actions, knowing what’s right and what’s wrong and coming to grips with reality. It was a really big moment for Ed when he wanted to do “that course [Lucy] mentioned”, and he was “thinking about working on paper.” This is one of the turning points in the novel, where the reader can really see that Ed has grown. Another moment in the novel where it is clear that Ed and Leo have grown up is when they decide to “not do the job.” This shows how instead of taking the “easy”, “childish” way out of their problem (which is the fact that they have no money) they take responsibility for what they’ve done and decide to make money the legal way and “apply for jobs at Maccas.” Growing up not only changes one physically and mentally, but also helps one to find their true identity.

After a teenager finds their true identity you see their true colours; they find their callings, they find their true selves. In Graffiti Moon Cath Crowley shows the reader how Ed, Lucy and Leo find their true identities and in turn find their callings. Leo hadn’t “been mowing lawns for the past ten Saturdays, [he] needed five hundred dollars for a poetry course.” This shows the reader that Leo has found his identity and his calling; he wants to become a poet. The fact that he was willing to rob his school to achieve his dream shows the reader that he was imminent on his dreams and what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. The reader can tell Ed had found his true