Shaun Tan The Arrival Essay

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English: Analysis and Response to a Visual Text. By Georgina Golling. The Arrival written by Shaun Tan is a beautifully illustrated visual narrative - also known as a silent graphic novel. The Arrival follows the life an anonymous man who’s forced to leave his family and country behind to travel to a strange new city, where even the most fundamental of things are foreign to him. The purpose of this text is almost impossible to determine for sure, however I believe it is trying to encourage readers to look beyond their own ordinary lives and consider what they might be like from a different perspective. More specifically, what it might be like for immigrants coming to our country and having to adjust to our culture. When it comes to target audience, I do not believe that this text was directed toward any specific age or social group. It’s very accessible for readers of all cultures due to it lack of cultural specificity; it also has a wide range of components which appeal to all ages. The biggest, most predominant issue being addressed in this text seems to be immigration. It explores the idea of cultural change and the overwhelming sense of dislocation that can come with it,…show more content…
Its representations of both immigration and the idea of change, as scary and unsettling experiences could not be more realistic. However changes in our lives our inevitable, it’s how we react and deal with the changes that shape our character. This is why you get that good-feeling at the very end of the book when the main character is re-united with his family, after all he’s been through readers are reminded that no matter how strange or confusing something like a foreign city might be; it’s just a matter of time before you’ll learn to adjust and be

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