Week 1

WORDLESS COMICS

THE ARRIVAL

            The Arrival is a symbolic representation, of an immigrant’s journey to a new and alien terrain when he leaves his country. There is a lot of unique imagery in the story.

            A frame that resonated with me was the immigrant ship sailing in the water from a distance, with a dark, giant cloud hovering above it. I think what Shaun Tan is trying to say is that when immigrants come to a new country, there can be a lot of uncertainty and it can be nerve-racking, and even something dangerous could happen. The cloud symbolizes the fear and confusion that immigrants feel when they first step onto new soil.  

            The second frame sparked my interest showed statues of the two men shaking hands. The immigrants are looking in the direction of statues These statues also have animals on them. What I believe Shaun Tan is trying to show is how people from different cultures or backgrounds can agree and come together and find a common ground. The animals are a monkey like animal, and a bird like animal.  Since both animals are different, it possibly symbolizes different religious beliefs coming together in peace.  Furthermore, the statues shaking hands could be a reference to the Statue of Liberty because this is the first thing immigrants see when they come into the U.S.   It shows a woman holding a torch and a book in her hand, which symbolizes a beacon of hope, and unity.           

            In conclusion, when I read The Arrival, it made me think deeply about how millions of people immigrate to a new culture, life, and home, where they might not be familiar with their new place of living. Last, reading this wordless comic reminded me of how the U.S. is no longer welcoming immigrants, but instead using its political power to suppress certain groups of people who come to our country.   


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