The Anti-(Hero's Journey)

In class, we discussed how the Hero's Journey framework almost perfectly encapsulates Alison Bechdel's arc in Fun Home. Her call to adventure is as she steps out of her hometown to the unfamiliar landscape of college, or it could be the revelation of the truth about herself in that she is a lesbian. Her obstacles include trying find her place in the LGBT community and coming out to her family and friends, and her mentors are found in other queer people, both actual and in literature. Through this journey, she is able to return back to Beech Creek a "master of both worlds," unashamed and open with her identity.

In contrast, Bruce's character arc is almost the exact opposite to the Hero's Journey. Some parts of his arc do fit the model, as it is implied that he must have had some sort of sexual awakening, and he did experiment with expressing himself in a feminine manner and had relationships with other men. However it is presumed that he lacks any mentors in his journey, and he is unable to overcome the obstacles he faces. Perhaps due to the time period of his life, as well as his own innate character, he is unable to become a "master of both worlds." 

For both Bruce and Alison, one "world" is categorized by their life in Beech Creek, and the other is the world of their sexuality. However, while Alison returns to Beech Creek a master of the two worlds and is able to combine the two, Bruce is forced to hide his second world under his façade of the first. He is the opposite of a "master" of the two worlds--in fact, he is a master of neither, as the existence of his second world does not allow him to master the first, and vice versa. While Alison is able to live in the open, Bruce loses himself in this fraught entanglement of his two worlds. 

This plays very interestingly in the idea of Alison and Bruce as binaries. Although they share many similarities such as being queer and having similar love for literature, they are almost inverted images of each other. This was illustrated many times over the course of the book, especially in their differences in aesthetics of femininity and masculinity, as well as his love for the ornate and her favor of the minimal. The fact that their journeys are diametrical opposites further this binary opposition. These sorts of parallels in their dynamic is an extremely interesting aspect of the novel.