In Fun Home, Alison Bechdel writes, “Our family was a sham… That our house was not a real home at all but the simulacrum of one, a museum.” (17) Throughout the graphic memoir, Bechdel presents her family as living in an artificial world: a façade of a perfect and united family mainly perpetuated by Bruce Bechdel’s disconnection from the family. As Bechdel reflects upon her unique upbringing in her graphic memoir, she explores the cause of her father’s distant presence. Bechdel specifically focuses on her father’s inner struggle to hide his true identity and how this affected the development of her own identity and character. Seemingly contradictory, Bruce’s internal turmoil isn 't the root of his apparent need to be distant from his family;
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Through Bechdel 's perspective from her childhood, Bruce lived behind a façade to hide his true identity. Because of his sexual identity, Bruce felt as if he was always fighting society and its expectation; he was justifying his sexual identity. The retreat to an alternative reality was his choice since Bruce knew society would never completely accept him. Instead of proudly showing his defiance to society, he decided to assimilate. By creating a family with a woman, Bruce showed that he preferred to be socially accepted rather than constantly fighting for his freedom of sexual expression, even if said decision lead to a lifetime of internal turmoil. But in the end, his self-oppression only lead to his downfall [most commonly identified as his death]. Continuing on this idea, Bechdel writes, "Sometimes, when things were going well, I think my father actually enjoyed having a family. Or at least, the air of authenticity we leant to his exhibit. A sort of still life with children." (13) Bechdel notes that even when her father seemed to enjoy having a family, he never was happy about having children, but rather he was glad because of the peace that it brought onto his social …show more content…
Bechdel portrays her father as a very emotionless man, highlighted by the fact that for most of the scenes in the novel, Bruce holds a face void of any emotion or even reaction to the rest of the world. Early in the novel [the first three pages in which Bechdel introduces her father 's nature], Bechdel establishes Bruce 's typical emotionless face. On page 1 in the third panel, she depicts her father playing "airplane" with her; this panel covers the entire width of the page in order emphasize something in the scene: the stern and aloof look on Bruce 's face [his face doesn’t show that he is enjoying this moment with his daughter]. Bechdel chooses not to show her young face since it can be assumed she has a face of excitement for she is in the air; the absence of her face directs the focus to the only face in the panel, which is Bruce 's the focus is on Bruce. As soon as he notices the dirty carpet on page 2, he retreats back behind his façade by focusing on maintaining his "mansion" looking
Through Bechdel 's perspective from her childhood, Bruce lived behind a façade to hide his true identity. Because of his sexual identity, Bruce felt as if he was always fighting society and its expectation; he was justifying his sexual identity. The retreat to an alternative reality was his choice since Bruce knew society would never completely accept him. Instead of proudly showing his defiance to society, he decided to assimilate. By creating a family with a woman, Bruce showed that he preferred to be socially accepted rather than constantly fighting for his freedom of sexual expression, even if said decision lead to a lifetime of internal turmoil. But in the end, his self-oppression only lead to his downfall [most commonly identified as his death]. Continuing on this idea, Bechdel writes, "Sometimes, when things were going well, I think my father actually enjoyed having a family. Or at least, the air of authenticity we leant to his exhibit. A sort of still life with children." (13) Bechdel notes that even when her father seemed to enjoy having a family, he never was happy about having children, but rather he was glad because of the peace that it brought onto his social …show more content…
Bechdel portrays her father as a very emotionless man, highlighted by the fact that for most of the scenes in the novel, Bruce holds a face void of any emotion or even reaction to the rest of the world. Early in the novel [the first three pages in which Bechdel introduces her father 's nature], Bechdel establishes Bruce 's typical emotionless face. On page 1 in the third panel, she depicts her father playing "airplane" with her; this panel covers the entire width of the page in order emphasize something in the scene: the stern and aloof look on Bruce 's face [his face doesn’t show that he is enjoying this moment with his daughter]. Bechdel chooses not to show her young face since it can be assumed she has a face of excitement for she is in the air; the absence of her face directs the focus to the only face in the panel, which is Bruce 's the focus is on Bruce. As soon as he notices the dirty carpet on page 2, he retreats back behind his façade by focusing on maintaining his "mansion" looking