Finding Moon is best compared to novels such as Henry James's The American (1877) that place a character in the midst of a foreign culture that forces him to confront his own needs and limitations.

As James's Christopher Newman did in France, Moon discovers himself and his shortcomings in the Phillippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Finding Moon can also be discussed in the context of Graham Greene's Catholic novels, especially those set in Third World cultures. Like typical Greene protagonists, Moon finds that the Asian context forces him to confront issues about his past and present life. The Greene influence appears most strongly in the discussions between Moon and Father Julian, a Catholic priest who lacks simple answers in a confusing world.