Why "Fun Home"?
The title "Fun Home" gives off the impression that Fun Home is a lighthearted story. With no other context provided, the "Fun Home" described alone almost reminds one of a circus. Ignoring the second half of the title, the "Fun Home" aspect either alludes to the fact that Bruce operates a funeral home, or ironically depicts their family dynamic as "fun."
There are two interpretations of the "Fun Home" Bechdel describes-- the first being the funeral home Bruce operates. This is the most obvious literal definition, as "Fun Home" is an abbreviation of "funeral home." Bechdel could be ironically painting the funeral home as a fun second-home she spent a good chunk of her childhood hanging out in.
Alternatively, "Fun Home" could be used to describe Bechdel's awkward family dynamics. While "fun home" is the literal abbreviation of "funeral home," Bechdel's family has a much larger presence in the story and thus I feel the family dynamic definition is more appropriate. Bechdel's literal home plays a huge role in shaping her identity. Her home is the setting in which she is raised, begins questioning her sexuality, and explores her gender identity. Sardonically calling her family and the house she was raised in "Fun Home" introduces the ironic, almost facetious attitude that is present throughout the rest of the book.
Regardless of the true meaning behind it, the title "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" sets the tone of Fun Home. The words "home" and "family" are arguably the biggest influences in her story, and including them in the title along with "tragicomic" foreshadows the intimate, complex relationship between Bechdel and her family that she explores in the story.
I never really processed the fact that fun home is the shortened version of funeral home. Before reading and just taking "Fun Home" into account, I originally thought the book was going to be about a family with dynamics similar to the movie Cheaper by the Dozen, where it's very chaotic. Obviously after reading, that's not the case. This post brings up a good point how the funeral home is like Bechdel's second home where she had memories with her cousins growing up and in that sense it could've been fun.
ReplyDeleteThere is ironic word play in the title, for sure--Bruce's tyranny, especially in the early chapters, makes childhood in this home seem like anything but "fun." Remember, though, that "fun home" is the family's own ironic/morbid abbreviation for the family business--it's a grim joke they themselves make about the funeral home, which is itself a form of emotional avoidance, softening the grim nature of the business with a joke. Similarly, "tragicomic" is a neat coinage of Bechdel's, an invented and unique genre to characterize this unique book. "Tragicomedy" refers to a blurring of the genres of tragedy and comedy within a single work, and Bechdel does include some humorous elements in this mostly tragic story--but of course, "tragicomic" also refers to the genre of graphic novel. This book is a tragedy, and it's a comic (in the sense of drawings with speech bubbles and narration in little boxes). "Comic" doesn't always mean "funny"--but to some extent both meanings apply to this book.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't considered that Fun Home could be used ironically to indicate the weird dynamic of Alison's family, that's an interesting idea. I wouldn't be opposed to either of these theories but I think that Bechdel isn't intentionally leaning in either direction - both interpretations are valid ways to preview her experience and relationship with her father.
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