The Arrival
Shaun
Tan's The Arrival tells a story familiar to many - one of immigration - in a
new and interesting way. Tan's world is filled with imaginary creatures and artfully
rendered grand visuals, making the lack of words almost unnoticeable. Too
often, comics unintentionally rely on telling the audience too much, instead of
showing it. Tan's complete omission of words presents a story that is almost
dream like in nature, much like the world he has crafted in The Arrival – one that
is different from our own, but similar in the experiences of those who inhabit
it.
Tan uses various visuals to represent the
different passages of time, from panels of clouds to represent the days passing
by on the ship to the leaf that later morphs into a flower and then perishes in
the snow, showing the audience the passing of seasons. It’s also fairly easy to
see the distinction between the present and the past due to the way Tan
presents the sequences. The present has bright white margins, while the past,
as shown in the flashback sequence of the woman on the air boat in the third
chapter, has greyish margins, with each panel framed like a battered old
photograph.
Through Tan’s careful storytelling and visually
descriptive drawings, The Arrival works best in its silence. By leaving the
comic wordless, the audience can give their full attention to the emotions and
actions of the characters, and properly appreciate the fantastical surroundings.
Ultimately, The Arrival has
no use for words. Words would distract from the story Tan wants to tell, and
add nothing to the story that Tan hasn’t already shown us.
