Tone Theme Mood The Arrival

Daisy Tucker
10/12/14
English II
1A
Trust, Loyalty, and a Little Hope In the United States, 30-40% of marriages end in divorce, and that number is rising yearly. Couples nowadays tend to be afraid of commitment, with statistics showing that a quarter of people ages 25-34 say they will not marry. These couples do have things to be afraid of, of course, such as loyalty and trust issues, which are a main cause of divorces everywhere. There are marriages that do work out in the end, of course, and these relationships often involve an unwritten code of respect and loyalty. In The Arrival, and in the song “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab For Cutie, two couples display this promise of loyalty when going through a hardship, which, for other couples, may be reason enough to end the relationship. The couples displayed in these works however, know that their love is reason enough that they can push through their hardships, and in the end, come out better then before. Through exploring the tone, mood, and theme of these works, one can see a common characteristic of finding balance between trust and loyalty, while also having a hope for a successful future. Shaun Tan, author of The Arrival, displays his understanding of the balance between loyalty and trust through telling a story of immigration, all through the use of pictures. The tone of this story is shown through how he displays his feelings towards true love, and how he believes it can last. He shows a struggling family, who decides to give everything they have, in order to possibly gain a better life. The reader can infer that Shaun Tan has hope, whether it be hope in true love, hope for the future, or hope for new beginnings. The reader can also infer that Shaun Tan believes that this story would not have had the same ending if the mother and daughter didn’t trust the husband to bring them a better life, or if the husband had been disloyal on his promise to do so. One of the ways Shaun Tan displays these ideas, is his use of lighting in the book. For example, in times of sadness, or depression, the pictures he draws have a darker look to them, and in times of hope, his pictures are lighter, and more fluorescent. In “I Will Follow You Into the Dark”, written by Ben Gibbard of the band Death Cab for Cutie, the listener is introduced to a couple set on beating the hardships that are ahead of them, whatever they might be. Ben Gibbard wrote this song after having lost most everyone special in his life. He became obsessed with death, and wrote this song as a tribute to those he had left, with a tone saying that no matter what happens, and no matter how hard life becomes, he believes in them, and has hope for a better future. He shows these ideas through introducing the listener to a person, stating that, “If there’s no on beside you, when you’re soul embarks, then I’ll follow you into the dark.” (Gibbard 2006). Whether he’s referring to an earthbound hardship, or the journey of death, the listener knows this promise he is making is extremely important, and they know that he truly means it. The Arrival’s mood can be felt with the abundant sense of hope the reader has at the end. The reader feels the bright future ahead of the family, but this is only after having felt the pain the family went through. Throughout the book, the reader is taken into the lives of the family, especially the husband’s, as he is learning and exploring a new place, confused and yearning to be with his family. The reader, even if not having been in a similar situation before, can acknowledge the hardships he had to contend with, and can relate it to him or herself, if they have been in a similar situation. The reader can feel the unspoken promise between the family of loyalty and trust, especially when the husband first leaves. The wife and daughter have to trust that the husband will find them a better life, and the husband has to remember them, and their needs, as he is exploring the new land, and he has to think of what is best for them as a whole family. The slow, simple, acoustic sound of “I Will Follow You Into The Dark”, adds a lot to the mood of the song. The listener is forced to listen to the words of the song, with the lack of extra instruments, and loud, extra sounds. The true meaning of the song can’t be hidden, and that proves effective, as the listener is forced to think about who is important in their own life, and who they would tell these things to. As being reintroduced again and again, a common theme between these two works is the balance of trust and loyalty. Neither of these couples could have/will have their better future, if they hadn’t fought hard, and trusted each other. They also need to be loyal to each other, if they want to stay together, and find the hopeful future they crave. Every relationship has hardships, and the strength of the couple is shown through these hardships. Fear of commitment is completely rational, and with the statistics of failing marriage, it is easy to imagine how new couples are afraid of commitment, but when these couples fight for their relationship, and promise to be trustworthy and loyal, they can be successful.

Works Cited
Casselman, Ben. "Marriage Isn 't Dead -- Yet." FiveThirtyEight. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

"Divorce Rate." Information on and Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

""I Will Follow You Into The Dark" Lyrics." DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

Cited: Casselman, Ben. "Marriage Isn 't Dead -- Yet." FiveThirtyEight. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014. "Divorce Rate." Information on and Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014. ""I Will Follow You Into The Dark" Lyrics." DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.