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

Short Answer Questions

1. In Bruce Bechdel's trial, the judge agreed to dismiss the charges against him if he did what?

2. On what street did the author grow up?

3. What was Helen Bechdel's maiden name?

4. How long after Bruce Bechdel's trial did Nixon resign as President?

5. What was Beth's last name?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author say that her family witnessed lots of sunrises in 1974?

2. Why did Bruce Bechdel tell his daughter he was going to Danville in Chapter 6?

3. What is described in the police report that the author illustrates in Chapter 6?

4. What did the author learn about obsessive-compulsive disorder from reading Dr. Spock?

5. Describe the dream in the beginning of Chapter 5. What symbolism can be seen in the dream?

6. What symbolism can be seen in the fallen trees in Chapter 6?

7. What play does the author describe her mother in rehearsals for in Chapter 6? Why is this significant?

8. What impacts of her parents' "creative solitude" does the author describe in Chapter 5?

9. What is alluded to in the title of Chapter 6, "The Ideal Husband"?

10. What does Bechdel write regarding the trial of Oscar Wilde in Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the style of the illustrations in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. What colors predominate the images? Why do you think these colors were chosen? How do the pictures in the book help the reader relate to the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's literary allusions to Albert Camus in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. What works by Camus does the author allude to in the narrative? How does Bechdel connect Camus to her father's death? What are common themes between the works of Camus and Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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