The Happiest Refugee Analysis
Personal Reflection
“The Happiest Refugee” – Anh Do.
English Communications 3 – Line 6
Renee Hall.
Teacher – Amanda Williams.
Renowned comedian, Anh Do’s award winning autobiography The Happiest Refugee is a heart-warming and touching journey that leads the audience through Do’s experiences from his early days as a child in Vietnam, to his successful career as an influential television personality and well know Australian stand-up comedian. Throughout the text, Do explores many ideas and issues linked to the concept of belonging which become apparent from his reminiscence of his families migration from war-torn Vietnam and the problems they encounter to his efforts to gain extra money to support his family after his father left. The …show more content…
Do's family were delighted with their new country, grateful for its kindness and undreamed of opportunities. In a sequence of anecdotes that are both funny and sad, Do shares his family's triumphs and failures as they make Australia their home. It is impossible not to admire his family's 'can do' attitude, their willingness to work hard even with dim chance of success, their love for family and respect for education and desire to learn. One of the main things that particularly stands out about his attitude towards life is how unconditionally grateful he is to have experienced everything, even the bad. Today, the issue of ‘boat people’ is a political vocal point in Australia; Do's story puts a face on those nameless distressed souls who risk everything to cross the vast ocean in hope of achieving the likes of the Do family. My personal opinion of ‘boat people’ has changed drastically after reading Do’s memoir. Living in a country where freedom is a right, we take for granted the small things like the decision the move freely if we feel it necessary. These people, ‘boat people’, don’t have a lot of choice, continue to live in a war-torn country or gamble everything for the slightest chance of succeeding in gaining refugee and starting fresh in a new place. I now have a better understanding of why they choose to flee in search of a new
“The Happiest Refugee” – Anh Do.
English Communications 3 – Line 6
Renee Hall.
Teacher – Amanda Williams.
Renowned comedian, Anh Do’s award winning autobiography The Happiest Refugee is a heart-warming and touching journey that leads the audience through Do’s experiences from his early days as a child in Vietnam, to his successful career as an influential television personality and well know Australian stand-up comedian. Throughout the text, Do explores many ideas and issues linked to the concept of belonging which become apparent from his reminiscence of his families migration from war-torn Vietnam and the problems they encounter to his efforts to gain extra money to support his family after his father left. The …show more content…
Do's family were delighted with their new country, grateful for its kindness and undreamed of opportunities. In a sequence of anecdotes that are both funny and sad, Do shares his family's triumphs and failures as they make Australia their home. It is impossible not to admire his family's 'can do' attitude, their willingness to work hard even with dim chance of success, their love for family and respect for education and desire to learn. One of the main things that particularly stands out about his attitude towards life is how unconditionally grateful he is to have experienced everything, even the bad. Today, the issue of ‘boat people’ is a political vocal point in Australia; Do's story puts a face on those nameless distressed souls who risk everything to cross the vast ocean in hope of achieving the likes of the Do family. My personal opinion of ‘boat people’ has changed drastically after reading Do’s memoir. Living in a country where freedom is a right, we take for granted the small things like the decision the move freely if we feel it necessary. These people, ‘boat people’, don’t have a lot of choice, continue to live in a war-torn country or gamble everything for the slightest chance of succeeding in gaining refugee and starting fresh in a new place. I now have a better understanding of why they choose to flee in search of a new