Hawai'i and the imagery of paradise
Twain paints a portrait of something sublime that he finds in Hawai'ian imagery, in the flora and fauna, in the jungles and beaches. He finds that his existence is augmented by standing among the trees of the Sandwich Islands, as they were called in his day. Reporting back on the scenes as a young journalist, Twain makes imagery his true focus as he communicates both the literal scenery and also what the experience of his life is like with Hawai'i as its setting.
San Francisco
Then, to the San Francisco Bay in California. A young Twain lives in California and practices gold mining. This scenery is also like Hawai'i, because something sublime is captured in the combination of Twain's own memories, with the truly Californian idea of gold mining. The novel reaches deep into Gold Rush imagery, to show the passionate young artist, coming to terms with the limitations of his life, coming to terms with fate, which did not make a rich man of him in California as he hoped.
Virginia
Therefore, the imagery of Virginia represents a kind of spiritual retreat in this book. There is an implicit cycle shown through this use of imagery, because as Twain jumps back and forth between golden California and verdant Virginia, he is also alternating between work and rest, between adventure and retreat. He allows Virginia to be a place of temporary solace, which is helpful because underneath witty prose, he's clearly disappointed about certain aspects of life.
Nevada imagery
This state's imagery is desert-oriented. With his brother, Twain balances the difference between family duty, and one's duty to fate, because here they are conflicting. Just as the domain of the American desert conflicts with California's lush beaches, so also the desire for an elaborate, passionate journey makes Twain unsuitable for his brother's desert preferences. Yet, the desert finds a way to teach the writer as he describes it.
