Many people think that comics and graphic novels are less sophisticated, or in general inferior to traditional novels. They assume this because the medium relies more on illustrations than text. Although I do not believe that graphic novels are less complex than traditional novels, the mixing of text with illustrations creates a more complex experience. This also provides a great opportunity to study the ways in which text interacts with illustrations. This paper will focus on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel Fun Home. It is my goal to examine the way that illustrations enhance reading. I will analyze different passages to demonstrate how the illustrations help the text. They do this by revealing Alison and Bruce’s relationship, using imagery that matches the text and giving further insight as to the way the author and illustrator of the novel sees the world and people. In order to better understand Alison-Bruce’s relationship, readers should pay attention to their interactions. For instance, page 84 shows that Bruce’s disconnect from reality often makes their relationship cold and strained. Page 220 depicts their intense struggle to communicate in spite of their similarity. In the first and the last scenes of the novel, Alison appears as a small child, with her relationship with Bruce compared to Icarus myth. On page 134, Alison’s isolated family is represented by an “artists’ colonies,” (134). Alison’s perspective on the world is revealed by the images she uses to represent masculinity and femaleness. Alison’s drawings of Bruce on pages 12-21, which show him as a shadowy figure that is threatening to her and her family, are also noteworthy.
If the illustrations as well as text from Fun Home are analysed, it can give us a better understanding of Alison’s relationship with Bruce. On pages 84-86, the scene in Bruce’s Library shows this. Alison reflects on her father in the text. She talks about his mysterious ways and his preference for fiction over real life. Bruce’s complex inner world will be impossible for her to understand, and she must speculate about it after his demise. Alison, who is asking Bruce to give her money for books, appears in the same images. For a father daughter pair, they are surprisingly distant. They never exchange a word and only make minimal eye contact. Bruce doesn’t seem to notice Alison or her questions. He is absorbed in his book about Fitzgerald’s Zelda. In an armchair, he sits with his books and reads, looking serious. Bruce’s daughter is unable to distract him from his literature and he remains in his world. Alison has a more agitated face, as though she is dreading having to speak with her father. As she writes, she feels the same frustration at being shut out of her dad’s world and about his death. Text does not exactly describe the illustration, but both work together in order to express Alison’s distancing from the mysterious character that is her dad. The scene on pages 220 & 221, where they cautiously discuss their sexuality, is another scene that explores the relationship between them. In this scene, the only text is the dialogue between them and Alison. The full spread with identical small squares creates the feeling that time has been frozen. “I stayed as still as possible, like it was a beautiful deer. I didn’t want him to startle me.” (120). The scene is set up to create the stillness and intensity that she feels in the decisive moment when she almost connects with her mysterious father. They both seem nervous because of their rapidly changing facial expressions. Alison’s and Bruce’s similarity is reflected in the identical boxes. Only the text and the facial expressions are different. Both struggle to communicate, yet want to. They’ve both faced similar issues related to being queer. Even their facial features are similar, like their jawlines and noses. This is obvious to the reader when they are drawn together in repeated square panels.
The illustrations in Fun Home are always subtle and reinforce the story. It is easy to see this in the comparison of Alison’s first page, where she plays “airplanes” with her Father, and her last few pages. She jumps into a pool again, but Bruce is ready to catch it. Alison’s arms are outstretched in both scenes as she appears to be flying. This is an indirect way of reflecting on the text. It explores Icarus’ Greek myth, a son of Daedalus that flew too close to the Sun, melting his wax and feather wings. In the particular reenactment of our mythic relationship, my father was the one who plummeted out of the sky. Alison brings her reader back to her central theme by having the book’s ending reflect its beginning. In illustrating these rare moments of intimacy with her father as a child, Alison brings the book back to its innocence and to the love she has for him. Bruce is still her father despite her inability to understand him. She does not depict him as the villain of her story. Page 134 features a picture of Alison’s childhood. “Our home was a colony of artists. We ate as a family, but our interests were divergent. (134) Alison’s two parents were quiet, unaffectionate and instilled in them the same values. She describes feeling neglected by her parents as a child because of their “creative seclusion” (133), however, she quickly learned that joy can be found in the exact same way. The Bechdels are shown on page 134 as silhouettes in bubbles scattered around the house. All of them appear to be engaged in a creative activity. The illustration shows a lonely home, which is not what you would expect. This illustration is a great example of how a home can seem impersonal. Fun Home constantly shows Alison’s cold family. This is the best way to show it.
Fun Home’s visual aspects also allow us to better understand the writer’s and illustrator’s worldview. It is fascinating to see how the book depicts stereotypes of masculinity or femininity. Page 190 shows Alison, her family and friends on a vacation in New York. She is first exposed to the homosexual community. She is drawn to the “cosmeticized maleness” (190) of gay men. One man she depicts has perfect hair, thick eyelashes and pierced earrings, while wearing tight trousers. She draws a male ballerina in posing elegantly while dancing. Alison is clearly drawn to these feminine things, which seem strange to men. Alison, throughout the novel, is depicted as a very masculine character. She is a rebellious child who does not like to dress in girly clothes. However, when she has no choice but to wear dresses or skirts, for instance at the funeral of her father, these are modest and plain. Alison’s hair is usually short and she wears androgynous clothing or typical male clothing. When I started reading Fun Home with no prior knowledge, I assumed Alison to be a boy until it was clarified that she is a girl. As the book goes on to discuss gender and roles, the visuals give readers a better understanding of Alison’s reaction. This also makes us think about our own ideas of what is masculine and female. Alison is shown to have a subtly distorted view of the world in the illustrations. This is evident by her father’s recurring appearance as a silhouette on pages 12-21. Alison is shown holding a broken vase on page 12 as Bruce’s silhouette looms above her. On page 16, she is cleaning a lamp as he hides behind. He stands in front of the doorway to her bedroom on page 21 after reading her bedtime story. The text describes how Bruce’s family is trapped in a situation that is unpredictable, and constantly stressed out by his anger. “The tension was intensified by the fact some of these encounters were pleasant. His kindness was as intense as his temper tantrums. In addition, the Greek labyrinth is used to compare the extravagant house and Bruce’s darker side. Alison’s perception of Bruce as a monstrous creature is heightened when he appears as a shadow. Even as an infant, she is aware that her dark side may lurk around every corner. She uses creepy images to reinforce this.
The illustrations and text in Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel Fun Home interact in many ways. The illustrations provide us with more information about Alison and Bruce’s relationship and help us understand the text better. The text is reinforced by precise images that reflect the written words. Alison’s drawings are analyzed in detail to reveal her perspective on the world she lives in and how people interact with it. Fun Home is a fascinating medium, though it’s very different from a traditional novel. When they are combined effectively, text and illustrations can produce a narrative that is complex, multi-layered, and full of meaning.