A wordless graphic novel, it contains no speech bubbles, no textual narration – no real written language of any sort. Unlike most graphic novels, The Arrival tells its story entirely in illustrations. The Arrival tells a classic immigrant story, and Tan’s design choices help him to convey it in a way that appears both familiar and fantastical.
The narrative follows a nameless protagonist: a young father, who leaves his wife and daughter in their monster-ridden homeland to travel overseas in search of work, in hopes of making enough money to bring his family to live with him.
This motif is entirely appropriate, as The Arrival reflects on immigration, of the wonder and confusion of making a new life in a foreign land. Both written and illustrated by the Australian artist, the entire book looks as if aged by time and travel: from the cover, with its seemingly-tattered binding and leathery texture to the washed-out sepia tones of the illustrations. Opening Shaun Tan’s The Arrival feels like cracking the spine on an old, treasured photo album. The final chapter reveals the beginning of their new life as a family.We are pleased to welcome a new critic, Catharine Charlesworth, to our group.
Once again he meets others who have gone through hardships just as he has done.Ĭhapter five shows the passing of time and the longing to have his family with him again and finally their arrival too. The fourth chapter shows his experiences in looking for work. He makes connections and starts to feel more comfortable in his new land. They help him to understand some of the things which are strange to him. He meets another couple of immigrants who have arrived for different reasons. The third chapter tells of his experiences trying to get around the new city. Take notice of what he does when he settles in to his rooms. Everything is alien to him and we can feel how out of place and overwhelmed he is feeling. The second chapter tells of the father's journey and arrival in a new and foreign country.
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