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THE ARRIVAL

 THE ARRIVAL
- Shaun Tan -


The story revolves around an immigrant man who moved to another country. Even though he crossed the geographic barrier, there is still a language barrier. There is no better way to convey this story with just visual sequential images without words. The book could be understood globally through body language of the characters, the environment and the tone established. As an international student, sometimes, I couldn’t put my thought into words because of the insufficient knowledge of my second language, so I appreciate the storytelling choice Shaun Tan picked.

The lack of word did not affect the story as Shaun uses the right visual elements. The muted drawing created the perfect mood for the story. The camera point of view is actively zooming in and out to provide us an idea of the setting and environment. The characters are also illustrated with very expressive gesture and reaction. These sequential images are so well drawn; I can picture it as a muted old animation.

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