Fun Home is a graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, depicting her fictionalized life as a younger self among her family. Many themes and important passages occurred throughout the text such as, the concept of double identity and how both Alison and Bruce Bechdel, her father, handled their sexuality and expressed it. “I had recently discovered some of Dad 's old clothes. Putting on a formal shirt with its studs and cufflinks was a nearly mystical pleasure, like finding myself fluent in a language I 'd never been taught…It felt too good to actually be good” (182). This passage displays the message that Alison enjoyed and found pleasure in wearing male clothes, expressing her sexuality freely. Where on the other hand her father was more secretive about
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She is portrayed as not being ashamed or secretive about her true identity. Conversely, her father tries to live a double life, hiding his true desires and displaying his sexuality and pleasures in other ways such as, decorating the interior and exterior of the house, and making Alison dress a certain way and pushing her towards a more feminine life route. For instance, having flowers and pink in her room even after she says, “I hate Pink! I hate Flowers” (7), or even when she seems to not care if her clothes match or not, but her father making her go change, and talking to her in a tone that is not arguable “ Yellow Turtleneck Now” (15). These instances not only show the significance of femininity to Bruce, but also how much he desires the sense of femininity, trying to portray his own feminine desires through his daughter since he cannot do so. Another example would be when she was forced to wear a barrette and if she came back home without it she was told “ Next time I see you without it, I’ll wale you” (97). Her father seemed to care about her looks more than she did, Alison on the other hand did not care about her appearance. She enjoyed being more masculine and having nicknames like butch or even being mistaken for a boy and referring to herself as Albert, more than wearing girly clothes, flowers or anything feminine. …show more content…
She takes out the barrette from her hair, plays basketball with her cousins, and acts like a boy. “See girls wear them too” (73) she even persuades her parents into buying her hiking boots by telling her father that other girls also wear them, knowing that her father likes her being very feminine and would not refuse what she asked for. Showing another example of how her father likes the taste of femininity and how she takes that to her advantage. Alison even exchanges her tank suit for a pair of shorts, not seeming to care about the fact that only boys wear swimming shorts on the beach. She even mentions that “ I admired their masculine charms myself” (95) after asking Roy to “make a muscle” (95), and admitting that “” I had become a connoisseur of masculinity at an early age” (95). She did not enjoy looking like a girl especially after she started her period and started looking more like a women “And there was always the chance that by ignoring it, it would go away. Although this strategy was not working with my breasts” (158). Her annoyance with everything to do with femininity is extremely portrayed in this passage and throughout the whole comic. Her hatred towards anything feminine was so strongly portrayed and felt. She did not seem to be excited towards things that were
She is portrayed as not being ashamed or secretive about her true identity. Conversely, her father tries to live a double life, hiding his true desires and displaying his sexuality and pleasures in other ways such as, decorating the interior and exterior of the house, and making Alison dress a certain way and pushing her towards a more feminine life route. For instance, having flowers and pink in her room even after she says, “I hate Pink! I hate Flowers” (7), or even when she seems to not care if her clothes match or not, but her father making her go change, and talking to her in a tone that is not arguable “ Yellow Turtleneck Now” (15). These instances not only show the significance of femininity to Bruce, but also how much he desires the sense of femininity, trying to portray his own feminine desires through his daughter since he cannot do so. Another example would be when she was forced to wear a barrette and if she came back home without it she was told “ Next time I see you without it, I’ll wale you” (97). Her father seemed to care about her looks more than she did, Alison on the other hand did not care about her appearance. She enjoyed being more masculine and having nicknames like butch or even being mistaken for a boy and referring to herself as Albert, more than wearing girly clothes, flowers or anything feminine. …show more content…
She takes out the barrette from her hair, plays basketball with her cousins, and acts like a boy. “See girls wear them too” (73) she even persuades her parents into buying her hiking boots by telling her father that other girls also wear them, knowing that her father likes her being very feminine and would not refuse what she asked for. Showing another example of how her father likes the taste of femininity and how she takes that to her advantage. Alison even exchanges her tank suit for a pair of shorts, not seeming to care about the fact that only boys wear swimming shorts on the beach. She even mentions that “ I admired their masculine charms myself” (95) after asking Roy to “make a muscle” (95), and admitting that “” I had become a connoisseur of masculinity at an early age” (95). She did not enjoy looking like a girl especially after she started her period and started looking more like a women “And there was always the chance that by ignoring it, it would go away. Although this strategy was not working with my breasts” (158). Her annoyance with everything to do with femininity is extremely portrayed in this passage and throughout the whole comic. Her hatred towards anything feminine was so strongly portrayed and felt. She did not seem to be excited towards things that were