The_Arrival,_by_Shaun_Tan

The Arrival by Shaun Tan not only invites the responder to walk in other people’s shoes -- in particular migrants, but also it invites the responder to contemplate their own shoes as well. This is portrayed throughout the graphical novel by making the responder feel not only the hardships of the protagonist, but also gives them an insight into what it would be like to be a migrant themselves. This feeling of contemplation and empathy is achieved through a number of techniques from the start to the finish of The Arrival. The image on the first title page of The Arrival, which shows the title in a foreign and unknown language, allows the responder to walk in the protagonists shoes, but also invites the responder to contemplate what it would be like to be a migrant themselves. The unknown language gives the responder an understanding of what it would feel like to go to a new home country where everything -- in particular the language, is completely foreign. This helps the responder understand the confusion and alienation that migrants face when confronting different cultures and languages. Throughout the novel the protagonist meets other migrants who tell their stories. These stories are of the typical migrant, who have left their home because of lack of freedom, fear of prosecution or because of destruction due to war. These stories are portrayed through flashbacks. The dark backgrounds of these flashbacks symbolise as well as emphasises the horrors previously experienced by the migrants. This is also shown at the beginning with the dark dragon’s tails and dark backgrounds in the protagonist’s home land, this not only shows the responder why the protagonist has left his homeland, but also how the protagonist has made connections with these other migrants through similar stories and experiences. The flashbacks give the responder knowledge into why migrants may have left their home country and result in the responder becoming not only empathetic as to why the migrants have left their countries, but also to sympathise with them and not be so prejudice against them, as the responder can understand the difficulties faced by migrants to leave their country, and integrate into a new country and culture. The multi-framed page at the beginning of chapter one and the first multi-framed page of chapter six, helps the responder to not only see the transitions and changes resulting from protagonists journey, but also contemplate the financial advantages of migrating, even if what they have got is very little compared to what the responder considers normal. This is shown through the images which show not only the different types of utensils used in the varying countries, but also the more modern designs and the better conditions of the utensils in the new land compared to the migrants homeland. Most significantly is the final picture in the multi-framed page in chapter 6 which shows the protagonist giving his daughter some money, although this single coin does not look like much, the significance of the gesture allows the responder to contemplate the importance of just this tiny amount of money to a migrant family that had very little and now since the relocation to another country, have enough funds to allow for this behaviour. The most significant technique used on every single page of the book that lets the responder not only be in the protagonists shoes, but also contemplate what it would be like to be in a migrants situation, is the lack of words. This lack of words helps the responder contemplate the alienation felt by not only the protagonist but by all migrants entering a foreign land and culture with a completely different language. Other than the responder’s contemplation of the alienation felt by the protagonist and migrants, it also forces the responder to interpret the visual without the guidance that only words can provide. Finally the joy shown by the protagonist’s daughter in the final chapter of the book shows the safety that has been resulted thanks to migration and the joys of a united family in this safety. This is portrayed through the use of the contrast in the facial expressions shown by the protagonist’s daughter from the first to the last chapter, where in the first chapter the daughter had a look of fear and sorrow, due to the departure of her father and the horrors of her homeland, these facial expressions had changed by the final chapter with the girl having a massive smile and an evident lack of fear. Other than the facial expressions, the contrast in the colour tones in between the first and last chapter help to show this safety and joy, where the colour tones has changed from a grey and black tone at the beginning, to a very bright and orangey sepia tone by chapter 6. This allows the responder to feel the warmth of the joy and happy ending of the protagonist’s journey, whilst still being able to contemplate the feelings felt by migrants when the horrors of their homelands are in the past and the joy of now starting to fit in with their new environment and culture. Shaun Tan has captured the essence of one of the great powers of storytelling, by allowing the responder to not only walk in the protagonists shoes, but also contemplate the journeys experienced by others, in particular migrants and how difficult it must be for these migrants to but the past behind them and become part of this new land.