Belonging In Shaun Tan's 'The Arrival'
Identity leads to a sense of belonging. A lack of identity give a lack of belonging. This is most evident in Shaun Tan’s The Arrival. On pg.46 is an image of what the father sees as he arrives to the new land. In the image it can be seen that there is a large dove holding an egg (Tan, 2006, pg.46). This dove is seen amongst the city skyline. Similar images are seen in the harbour image (Tan, 2006, p.44). In this image the skyline is met with two large statues of moguls shaking hands. This randomness describes the theme of not belonging. The father has entered into a land of which he cannot comprehend. This gives him the sense that he does not belong. This is what a lack of relationship can do to someone. In Maslow’s hierarchal of needs belonging