The Arrival
The Arrival is a wordless graphic novel depicting the arduous and emotional journey of an immigrant to a new unfamiliar land. Despite the wordless aspect of the novel, it clearly portrays the struggles of leaving a family behind and learning new cultures in a new, completely alien world.
Shaun Tan succeeds in this by instead of throwing the main character into a real country, it is a country with cultures that do not exist anywhere in the world (assumedly), so that the perspective of the protagonist is understood universally by the audience, no matter what backgrounds they may possess. He portrays the struggles of being in a new country this way by showing an undecipherable language, show the native people doing activities that seem otherworldly and unusual, and depicting strange looking animals that do not actually exist in real life. The specific and intentional imagery Tan uses convey the concepts and ideas of alienation and feeling out of place without the need for words. They are portrayed in a way that allows readers to easily empathize and understand on a personal level.
Tan also explores the theme of family in the context of immigration. The protagonist leaves his family and his comfortable familiar lifestyle to go to the new world. The pain of leaving is clear and apparent, and the feeling of homesickness is prevalent throughout when he looks at the photographs of his family when they are separated. The picture is an important part of portraying the protagonist's feelings and serves as an anchor of familiarity to him in his current state, swirling in new confusing customs and culture. You understand these feelings immediately because everyone has a family or set of people they care about, and understand the ambivalent feelings of leaving the people you love to brave a new community and set of traditions. When Tan brings the family picture into frame, you understand the protagonist is thinking of them, is actively missing them, and perhaps needs to remind himself why he is there.
Shaun Tan succeeds in this by instead of throwing the main character into a real country, it is a country with cultures that do not exist anywhere in the world (assumedly), so that the perspective of the protagonist is understood universally by the audience, no matter what backgrounds they may possess. He portrays the struggles of being in a new country this way by showing an undecipherable language, show the native people doing activities that seem otherworldly and unusual, and depicting strange looking animals that do not actually exist in real life. The specific and intentional imagery Tan uses convey the concepts and ideas of alienation and feeling out of place without the need for words. They are portrayed in a way that allows readers to easily empathize and understand on a personal level.
Tan also explores the theme of family in the context of immigration. The protagonist leaves his family and his comfortable familiar lifestyle to go to the new world. The pain of leaving is clear and apparent, and the feeling of homesickness is prevalent throughout when he looks at the photographs of his family when they are separated. The picture is an important part of portraying the protagonist's feelings and serves as an anchor of familiarity to him in his current state, swirling in new confusing customs and culture. You understand these feelings immediately because everyone has a family or set of people they care about, and understand the ambivalent feelings of leaving the people you love to brave a new community and set of traditions. When Tan brings the family picture into frame, you understand the protagonist is thinking of them, is actively missing them, and perhaps needs to remind himself why he is there.
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