A journey is the act of traveling from one place to another. Physical travel in particular involves this simple process, although a physical travel includes more than just movement. The challenges and obstacles that the traveler faces emotionally are also involved. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, and Ahn Do's memoir, The Happiest Refugee, both show this concept of an underlying journey that lays the fundamental building blocks of the characters. These two texts offer an insight into the emotional side of a journey. Through the use of juxtaposition and personification, Twain creates symbolism to focus on the dissimilarity between life on the river and life on the shore. Twain contrasts the precarious nature of the shore with the capricious environment of the river, which provides Huck with a refuge from society. "Other places don't seem so closed and stuffy, but a raft doesn't." The river symbolizes the freedom of the road, the path of the journey and the freedom to move forward. In this setting the characters have the opportunity to develop emotionally as the journey progresses. Ahn Do embarks on self-discovery in The Happiest Refugee, which tells the story of Ahn and his family as they flee Vietnam, after the Vietnam War, to find a better quality of life in Australia. Ah Do also believes that the environment influences his emotional growth during his journey. This is revealed by visual images, through the use of metaphors and personification. The setting is described in a way that the audience can imagine, thus creating a visual element in the novel. “The heat of the afternoon sun clung to our skin” This use of personification adds atmosphere to the novel. It allows readers... at the center of the paper... to react to the trials and tribulations that the journey entails. By using dialogue through personal pronouns and colloquial language, the reader becomes familiar with Ahn as a character and feels more comfortable. Ahn uses the language of a young male who is learning English as a second language. “I will always say hello to you school kids” This use of language allows Ahn to present events from an unfamiliar perspective and gives further complexity to Ahn as a character. Ahn Do and Huck Finn both discover during their physical journeys that there is emotional development tied to the experience. Through the study of these two texts, the understanding of the emotional aspect of travel has deepened. “The greatest explorer on this earth never undertakes such long journeys as those of the man who descends to the depths of his heart.” Written by Jessica Johns 2012