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Questions and Answers
What frustrates Alison about how people talk around Bruce's death?
She is frustrated with their platitudes and her own emotional numbness.
At what age does Alison develop obsessive-compulsive disorder?
10
What does Bruce do that causes Alison to lose interest in coloring?
He corrects her choice of color for Mr. Toad's caravan.
What elements do Alison's childhood surroundings include, according to her reflections?
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What event does Alison compare Bruce's legal troubles to?
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Alison has a positive relationship with Bruce throughout her childhood.
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How does Helen react when Alison confides in her about needing menstrual supplies?
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What significant event occurs to Alison at age 14?
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Who does Bruce take to New York City during the Bicentennial?
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The title of the musical that the Bechdels attend in New York is ________.
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Alison's relationship with Bruce improves significantly when she becomes his student.
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Who is Alison in Fun Home?
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What profession does Bruce Bechdel have?
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What is Helen Bechdel's aspiration during Alison's teenage years?
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Who is Beth in Fun Home?
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What does Alison reflect upon regarding her father's sexuality?
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What does Bruce's death symbolize for Alison?
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What does Alison find troublesome about her emotions towards Bruce's death?
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Alison Bechdel's first girlfriend is named ______.
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Bruce had a secret lover named ______.
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What is the significance of the Gothic-revival mansion in Fun Home?
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How does Alison's view on ornaments relate to her father?
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Helen Bechdel supported Bruce's extramarital affairs openly.
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Alison had a positive relationship with her father throughout her childhood.
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What tragic event does Alison associate with Bruce's death?
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Study Notes
Characters
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Alison Bechdel
- Inquisitive, tomboyish childhood; dresses in male clothing.
- Strained relationship with father, Bruce, but seeks connection.
- Identifies as a lesbian and comes out to her parents; learns Bruce is also gay.
- Affected by Bruce's death, creating "Fun Home" to process her grief.
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Bruce Bechdel
- Army veteran and director of Bechdel Funeral Home; high school English teacher.
- Secretly engages in affairs with men and teenage boys, affecting his marriage with Helen.
- Dies in a truck accident; Alison suspects suicide influenced by his reading.
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Helen Bechdel
- Bruce's wife, struggles with his infidelities but maintains secrecy about his sexuality.
- Aspires to perform; requests divorce shortly before Bruce's death.
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Beth
- Alison's childhood best friend who enjoys playing and dressing up with her.
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Bill
- One of Bruce’s secret boyfriends, characterized as an "outdoors type."
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Christian and John
- Alison's younger brothers; Christian is quiet and reserved, John is free-spirited.
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Norris Johnson
- Bruce's first sexual encounter; a farmhand.
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Roy
- Bruce's high school student and Alison's babysitter; has an affair with Bruce.
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Joan
- Alison's first girlfriend; introduces her to radical queer politics.
Chapter Summaries
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Chapter 1
- Young Alison seeks interaction with Bruce during play; adult Alison reflects on their home.
- Bruce's obsession with historical restoration parallels emotional neglect towards family.
- Alison develops resentment towards Bruce; prefers functionality over aesthetics.
- Bruce's complex relationship with affection and his children is outlined.
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Chapter 2
- Bruce's death depicted as an accident; Alison believes it might be suicide.
- The narrative weaves through Bruce and Helen's early years and their return to manage the funeral home.
- Alison’s childhood confusion over death in the family funeral home; spends time in close proximity to death.
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Chapter 3
- Alison's coming out as a lesbian coincides with her learning about Bruce's sexuality.
- The connection of familial relationships blurs between fiction and reality; overlap has literary references.
- Scenes highlight lack of affection between Alison's parents and Bruce's literary influences.
- Bruce’s relationship with Roy complicates Alison's understanding of family dynamics and her own identity.
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Chapter 4
- Bruce's death in a gardening accident; Alison contemplates the duality of suicide versus gardening.
- Her childhood understanding of masculinity contrasts with Bruce's more effeminate traits.
- The chapter explores Alison's experiences of queerness during a trip with Bruce and Roy.
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Chapter 5
- A premonition dream precedes Bruce's death; Alison feels conflicted regarding emotional responses to grief.
- Reflections on childhood creativity suppressed by parental expectations and emotions.
- Alison grapples with obsessive-compulsive behaviors as a result of familial pressures and her environment.### Chapter 6 Summary
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Alison begins writing a diary at 13, influenced by her compulsions, marking each line with "I think" before using a symbol.
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She compares her home region's geography to The Wind in the Willows and recalls a tragic car crash involving a distant cousin.
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The contrast between the deceased cousin’s gray skin and yellow hair impacts Alison during the funeral visit.
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Diary entries become illegible, prompting her mother to write them for her, leading to Alison's determination to overcome her compulsions.
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Bruce, her brother, begins seeing a psychiatrist, which excites yet concerns Alison, as he expresses feeling "bad" in contrast to her.
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National events, including the Watergate Scandal and the arrival of 17-year locusts, coincide with Alison's first period, which she quietly keeps to herself.
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Helen, Alison's mother, faces stress from a leading role in Oscar Wilde's play, causing Alison to assist her while also reading for enjoyment.
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Tensions rise in the Bechdel family due to Bruce’s legal troubles following an incident involving the police and a minor.
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Helen's academic pressures increase as her thesis director demands rewrites, and a storm destroys her work just before the deadline, though she manages to rewrite it in time.
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Bruce is sentenced to see a psychiatrist while historical events, including Nixon’s resignation, unfold.
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As Alison turns 14, she and a friend’s attempt at rebellion through dress-up fails; she later seeks her mother’s help for sanitary pads, revealing a lack of response from Helen.
Chapter 7 Summary
- In 1976, during the Bicentennial, Bruce takes Alison and her brothers to New York City, where she is struck by the "cosmeticized masculinity" of local men and meets her first gay couple.
- A thrilling musical experience at A Chorus Line contrasts with a scary moment when John, her brother, is approached by a predator.
- Alison reflects on her father's past and expresses concern that he may have faced issues during the AIDS crisis had he lived longer.
- A shift occurs in Alison’s relationship with Bruce when she becomes his student, discovering a shared passion for literature.
- Bruce praises Alison’s efforts in class, leading to a close mentor-student connection; however, she eventually feels constrained by his enthusiasm.
- In college, Alison takes a break from English classes but later enrolls in a literature course on James Joyce, coinciding with her realization of being a lesbian.
- After coming out to her parents, she receives a letter from Bruce revealing his own sexuality, sharing his past thoughts on being unheroic for not coming out.
- Alison experiences her first sexual encounters before returning home, where familial dynamics shift with Helen confiding in her about Bruce's affairs.
- A pivotal conversation with Bruce about sexuality reveals shared experiences and feelings, ending with a failed attempt to enter a gay bar due to Alison’s age.
- After Bruce’s death, Alison grapples with her grief, and she reflects on the impact of parental figures in her life, using the Icarus metaphor to express the support she felt from him.
Studying That Suits You
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Description
Test your knowledge of 'Fun Home' through these flashcards focusing on character definitions and themes. Dive into Alison Bechdel's journey of self-discovery and her relationship with her father. Perfect for literature enthusiasts exploring complex identities.
