Analysis Of Alison Bechdel's Fun Home

Fun home is a graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel that is focused on her and her parents especially her father. Alison’s parents Helen and Bruce play a major role in her novel and in her life in general Alison lives in Pennsylvania with Bruce Helen, and her little brothers Christian and John. Early on, Bechdel provides background of her childhood in rural Pennsylvania with her parents. Her father who is more concerned with decorating than he is with his family, “Hand wash these curtains so we can put up the Hand-Embroidered lace ones I found in Mrs. Strumps Attic.” (Bechdel 5). When Bechdel was young she would always want to dress up as a boy. When she hits puberty she realizes she is attracted to woman. She comes out as a Lesbian at the age of 19 “My

But it was a Hypothesis so thorough and convincing that I saw no reason not to share it immediately” (Bechdel 58) Soon after coming out she finds out that her father had sexual relations with other men. “Your father has had affairs with other men” (Bechdel 58). Later in the book Bechdel finds out that her father had sexual relations with her gardener and childhood babysitter. In her writing she describes finding photos of her father that prove his homosexuality even more. “he’s wearing a women’s bathing suit. A fraternity prank? But the pose he strikes is not mincing or silly at all. He’s lissome, elegant.” (Bechdel 120). Later on she finds out that her mother would want to divorce her father. Not much later in her memoir she describes her father would be killed by a truck. Bechdel suspects that her father's death was a suicide; she would describe specific facts and incidents as evidence. At a moment in the book she even thinks that her coming out about her homosexuality is a