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Alison and Bruce's Awkward Car Conversation

    Throughout much of Fun Home, we see (and cringe at) the tense relationships and uncomfortable interactions between members of the Bechdel family, especially between Alison and her father, Bruce. The strained atmosphere of Alison and Bruce's relationship persists until the very end of the book—specifically until their discussion in the car after coming out to each other. This conversation is definitely a moment of peak awkwardness between Alison and Bruce but it's also one of the last such moments, as we see Alison and Bruce becoming comfortable and close with each other in the last few months of Bruce's life. In this regard, the conversation is a turning point in the novel and a major step forward in Alison's coming of age.

    Despite retaining the awkwardness of prior events, this scene is unique in that we see Alison and Bruce being open with each other, marking a significant development in their relationship. As a result, the uneasiness between them is greatly diminished from that point on and in later scenes, Alison and Bruce interact candidly as equals. On that note, around this time in the novel is when Alison's conversations with both her dad and her mom come to be on an adult-to-adult level, unlike their prior authoritative adult-to-kid interactions. This change is a clear sign of Alison's coming of age since she's now able to interact more or less comfortably as an adult with adults.

    Alison and Bruce's conversation is also a crucial point in Bruce's journey as an antihero and Alison's  journey as a hero. Over the course of the story, Bruce's and Alison's journeys happen on different timelines but finally converge during this conversation. Bruce acts as an antihero to Alison by recounting his prior experiences to her, which doesn't necessarily sound heroic but nonetheless impacts Alison by giving her someone to process her thoughts with and relate to. Consequently, Alison is able to play the hero's role by gaining the confidence to fully embrace her identity and use it to influence others.

    This conversation most clearly impacted the novel by breaking down a wall between Alison and Bruce as they discovered their similarities. We can see this effect in the last few lighthearted scenes between them, which illustrate a world of potential for their relationship that wasn't apparent before. For Alison, the results of this conversation go even further to the point of instilling in her the confidence to accept her identity as both a lesbian and an adult in general, allowing her to pave the way to guiding others.

Comments

  1. Stefania April 7, 2021 at 6:16 PM

    I agree, this conversation was very unique and may have been one of the most significant "coming of age" moments in the book, as Alison finally stepped up to her parents' levels of maturity and intellect. I think one other such moment that is very slightly reminiscent of their car conversation to me is the one that takes place when Alison is 13, and Bruce tells her that he is going to see a psychiatrist. This too, while then still clearly a conversation between an adult and a child (Bruce barely offers once sentence of explanation), was a rare moment of vulnerability and self-awareness for Bruce, and a connection between him and Alison that he could have avoided if he wanted to.

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  2. ElijahApril 29, 2021 at 5:39 PM

    Yeah it's interesting to consider that in "Fun Home," Allison Bechdel actually fully grows up, becoming an adult and embracing her identity. It's refreshing to see development into maturity and independence, and I think that's part of what makes Allison the "hero" of this novel. Unfortunately, we don't see that resolution of coming-of-age in many of the other novels we're read this semester.

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