The Casting of the Other as Actors in a Play - Alison and Bruce
In Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel, Alison and Bruce have a unique relationship that is based on what they can get from one another. This relationship is shaped in this way, specifically, when Alison is young. Importantly, as Alison grows older and more mature, her dad seems to view her more as an equal. Yet, when she is young, their relationship often appears to be fake, almost as if it being acted out in a play or television show (which is ironic considering Fun Home became a musical after it's publishing). Each person attempts to get the other to fill a role they see the other in, while neither conforms to this ideal. When she was young, Alison cast Bruce in the loving-father-figure role. In the opening scene of the graphic novel, Alison is drawn playing "'airplane'" with Bruce (Bechdel 3-4). Alison's portrayal of Bruce as a loving father is highlighted in the very first line which reads: "Like many fathers..." (Bechdel 3). This direct compari...