Analysis Of Shaun Tan The Lost Thing

Shaun Tan sensitively channels the underlying trials of detachment and the pursuit for self discovery experienced free from the suppression of conscious dictation, conceptualising the intricate web of human growth associated with ageing. Shaun Tan’s ‘The Red Tree’ and the animation ‘The Lost Thing’ explicitly mirror this sentiment.

Shaun Tan’s semi-autobiographical book ‘The Red Tree’ effectively fuses the composer’s context of self-discovery with undertones of disorientation in acknowledging vocation. This is particularly accentuated in the ‘Without sense or reason’ spread. The persona, a beacon of Tan’s journey, encounters a cluster of obstacles, the abstract placement of text, formulas and foreign languages delineating Tan’s inability

The deliberate compositional inclusion of arrows and eyeballs featured in the Lost Thing’s environment act as visual guides. The arrows lead jumbled vectors in different directions, the audience encouraged to pursue a direction. However, as evident in the course of growing into adulthood, the decision to take a particular direction is often a challenging encounter, illuminated by Tan’s own personal endeavour to discover his vocation as an illustrator and author. This exploration of direction is aided by the feature of eyeballs, embodying clarity and awareness of possibilities and future opportunities for the ‘Lost Thing’ and in turn, Shaun Tan. In addition, the continual symbolism of the number ‘5’ complements this navigation to self discovery, featured on the armbands of the public and on the gadgets in the ‘Lost Things’ realm. The number ‘5’ represents the most dynamic and energetic of all single-digit numbers, resonating with notions of personal freedom, individualism, change, and adaptability. In this way, Tan draws considerable attention to the negligence of adults towards change and expression which inhibits one’s self discovery. Thus, ‘The Lost Thing’ portrays the adult issue of self discovery and belonging to a immense extent, revealed via rich symbolism illustrating evolution of human

Marvellously developing a superficial dimension to the concept of isolation, the proportion of the buildings to the size of the text depicts a sense of helplessness and smallness amidst the excitement of the outside world. Additionally, this desolation is delineated further by the stark contrast between the muted shades of the beach to the vivid colours of the ‘Lost Thing’, accentuating the disposition of the creature. Likewise, the monotone minor tonality of the non-diegetic sounds within the piece disperse an atmosphere of discord and dismay, and as a less stable tonic, generates clear connotations of distress and detachment. Nonetheless, this melancholy setting is redirected by the modulation to a major tonality, emphasising the ‘Lost Thing’s new-found joy, disclosure and openness with it surroundings. Thereby, ‘The Lost Thing’ delves the complexity of adult isolation through ‘childish’ interpretations of disparity and singularity, communicated through abstract