5. Alison Bechdel's Fun Home is a graphic memoir that is filled with literary allusions. What book by James Joyce is alluded to with the title of Chapter 1: "Old Father, Old Artificer"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How and why does the author allude to It's a Wonderful Life in Chapter 1?

2. How does the author compare herself with her father in Chapter 1?

3. How does the author describe her "coming out" to her parents in Chapter 3?

4. How does the author describe her impressions of her father's death in Chapter 2?

5. What allusions are made to the works of F. Scott Fitgerald in Chapter 3?

6. From what narrative perspective is Fun Home related? Why do you think the author chose this perspective?

7. How does the author describe her father's love of gardening in Chapter 4?

8. How does the author describe her parents' first meeting in Chapter 3?

9. How affectionate does the author describe her family when growing up?

10. How does the author describe her family's trip to Europe in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the themes of shame and tragedy in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. What are the tragic elements of the narrative? How is shame symbolized in the memoir? Would you say that the ending of the book is tragic? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the genre and format of Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Is the book fiction or nonfiction? Under what sub-genres is the book categorized? What is noteworthy about the book's genre and format?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's allusions to Henry James and his works in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Whom does the author associate with Henry James novels? Why? What correlations does she make?

(see the answer keys)

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