Fun Home

 Emma Straus  

21st Century Lit

Fun Home

November 2022 

 

 

In ‘Fun Home’, there are many themes that are difficult to process and digest, many of which are depressing and emotional. What was striking was the form in which Allison tells her story. Both musical and graphic novel format go hand in hand in balancing these heavy themes, making parts of the story satirical and almost comedically absurd. But under the surface, there lies the heavy themes bursting out in many forms of expression. 

The work is unique in itself as there is no true ‘hero’ and no ‘villain’. The antagonist comes in the form of Bechel’s father’s closeted struggle to be his authentic self, as well as Allison’s. Allison looks to her father for many different reasons throughout the play, idolizing him but ultimately becoming his foil. Coming to terms with her own sexuality, Allison’s actions differ from the way in which her father dealt with his. He is a queer she has known her whole life but on a level that is complex and layered. It is interesting the way time plays a role as well. The story centers around the events of her childhood and young adult life but come from her adult self grappling with the complicated memory of her father. She comes up with captions for her drawings, some of which are sarcastic and funny, others which are heavy and emotional. But these come from her own reflections upon her life and what role her father played in it. And the narrative switches from places of youth and memory to Allison’s adult understanding (or lack of) her father.  

Another detail to note is her father’s obsession with order. From a psychological standpoint, his obsession with control in domestic areas only displays how little control he has over his sexuality. His attempts to mask his inner struggle comes out in his dedication to the house, his cleaning habits, and the way in which his children present themselves. It is all a mask, of course. And his masked efforts intermingle with his true feelings, creating two ‘timelines’ that he lives by simultaneously, like a constant tug of war between each. This complicates things for Allison, who decidedly does not want to be like her father. As mentioned she becomes his foil, wanting to come out and doing so. Her timeline, affected by his, becomes her own in a very complicated jumble of thoughts, feelings, and emotions as she circles back to her childhood constantly in many forms of self expression.  

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