The Arrival is able to tell its story without using words by following the main character and using emotion, actions, close-ups, setting and mood to show what he is feeling.
From the first page, we learn more about the character through close ups of the objects in his home. The object that we focus on is a family portrait. From panel to panel, the movement of the character shows that he is packing up to leave.
"Camera" movements are used from panel to panel. The most striking is when one panel will show a close-up of an object, and the next panels will "zoom out" from the object and show more information about the setting the character is in. For example, on page 16 the first panel is the family portrait, and the next panels move back to reveal that the man is on a ship.
Even when there is no dialogue, the expressions of the characters show what they are feeling. On page 38 the artist is able to show a conversation without using any words by using expressions and hand gestures. We can gather that the two people talking are having trouble understanding each other because the man in the hat has to draw up a picture to express what he is trying to find.
Since the story is about an immigrant, the artistic decision to leave out all dialogue makes sense because it puts the reader into the shoes of a person coming to a new land and experiencing the unfamiliar. Instead of explaining through dialogue, the story uses images that allow the reader to connect the dots of the plot.
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