It also shows that he was willing to give up the lucrative career that was being offered to him by a law firm to become a stand-up comedian. In Chapter Nine Anh Do says, “I worked like I was possessed… I took gigs for free, for $50, $20, a slab of beer, a cheeseburger – anything really.” This quote shows just how determined he was that being a comedian was the right career for him by listing the payments that he received in turn of doing live performances. His anecdotes have been used to communicate the message about giving up everything to chase after your dreams. He shares insights about himself and the factors that shaped him in hopes that it would inspire his readers and thus, to make a difference. Do’s recount in the book is both interesting, humorous and sometimes, heart-wrenching. Readers are again positioned to be appreciative towards their way of life and in doing so, Do uses his expository text to make a difference in the world where we live in.Īnecdotal evidence is highly evident in The Happiest Refugee. Through the manipulation of colloquial language, he expresses the point that without those papers, they would extremely vulnerable, as there is no-one looking out for them in the foreign country.

Readers feel privileged to share his ideas and emotions, especially when he writes about moments of fear in his life sincerely, such as when their citizenship documents disappeared, “Those pieces of paper meant we were safe and without them my family felt as vulnerable as someone selling snacks on a Saigon train with no permit.” The use of this simile, which references his family background, emphasises how important it is to have those documents. This conveys a strong sense of his voice and is as if he is conversing with a friend. The Happiest Refugee is a text written in an informal and colloquial language, which enables Anh Do to openly share his life to his readers. Do also accentuates the fact that we have to appreciate and recognise the lives that we have to make the world a better place.

The happiest refugee