Stranger In An Unusual New Land: Thematic Comparison of The Happiest Refugee and The Arrival Ashley Young 8th Grade

Being a stranger in an unusual new land can be frightening and challenging, but the situation can also be prosperous and bring limitless opportunities for the future. This is relevant to Anh Do’s autobiography the Happiest Refugee and Shaun Tan’s graphic novel the Arrival. Both characters in the books find themselves unaccustomed to an unfamiliar new land and give the reader a sense of what it is like being a refugee/migrant. Anh Do narrates his life in the Happiest Refugee as a form of an autobiography. The book begins re-counting Anh’s family’s difficult journey to Australia and continues with Anh’s life growing up and his belonging as a refugee in the nation.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a graphic novel in which a man must temporarily leave his wife and daughter to find a place of sanctuary for his original home is unsafe. The man discovers a safe and civilized world and works to provide for his family, eventually succeeding to host the pair on the journey to reunite forever. The journeys faced by both Anh Do and ‘The Man’ were challenging as a refugee/migrant, each facing difficult tasks. Anh’s family throughout his childhood faced extreme poverty due to the absence of his father. Anh’s mothers’ positive approach to the...