Fun Home
What makes Bruce such an Anti-hero?
Made by: Emperor Zig-Zag-Zig Elliot
While I was trying to think of what I could write for this blog on Fun Home, I remembered a particular prompt on this blog that I think could work for this as there are strong contrasts that I had with this question on whether or not Bruce was an Antihero. It's hard to like at Bruce as a hero as he does not present any characteristics that would make you think "Oh, you see he was a good guy all the time". However, he does have the backstory that would make you think so since he was molested by a man who was much older than him when he was only a child. On top of all that, he had to deal with keeping himself in the closet, not being able to fully be "free", out of fear of people looking at him in a different way. Because of this, he choose to shun the trait that I believed would have made him more "energetic" as a person. However, he would choose to live a life that hid his true identity, by marrying a woman and having a family, believing that it was the safest approach. Once he had that family, he wished to present them as the most "normal" family, almost like the Brady Bunch with not a single semblance of "difference" from others with some examples being him dictating how Alison should be dressed more feminine with dresses and having a pink colored room. Ironically this "heroic" or more so sympathetic backstory is what would turn him to do villainous acts, given that he would have extramarital affairs with young men, as well as even soliciting alcohol to a minor which would get him in trouble with the law. He almost reminds me of Papa Eugene from the book Purple Hibiscus in regards to his family life. He chooses to dictate their every move, trying to paint them as the perfect family with no problems. As a result of this controlling, at times abusive behavior, it's caused his wife to stay quiet, having a depressed attitude in comparison to how she was before they married where she was most likely more lively as a person but that was never disclosed in Purple Hibiscus. His children would also be just as quiet, to me Alison herself shares a similarity to that of Kambili (one of Eugene's children if you didn't know). Similarly in Fun Home Bruce would treat his family like that with his wife being much more depressed, however there is a difference in their children. While Bruce did dictate what they could have, the children were far more "happier" in comparison to Kambili and Jaja. In how I think Alison Bechdel and Kambili are similar is how they have far more of a heroic backstory, in the beginning they start off as more "quiet" but as they grew, they became far more "free", finding their own identity, which was not something their fathers could do (At least for Bruce). The difference here though is that Bruce was far more supporting of his daughter finding her own identity, being something that he was never able to do which does make him a better father in comparison to Papa Eugene who would have despised what Kambili would have became had he lived.
Hi Elliot, I really liked how you mentioned the Purple Hibiscus in your blog. Although many transfers and students who did not take Mr. Mitchell's freshman English class might be unfamiliar, I certainly remember a lot about the book. You are certainly right that both books involve a lot around the main character's relationship with their not super normal father. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Elliot! I thought it was interesting that you connected purple hibiscus to fun home, and though I haven't read purple hibiscus, I love comparisons between books and hopefully I will have a chance soon to understand the similarities. I feel like him supporting Alison is what that can sort of redeem him, as though he was molested and repressed, and he sort of tries to make Alison conform to traditional standards, he is ultimately supportive, and in a sense saves Alison from his fate.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason that Bruce makes sense as an antihero is that while we do not condone his actions, we can empathize with the sense of fear and insecurity that he has throughout the book. While his treatment of his children and his affairs with people much younger than him are immoral, he still has emotions and struggles that people can understand.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder about Purple Hibiscus! I like the parallel you made because it highlights how control and repression shape family dynamics in different ways. It also adds to your point that Bruce’s support of Alison sets him apart and makes his character feel more conflicted than purely like a villain.
ReplyDeleteHi Elliot, nice reference to Purple Hibiscus. While I did not read it in my freshman year english class, it is certainly interesting that both books talk about their relationships with their abnormal dads. I don't fully agree that he "chose to live a life that hid his identity" because a lot of environmental factors constrained him.
ReplyDeleteThe picture of Bruce and his family in the front pew at church, all dressed in their Sunday best (17), does recall Eugene parading his family at church every Sunday (while hiding an abusive situation at home). But Eugene would never allow his kids to look so obviously bored and restless at church: he runs his family like a dictator, while Bruce is more erratic, unpredictable, but also ineffectual. We repeatedly see images where he is frustrated trying to get the kids to play along with his plans, while they resist, squirm, complain, and even run out of the room refusing to play any longer. Bruce ultimately has less control over his family than Eugene does, and Alison develops an independent critical consciousness much earlier than Kambili does. Still a fascinating and not-obvious comparison--I like to see _Purple Hibiscus_ getting some love more than two years after you read it in my class!
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