Graphic Novel

"The Arrival"

Shaun Tan

Bibliographical Info: Tan, S. (2006). The Arrival. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.
Genre: Fantasy
Age Range: 4th-8th grade

Response: Upon first reading The Arrival, I'll admit that I was a bit unsure of what the overall message was that this novel was trying to convey through its pictures. The pictures themselves intrigued me and I had never seen illustrations drawn so beautifully. The tones and colors used throughout seemed to heighten and create the mood and there were multiple times when I would just be amazed at the amount of detail. There was also a quietness, or stillness, while reading and the images are odd enough to invite a high degree of personal interpretation, and still maintain a ring of truth. My second time reading, I really tried to picture myself in the place of the main character and tried to feel the weight of each image as the story progressed. The biggest thing I took away was the concept of immigration and it made me think of the United States and how little we often think about the stories of struggle that often go along with people who left their own home country to come here in the hopes of creating a better life for themselves or their family. As a first generation American, it gave me an even greater appreciation for my grandparents who left their home country of Mexico, abandoning their comfort and way of life, and entering upon a new place with its own customs and language unlike their own.

Critique: 

• Summary: The Arrival is a migrant story told as a series of wordless images that might seem to come from a long forgotten time. A man leaves his wife and child in an impoverished town, seeking better prospects in an unknown country on the other side of a vast ocean. He eventually finds himself in a bewildering city of foreign customs, peculiar animals, curious floating objects and indecipherable languages. With nothing more than a suitcase and a handful of currency, the immigrant must find a place to live, food to eat and some kind of gainful employment. He is helped along the way by sympathetic strangers, each carrying their own unspoken history: stories of struggle and survival in a world of incomprehensible violence, upheaval and hope
• Setting: The setting first takes place in the home of the man who is the main character in the story as he says goodbye to his family in the hopes of finding a better place for all them to live. As he embarks on his journey, the landscape and images become more surreal depicting creatures, plants, and places unlike those that exist in the real world. By doing this the author/illustrator aims to convey the strangeness one often feels when entering upon a new land or being a foreigner in an unfamiliar place. The images also switch to show life back at home and the danger that is being faced there.
• Point of View: The story is told in third-person omniscient as the reader oversees the man on his journey while at the same time gaining insight on the lives and stories of the strangers that come to help him along the way.
• Character: The story is driven by the main character as he leaves his family in search of a safer place in the hopes of sending for them later and him readjusting to a new way of life in a foreign place. The reader lives through  his experiences and sees the world through the  interpretations of what he sees from everything around him. He goes through the biggest character changes and grows overall as he adjusts to the culture shock and encounters people who have encountered similar stories such as his own.
• Theme: The Arrival is an immigrant story, but in a more universal sense it conveys the feeling that we've all had at some point of being lost, frightened or confused in an unfamiliar environment. It reminds us that new beginnings can be scary, and the spirit of patience and hospitality are always a welcome port in a storm. Even in a foreign land, far from home, we are all human, and being a stranger amongst strange surroundings is an essential part of the human experience.

 

Connections: Given the graphic novel, The Arrival by Shaun Tan, students will be able to use this book as an example in creating their own 7-10 page graphic novel with them as the main character in a foreign place. They can either research a country other than their own to use as the setting of their novel or create their own foreign world. Other ideas include:

• Having the students pick a scene and describe/discuss what is happening through their own interpretations.
• Research some of the greatest migration movements to occur in the United States and the reasons that lead those people to make this country their new home.
• Describe a time when they were in a new unfamiliar place and describe what they felt and experienced.

 

Discussion Questions:

1. Why does the main character leave his family and does he accomplish what he sets out to do?
2. What is your favorite illustration and why? Describe what is happening in the scene that is being depicted and the feelings it conveys.
3. What is the overall message or theme you got from reading The Arrival?
4. How does the foreign language and surreal images allow the reader to experience what the main character is feeling?

