Importance of clouds

As the man starts a new journey in his life, clouds come to symbolize change. Before the man arrives in the new country, he boards a ship that passes under a myriad of beautiful clouds in varying shapes and sizes. Clouds are often associated with change because of their varying shapes, as they never remain in the same form. Thus, when Tan places emphasis on the clouds through a sequence of panels, he points to the idea that the man is also about to experience significant change both in his life and as an individual.