The Arrival is a wordless ‘graphic novel’ by Australian artist, writer and filmmaker Shaun Tan. This story calls for empathy by conveying to readers the challenges experienced by a father immigrating to a new place in order to work and support his family back home. 

What sort of experience is Tan intending to introduce to his readers when he refuses to include texts in the ‘graphic novel’? Did it work for you? How did it make you feel?

Judging from his gestures and choices, what sort of person do you think the main character is? What are some of the guesses you can make about his thoughts based on his body language? What is the main conflict that he faces in the story, and how does he handle it?

In the process of assimilating to the new culture, the man in the story befriended some other refugees. Why do you think they fled their homes? What are some of the other reasons that might lead to immigration?  Does this book change your perspective on refugees? How so?

Various men with vacuums appeared in the story. Why do you think Tan makes them look bigger than the others, and who or what do you think they represent? 

Throughout the story, all gutters were black except the white one that appeared near the end. What do you think Tan was trying to hint to his readers? 

In the last scene, why do you think the man in the hat made an origami cat instead of a bird? What do you think the pot contains? What does the ending mean?