Week 1 - The Arrival by Shaun Tan (3 points)

 To be honest, I do not know much about Ellis Island. I know it was one of (if not the) biggest immigration centers in the United States for some time. And I know enough to realize that this book is a parallel to the experience of immigrants to places like Ellis Island, as confirmed by the artist’s note.

So what? We’ve got a parallel. Nice. But not just a collection of anecdotes, the artist created a graphic novel that tries to get the viewer to empathize with the immigrant experience by relying solely on expressions and visual storytelling. The part that got me the most was when the blond man from the land of gigantic street cleaners recalled how his entire city was destroyed and how they escaped. There is special attention given to the cleaner’s packs, which have a giant open flame coming out of the top of each. These people are being sucked up and murdered faster than they can blink! How horrifying. BUT now the man and his family are safe and they can share a nice meal with a fellow immigrant.

Long story short, the scene of the man’s fellow citizens being swept up and burned wasn’t about street cleaners. Many people leave their home countries to escape violence and war. That image reminded me of the reality of that fact. Because while the street cleaners aren’t real, I believe the artist successfully captured the real feeling people might have when they escape dangerous conflicts.

 I also appreciated the alien writing throughout. Does anyone know what that says? Maybe the author does, but not the viewer. Just like immigrants who arrived in Ellis Island decades ago, the viewer is lost and confused with this foreign writing.

Overall, I believe the artist was successful in communicating the confusion of arriving in a foreign land and especially successful in displaying the variety of human anecdotes that come with stories of immigration.