Belonging In The Happiest Refugee By Anh Do

Belonging is an essential division of life for individuals and a group as it creates a sense of security and trust, and can in turn influence beliefs, experiences and perspectives people have on the world around them. Belonging to a group involves effective communication with other individuals and a sense of security on both sides. The exceptional memoir The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do reveals how belonging to a group can influence one’s life course, morals and values, both positively and negatively. Having a positive sense of belonging can lead to having an easy and comfortable relationship, which in turn can lead to having a better outlook on the world. Anh and his family belonged to Vietnam, but left because of the war going on at the time. …show more content…
They slowly came to belong to Australia and it’s unfamiliar environment and grew up and left for Vietnam to reminisce. “From the moment we arrived, her face lit up” uses metaphorical language to demonstrate a direct link to her mother’s emotions and feelings towards Vietnam, which is further strengthened with strong emotive imagery. It reveals how Ann’s mum belongs to Vietnam and how happy she is to be back in her home country. These emotions have a huge effect on Anh and his siblings, as they are glad to see their mum happy. This clearly demonstrates how a positive sense of belonging can lead to an easier and smoother life. Another example of a positive sense of belonging is in the epilogue of the book, when Anh is reflecting on the sacrifices his parents made for him to be happy, and how grateful he is to have his kids and their positive vibes; “And here we are today, because of them, enjoying this perfect day”, which uses truncated sentences in conjunction with strong emotive imagery to unfurl the idea that Anh is happy with his …show more content…
Anh demonstrates this when he is driving to go and see his dad, and he’s “torn between fantasies of a happy reunion and beating him up”. This quote uses juxtaposition to make the reader feel uneasy and confused like Anh was, and how he is divided between justice and belonging, but he wants both desperately. The quote exhibits how belonging is a powerful incentive in one’s life and how it is a near equal to justice, which rules most societies. It further demonstrates how Anh belongs to his family, but is held back by all the things his father has done. Additionally, when Anh’s family sold the farm and was down in profits, Anh’s dad entered a low stage in his life, which deteriorates until “the tipping point for mum was when he turned violent” which uses climax and imagery to urge the reader to keep reading and to feel sorry for Anh and his family. It highlights how his relationship with his dad disintegrated because he was becoming reckless, and how Anh’s security was undermined by the unstable parental relationship. It exhibits how Anh’s father-son relationship is ruined because of events that occurred at the farm, and how there is now a tear in the family relationship, which hinders development of an individual and their outlook on life. It also further illustrates how his mum wants to protect Anh and his siblings, and how she doesn’t want them to ever leave,