Introduction
Literary works require consideration through the lens of various techniques used by their authors, and in the case of “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic,” symbolism is essential. In the book, the author, Alison Bechdel, narrates about her childhood and relationship with her father with the use of a variety of symbols, and thereby transmits her memories of those days in a very specific form. Therefore, to fully comprehend the meaning behind the narrative of “Fun Home,” one should pay particular attention to the symbolism of the novel.
Main body
The book’s central theme is family relationships, and the very name of it speaks of a message hidden behind the surface. The examination of its origin allows the reader to change the perception of it from the first pages. Thus, the comic novel’s title refers to a funeral home as the children of the family call it. In their perspective, under its roof, the house combines all their hardships and struggles, both past and present. However, this idea would not be discovered unless one considers the novel’s symbols.
From the beginning of the narrative, the author of the novel uses symbolism to enhance the proper understanding of the reader. Thus, for example, the struggles of children are opposed to the intention of their father, Bruce, to restore and furnish the house. However, such an idea is more than merely reconstruction works, but the comparison of it with the life that Bruce wants to reconstruct. In this way, the house turns into one of the most visible symbols in the novel, thereby proving the necessity to view the events in a different light rather than referring to the objects themselves.
Conclusion
However, the symbolic artificiality of life in the house can be demonstrated only with further consideration of mythology as one of the principal methods with which the author conveys the message.