The Arrival

Summary

The Arrival is a wordless graphic novel that tells a universal story of migration, displacement, and the search for belonging. Using detailed sepia-toned illustrations, Tan depicts an unnamed man who leaves his homeland to find work and safety in a strange new world. The new land is filled with surreal architecture, fantastical creatures, and incomprehensible languages—metaphors for the bewildering experience of immigrants encountering an unfamiliar culture. As the man struggles to find housing, employment, and community, he discovers solidarity with others who share their own stories of migration and survival. The lack of text allows readers from all backgrounds to project their own interpretations, emphasizing the shared emotional reality of migration. The Arrival is celebrated for its emotional resonance and visual storytelling, serving as a powerful allegory for the immigrant experience and the courage it takes to start anew.