Analysis of Shirley Golden's short story 'The False Moon'

In the short story, ‘The False Moon’, written by Shirley Golden, we explore our narrator Matt’s life with his apathetic mother, Kay. Matt is a young teenager, who craves his mother’s love and affection, sneaks out in the middle of night searching for the affection he longs for. Wandering through the quite streets he finds solace in a tunnel where his unique talent unfolds – graffiti art. The tunnel becomes not only a gallery for his art expression but also a symbolic escape from the difficulties he faces in his daily life. One afternoon Matt’s mother finds out about a school note Matt has been hiding from his mother and his passion for graffiti. She blames herself, but Matt is ready to find his own path without any help.

Essay - The False Moon

Every child deserves a parent, someone who takes care of them and looks out for them. But not every parent is up for the job of being a parent. Parenting involves taking responsibility for their child. A child needs a loving and caring parent, not the opposite. Without the attention and affection of a parent, the child will try to figure out things out on its own. It will look for love and care somewhere else. In Shirley Golden’s short story, ‘The False Moon’ from 2011, we get a glimpse into the life of our protagonist and his mom, Kay. It’s a short story that shows us how important it is for every child to receive love from their parent.