Shaun Tan's picture book, The Red Tree, explores several key personal challenges that are central to life, such as the struggle of being confused about the meaning of your life. This is depicted in the frame, 'Sometimes you just don't know what you are suppose to do', which showcases our protagonist on a stage forced to put on an act with with a multitude of different objects varying in ages and origins. Tan has used the symbolic item of a puppet that looks like the protagonist. The puppet is symbolic of the girl's lack of sense of self. She feels like she as to act to suit everyone's expectations of her, that she must manipulate herself much like how someone manipulates a puppet to put on a performance. This shows the girl's lack of sense
