Bechdel's recollections and discovery of her sexual identity and orientation are a major theme of Fun Home. Although the memoir focuses mainly on the complicated relationship with her closeted father, it is also a pinnacle step in which Bechdel discovers that she is attracted to women. In certain instances throughout her life, Bechdel begins noticing her own peculiar behaviour when it comes to her sexual identity. For example, from a young age, she is open about her disdain for dresses and, much to her father's chagrin, her disinterest in aesthetics and anything considered traditionally "feminine".
Throughout the graphic novel, Bechdel keeps a very frank, almost detached way of describing many events that would typically be considered "eye-opening", in terms of discovering her sexuality. When she first realizes that she is gay, she is in the library looking at books, and it hits her suddenly, in an almost flippant manner. There is no fancy dialogue for how she feels. Funnily enough, she has had many hints towards her lesbianism, exhibited even earlier on in her childhood.
In many ways, Bechdel's discovery of her sexuality and her tone and voice of which she writes about it can be dissected and mulled over, in relation to her relationship with her father and her experiences in childhood.
There's a Tumblr (a blog social networking site) called When I Came Out in which different Tumblr users can share their stories and revelations of their sexualities. Although we live in a different time than Bechdel, I wonder that if these social networking sites were available to Bechdel, or even her father, during their adolescent years, would the tragedy of Bechdel's father's death have happened at all? Would Bechdel have discovered her lesbianism much earlier on, and how would that affect her family?
There's a Tumblr (a blog social networking site) called When I Came Out in which different Tumblr users can share their stories and revelations of their sexualities. Although we live in a different time than Bechdel, I wonder that if these social networking sites were available to Bechdel, or even her father, during their adolescent years, would the tragedy of Bechdel's father's death have happened at all? Would Bechdel have discovered her lesbianism much earlier on, and how would that affect her family?
I love the way Alison is so frank about things, nothing surprises her, even as a kid. It reminds me a lot of when I was a kid, a lot was kept to myself, I never got overly surprised about anything. I wonder what makes some people act this way and others are almost surprised about everything. I think a lot has to do with her family, mostly father, and her connection with him, it is distant unconnected. A lot of personal issues are kept very private and closed, and I think Alison has developed this trait after him. I do not think this is a bad trait though, for one I think it is easier on her heart, not being so shocked or surprised all the time, haha.
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