View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where is the home where Alison Bechdel grew up?

2. How many gestures of affection does the author describe witnessing between her parents in Chapter 3?

3. What skillful craftsman and artist from Greek mythology does the author compare her father to in Chapter 1?

4. What aromas does the author describe her father having smelled of in Chapter 1?

5. The author says of her father in Chapter 1, "He used his skillful artifice not to make things, but to make things appear to be" what?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What symbolism is related to the Swiss Army knife that appears in Chapter 3?

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

4. What symbolism does the author illuminate in her father's library in Chapter 3?

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

6. What symbolism does the author relate to the obelisk in Chapter 2?

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

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

9. How does the author describe Joan in Chapter 3?

10. What does the title of Chapter 2, "A Happy Death" allude to?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the dream imagery that Bechdel presents in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. How would you describe the images of these dream sequences? What similes, metaphors, and other literary devices are employed in the dream imagery?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of family in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. How would you describe the author's relationships within her family? Was/is the Bechdel family affectionate? How did Alison Bechdel's family influence her?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the characterization of the author's mother, Helen Bechdel in the memoir. How would you describe the relationship between Alison and Helen Bechdel? What did Helen Bechdel study and how does the author describe her mother's talents?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 897 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample