The Killing Of Mud Eye Analysis

Adolescence is a vital time in the development and shaping of one’s personality, beliefs and self-image. It is a time of finding one’s self, and is accompanied by the difficulties and angst of doing so. Adolescent angst is a key theme and is evident in both the texts ‘The Killing of Mud-Eye’ written by Celeste Walters and ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ directed by Kate Woods. The main characters from each, Linton Begg and Josie Alibrandi, struggle to overcome these problems, mainly within their family relationships and need for acceptance.
The need for acceptance is something most people find hard to cope with and is heightened during the adolescent years. For Josie, this revolves around the reception of her peers despite her differences in family and wealth, whilst Linton fights to …show more content…
His erratic behaviour isolates him from the community around him, and he so desperately wants to be just like everybody else – he refuses to acknowledge his unstable mental state and strives to be like Goldfinger and the rest of his group. Linton seeks friendship and confidence with an array of boys from St. Christopher’s, however, he fails to retain any close communication or relationship with them. Upon arriving at the school, he initially approaches Ned Pinchen in anticipation of turning his life around – he hopes Ned will be his first true friend, “The boy had asked for friendship. Pleaded for it.” (p28) His optimism is destroyed by the realisation that Ned would never voluntarily be seen with him in public, due to his ‘outcast’ status and unpopular representation within the school community. The exclusion of Linton from St. Christopher’s inner circle despite his desperate attempts of friendship, along with Josie’s feelings of inadequacy due to her lower economic status and family situation clearly shows how the need for acceptance is a major factor in the struggles of