Character Analysis: Fun Home

). The brevity of this moment is depicted by the small, same-size panels that show Bruce and young-adult-Alison in almost the exact same position in each panel, giving off the feeling that the two pages filled with these panels only describe a second or two because nothing much changes. This is a reference to how young adult Bechdel felt about the conversation her and her father were having. She had hoped for an open conversation that would form a bond between them over their experienced queerness. Instead, her father, marked by the oppressive gender binary, cannot give her that, and although he does provide her with a little information on his experienced queerness refuses to truly encourage the conversation. Therefore, it ends with nothing …show more content…
He does, however, admit that, “I guess there was some kind of…identification.” (Bechdel. Fun Home I: 220. Figure 7) two panels later. This hesitation is not only shown verbally by his pause in speech on the intradiegetic level but primarily visually on the diegetic level where his emotions and thoughts are depicted by his facial expression as seen by young-adult-Alison. His eyes are cast down; his mouth forms a tight line. He looks defeated and ashamed about having said this, and about the truth in this statement. This is furthered by the next panel that depicts him with his hand over his mouth, eyebrows knitted together, clearly indicating that he is uncertain whether he should and can go on. These panels not only show that he is unsure whether he can open up to his daughter about a part of him that he has been told by society’s norms to conceal and tried to conceal all his life, but whether he can admit it to himself, because saying something aloud gives the words weight and a definite feel of …show more content…
Fun Home I: 220. Figure 7). The hesitation here is mirrored in the surprised look on his face at his own words, not quite believing that he is saying it out loud. In the next three panels Bruce Bechdel tells her two more times he did not go with the gender binary system, which would make it seem as if it were an open, nice conversation between queer father and daughter, were it not for the cartoons. They portray Bruce Bechdel’s feelings through his face, and show it shift from resignation to sadness to annoyance, clearly showing how he feels about this part of his identity, because no matter how nice any of it felt, he cannot be that person, and therefore does not want to be like this at all. Alison Bechdel captures the oppressiveness of the gender binary system for someone outside of it in just a few