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Only the Heart

Decent Essays

Only The Heart is a novel written by Brian Caswell and David Chiem that tells a story familiar to many Australians. A Vietnamese family is threatened, pulled apart by the war in that country. Some of its members disappear; hard-earned wealth is lost. The novel leads the reader to a new understanding of refugees with the demonstrated views of pain, determination, survival and freedom, which are brought to life throughout the novel. The fall of Saigon in 1975 provides the momentum for Mai and her daughters, Phuong and Linh, with Mai's brother Minh, his wife Hoa and their three sons, to escape the new regime that has transformed their country into a prison.

The novel Only the Heart shows that just because they are refugees they are not …show more content…

She then says “ Your mother loves you child. Remember that. Always.” (Chapter 6, Fair Exchange, page 67). The situation was dangerous indeed and through Mai’s bond with Phuong and as a mother, protected Phuong from her would-be kidnappers. The use of emotive language in this scene show that Mai truly loved her daughter. One of the many similes that the writer used was: “The world slides away like a memory and is gone.” (Chapter 13, Before the Death of Innocence, page 139). The use of

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