Resources: 
http://www.shauntan.net/books/the-arrival.html
http://www.webquestdirect.com.au/webquest.asp?id=650&page=4916
http://www.bookslut.com/comicbookslut/2007_11_011946.php
http://freshmanmonroe.blogs.wm.edu/2011/07/14/ooo-pretty-uh-i-mean-the-arrival-by-shaun-tan/ 
http://www.npr.org/2011/09/23/140119806/in-wordless-imagery-an-immigrants-timeless-tale

Pre-1990 YA Novels

"Sweet Valley High: Power Play"

Francine Pascal

Bibliographical Info: Pascal, F. (1983) Power Play. Connecticut: First Grey Castle Edition
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Range: 12+

Response: There are so many things that I both loved and questioned when I was reading this book, but even though it was quite a bit much at times, I can say that oddly enough I thoroughly enjoyed it. It dramatized a typical high school scene where you have an outsider who desperately wants to be apart of the in crowd but in turn has to give up who she is, that is, until she has a moment of realization. Like Robin Wilson I know what it's like to want to be apart of the in crowd, but I couldn't help but feel exasperated over how desperately she wanted to be apart of the sorority Pi Beta Alpha. She was relentless and there were moments while reading that I just wanted her to realize that it wasn't worth doing all those crazy and embarrassing things and that she didn't need Pi Beta Alpha in order to feel good about herself. An issue that was brought up that really struck a nerve while reading was the constant mentions to Robin's weight. It hit close to home and the snide and cruel remarks were really offensive, and though I was happily applauding when Robin made a grand comeback, I felt that the fact that it was all based on her loosing weight sent the wrong message to young girls. Along with this, I felt that some of the background stories that were happening at the same time as the real story was irrelevant and had me questioning if they were really necessary. If anything it only seemed to add unneeded stress to one of the main characters which was Elizabeth Wakefield. What really sold me on this story was Robin and how she got revenge on Pi Beta Alpha, the stuck up Bruce Patman, and Elizabeth's snooty twin sister Jessica Wakefield. It's the classic underdog story that one can't help but root for and read over and over again.

Critique: 

• Setting: This whole series of books are set at Sweet Valley High where the popular run the school and money and looks are everything. Being a jock or a member of the sorority Pi Beta Alpha is prestige and being in the 'in' crowd is a constant power struggle.
• Point of View: Power Play seems to be told in third-person omniscient and  the plot constantly switches from Robin Wilson to Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield to Lila Fowler. In a way it adds depth to story because the reader gets different perspectives and subplots happening at the same time which ultimately leads to a better understanding and development of the main characters 
• Character: Jessica and Elizabeth are the perfect images of what every girl (and guy) would dream of, long blonde hair, blue green eyes, beautiful, and slim. The only thing is that they are complete polar opposites. Jessica is selfish, cruel, power hungry, and the queen bee one loves to hate and usually the one causing all the problems where as her twin Elizabeth is caring, compassionate, and a genuine person when it comes to taking care of her sister and others. They are foil characters of each other and though they are both completely different, they balance each other and the story out.  Robin Wilson is the so-called "best friend" of Jessica who desperately wants to be a part of Pi Beta Alpha and the main focus of the story as she goes through the greatest change in character.
• Theme: Classic underdog story but ultimately teaches that being apart of the popular crowd isn't everything and becoming the best version of yourself  is ultimately what matters most in the end. Don't loose who you are as a person in trying to become someone, because at the end of the day, you are who you are.

Connections: After having read Power Play ,by Francine Pascal, the students will be able to create a diagram comparing and contrasting the Wakefield twins from one another drawing from context clues read in the story. Other ideas include having students do a character analysis of one of the characters in the story or write about certain themes or issues that were brought up while reading. They could even be asked to draw connections to popular movies or books they have seen or read before such as Mean Girls or even Cinderella. How has this classic underdog story been told time and time again and what usually happens to the main character?

Discussion Questions:

1. Why does Robin Wilson so desperately want to become apart of Pi Beta Alpha?
2. How does Elizabeth agree to help?
3. How are Elizabeth and Jessica different from one another?
4. Who do you think blackballed Robin and why? What evidence can you gather from the reading to prove your point?
5. Who are some of the side characters mentioned in the story and what roles do they play?
6. How does Robin get her revenge and do you agree or disagree with what she did?
7. What is the theme of the story? What are your thoughts of other issues that are brought up?

Resources: 
http://www.series-books.com/svh/sweetvalley1-10.html
http://redlemonade.blogspot.com/2012/04/sweet-valley-high-revisited-power-play.html 
http://shannonsweetvalley.com/2009/02/16/sweet-valley-high-4-power-play/
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Play-Hardy-Boys-Casefiles/dp/0833571923