The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a prime example of wordless narrative in the graphic novel genre. The story’s compelling visuals evoke feelings that perhaps, written words could not. One of the reasons this graphic novel worked so well was that it was using a universal story: immigration. Although not everyone in the audience may be able to relate specifically to it, they would be able to empathize with the feeling of loss, isolation and also hope. This is supplemented by the surreal landscapes the story takes place in, instilling the idea that no matter where you are coming from or going to, humanity connects us all.
The story is set up as “day in the life” storyboards, as you observe a family somberly living out their day. The viewpoints are incredibly intimate, almost feeling as though you are there as well. Tan took incredibly care in capturing gestures and emotions, using their expressions rather than words. Aside from capturing emotion, this story was rather impressively able to avoid confusion contextually. It was presented shot by shot much like a storyboard would be, and the drawings were cinematic and reminiscent of camera shots. Motifs were repeated to insinuate the space and time, for example the objects on the first page (kid’s drawing, the family portrait, etc.) are found a couple pages after in the image of the family packing up their house. This technique was also extremely helpful during the flashback pages, particularly with the old an in the factory, as he was wearing the same hat in present day and in the flashback.
The craftsmanship and attention to details greatly were imperative in the telling the story, however, what was the most interesting was how self-referential the work was to the genre of wordless comics. The main character does not know how to speak to the locals of the new land he is in, relying on visual gestures and drawings to communicate, further conveying the point that words are not the only means to get an idea across.
