While writing my proposal for our critical essay this week, a question sprung to my mind. All of our discussion on Fun Home has has been centered around the relationship between Alison and her father Bruce. Throughout the course of these discussions, we have tried in great detail to understand who Bruce is as a character. Then, as I sat down to write my proposal, I realized something. We never actually classified what role Bruce plays in the graphic novel.
Even though the story is the autobiography of Alison, could her father be considered a protagonist since he plays just as big a role in the narrative as she does and he is featured at both the beginning and end of the narrative as most protagonists are. Or do we consider him the antagonist since Alison is fighting to be herself in the world and he always seems to get her way of doing that. Maybe we just do not consider him anything at all. Maybe he is just simply another character. Again, this was just something I was pondering while writing and wanted to know if anyone else had any opinions on the matter.
Interesting question, Haley. Until now, I hadn't thought about it. Given all of the anxiety that Bruce caused in the lives of his family, not the least of which was his apparent suicide, I regard him as the chief antagonist in the novel. It is all interpretation.
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