Page - 145 - in Mobile Culture Studies - The Journal, Volume 1/2015

Migration goes beyond a simple movement from place A to place B; it is a process more complex than the seemingly simple act of physical transition from one point to another. Many studies over the last few years have focused on the social dimensions of migration, beginning with the decision to migrate to the challenges migrants face in their new environments. An often over- looked but nonetheless important part of migration is the space between: the journey, the travel, the movement per se. Taking a closer look at this part of migration reveals a very specific and unique cultural sphere that in many ways can be understood as paradigmatic for the migration process as a whole. The article specifically focuses on ships and their representations, a means of transport that in many ways is closely tied to imaginings of migration. Using the example of two representa- tions of migration, the article analyzes this sphere, asking what qualities this specific cultural momentum carries and how those experiences are represented in media depictions of migration. The first example used in the article is the graphic novel The Arrival by the Australian artist Shaun Tan. Tan spent extensive time researching the broad topic of migration, aspiring to create a story that represents migration as a universal experience. The Arrival offers its readers an opportunity to understand the complex process of migration and its specific challenges. By creating an entirely fictional setting, Tan offers readers an idea of what it might mean to arrive in an unfamiliar environment. habits, routines, norms, even the most basic symbols remain undecodable. In Tan’s graphic novel, the ship plays a vital part in the migration process. Tan depicts it as a place of contemplation, giving the protagonist time to both reflect on the past and imagine the future. The state of one‘s imagination oscillating between memories, hopes, and fears is symbolized through widespread images of the clouds the protagonist observes while on board. Although the migrant community is portrayed as largely homogeneous, the people seem to remain aloof from one another; they are united by circumstances, but alone in their own thoughts and reflections. The second example is the animated film An American Tail, directed by Don Bluth. It tells the story of a Jewish family of mice that decides to migrate to America in order to escape anti-Jewish pogroms, symbolized by cats. In the movie the ship is first portrayed as an exciting place of adventure that soon shifts to a place of endurance and waiting, functioning as a turning “There are no cats in America!” The sea voyage in Don Bluth’s “An American Tail” and Shaun Tan’s “The Arrival” as representation of liminal migration experiences Extended Abstract Anja fuchs and Robin Klengel Mobile culture Studies. The Journal, Vol. 1 2015, 145-146 Editor reviewed article Open Access: content is licensed under cc BY 3.0