Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Reflections on Fun Home: Bruce Bechdel
As I mentioned in class, I have sympathy for Bruce Bechdel. No, he is not the kindest father, but I cannot imagine living life, every day, pretending to be someone you’re not. Personally, I think I would be cranky and frustrated too: “What’re you afraid of? Being beautiful? Put it on, goddamn it!” (99). In this quotation, Bruce is irritated, because he wants nothing more than to take the string of pearls and wear them himself, but he can’t. Bruce is trapped in his house, hiding from society’s expectations. Due to the small-minded society of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Bruce feels like he must conform to fit in with the norms of the town. If Bruce would have had the freedom to express himself would he have been such an angry person? To pull in pop culture for a moment (sorry, I am not an avid follower of the show), Modern Family, features a gay couple/parents who embrace their true-selves and have a healthy relationship. Hypothetically, how do you think Bruce’s temperament would be if based in current society? Ultimately, I believe that Bruce loves his children and tries to express his (mixed) emotions when he can. For example, when Bruce thinks they might have lost one of Alison's brothers to a "chickenhawk," he becomes panicked: "What do you mean he went out? When?" (192). In this quotation, Bruce displays concern for Alison's younger brother as he becomes worried and protective. Overall, I feel bad for Bruce, because he never gets the chance to unleash his true personality.
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I think you make a good point here. If this was today, Bruce would probably have been more accepted. I think that Allison would have had many of the same stressors that she had already, but it would have been easier to accept that people are different. I think that this would have changed the concept of the story, probably making Bruce more accepting of himself, thus making it easier to accept Allison.
ReplyDeleteI agree that if Bruce had been free to be himself he wouldn't have had as much anger, however I do think it is important to point out that not everyone is as accepting of themselves as the couple on Modern Family. In today's society there are still men like Bruce and just by putting himself forward in time does not mean he would have been better. Most of Bruce's problems in my opinion come from an unwillingness to truly accept and embrace himself for who he was.
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