Location, Location, Location: a Brief Analysis


In “Fun Home,” Proust is said to assign people to locations and then convolute their identities to the place to which they belong. We know from page 30 and many descriptions throughout the book, that Bruce Bechdel lived and died in Beech Creek. What does this say about him? And what does it say about Allison that she didn’t stay there?


At first, through Alison’s eyes, we see Beach Creek as a small, limited place– a place for fake scholars and real bumpkins. As Alison grows older, however, she comes to realize that there’s a gay bar (Bechdel, 223). The reason Alison originally wasn’t aware of the gay bar is because it is secret– you sneak in, you sneak out– in the back of a regular topless bar. This gay bar itself represents a facet of Bruce; he is aware of who he is, and so are those others sneaking around, but it is a dirty secret to be kept hidden. He is out to himself, and a few others, but he cannot live this truth in light.


Alison, on the other hand, joined a group as soon as she found out about her fruity nature. She felt cool for it: “The notion that my sordid personal life had some sort of larger import was strange, but seductive” (Bechdel, 80) She even phoned home and told her parents when she knew. For which she was nervous, sure, but it was public. This contrast is something we see throughout the book– escaping beech creek and liberating herself in this hero’s journey is something her father only half does.


Bruce did travel Europe, he was off in cities after he was off at war, but he got pulled back in. He even admits that he never considered coming out: “I don’t think I ever considered it till I was over thirty,” and “...I find it hard to see advantages even if I had done so when I was young,” (Bechdel, 211) Still, he thought coming out wouldn’t change. Maybe it was the time, or maybe it was him, but it seems that where you are is who you become, and it all ties back into the hero’s journey.

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