Words are not the only way to create a story. Images and sequences can often share much more. The Arrival by Shaun Tan has many drawings that perfectly depict a strong story. The author is able to do this through a characters body language. When we see the protagonist talking with others we don't hear anything or see dialogue. We see the shape of their eyebrows and mouth, which allows us to understand the mood they are in and their reaction to the previous one. Other forms of body language like hand gestures and posture depicts a mood and how they may be reacting in conversation. We’ll never know what exactly is being said but it is up to the reader to interpret the comic. Sometimes it may seem literal and easy while others may need more thinking and interpreting.
Besides body language the other author tells the story through settings and detail. We are able to follow the protagonist’s journey by seeing each landscape and city he travels to. Shaun Tan did a great job drawing the protagonist close up and then slowly zooming out to show where everything is really taking place. Therefore from one scene to the next we can realize that he is traveling a lot in order to find his family. Also as he travels we see new people and new cultures depicted in the images. This is simply another way to show change.
Overall we the success of a wordless comic lies in the interpretation of the reader. We may or may not interpret the story how the author wanted. By choosing not to give words the author has the power of how closely we will follow the story. It could be very easy to depict or maybe it’s left more to the imagination to create our own idea. With either option we understand how great of a story an image can share and how words are not always as important as we believe.
