1

Bechdel explains that her father harbors a dark secret. What is this secret? How does this affect Bechdel’s family and family life for Bechdel in general?

2

In what ways does Bechdel consider her family to be like the Addams family? Why does she make this comparison at all? What other literary illusion does she make in her memoir? What does Bechdel's use of literary allusions say about her?

3

Why does Bechdel believe the line from Camus’s “A Happy Death”, about twice deceiving those one loves, to be fitting regarding the marriage of her parents? Could this line also be fitting with regards to Bechdel’s family in general, and Bechdel’s father in particular? Explain.

4

How does Bechdel compare her father to Gatsby? How does Bechdel compare her mother to Isabel Archer? What does this mean for Bechdel’s parents in their marriage?

5

Bechdel explains...