Commentary on The Arrival by Shaun Tan

The unique strength of wordless comics is that they turn the focus of a story from what’s being said to what’s being done. Tan uses simple panel arrangements with clearly-related changes somewhat like storyboards to show changes in action, time, space, or feeling. Expressions change over the course of a dozen panels to show a spectrum of complex emotions, or the viewpoint will dramatically shift to indicate a change in scenery and introduce a sense of visual overwhelm. Each point in a series of events will include details from a previous ‘shot’ in order to create consistency and reinforce the linear flow of time. However, Tan does break this general rule as well, sometimes opting to show many detailed and different parts of a scene to create confusion.

In the absence of text we search harder for recurring story elements to give the narrative structure, so we read faces, bodies, and scenery much more carefully. This heightened awareness of the visual nature of the narrative gives dramatic images that much more impact. Tan also turns the horrors that many immigrants seek to escape into visually straightforward threats such as dragons or giants, to great effect. Though images and words are both abstractions of reality, seeing the devastation feels much more concrete and invokes empathy more easily than verbal description can.

Overall the lack of readable language creates a unifying effect that enhances the storytelling. Tan’s lead character manages to connect with other immigrants and transcend the confines of language himself, so it is fitting that a story about people from different cultures finding help and solidarity can be fully appreciated by people from any culture across the globe.