The Arrival (updated)

Shaun Tan is a brilliant illustrator and storyteller. He is able to have such an absolute command of the medium (picture books/ comics) that makes his works easily understandable for a wide range of readers, be it young or old. Tan utilizes a surreal element in The Arrival that makes it clear to the viewer that the world he is entering is very much different from his own. This is a very effective way of portraying the harshness of moving to another country with different languages, different culture, and different people. I don't think this kind of a message would be as easy to understand if he hadn't taken the surreal approach, because everyone and everything would still look so similar. The two contrasting worlds wouldn't look different enough to have as much of an impact without words to help it along. This aspect of The Arrival I feel was integral to the work standing on its own as a wordless narrative.

I initially read The Arrival a couple years back in my illustration class, and it immediately reminded me of my mom and her immigration to America from Korea when she was 19. She had her sister with her at the time, but her parents and other siblings were still in Korea. She had to get a job at a fast food restaurant, and learn English at the same time. I think one of the reasons that The Arrival was so successful in its ability to connect with readers, was because it is a story about immigration that most people can relate to in some way. The fact that it is wordless lends to the idea that no matter what language you speak or where you come from, it is still a story that you could understand; I feel that it makes the book all the more powerful.