The Audience of Fun Home
It’s a complex read, not only in its references and word choice but also in its themes. I almost felt like I wasn’t qualified to read this novel -- I hadn’t had enough English classes or read enough classic novels to truly understand the message Bechdel was trying to send. I felt ostracized as a reader and silly for even attempting to understand the novel. In a book where so much is open-ended and up for interpretation, I struggled to even understand the facts laid out on the page. While reading, I found myself often wondering who this novel was written for. So many popular coming-of-age stories have a clear sequence of events with an ending where the conflicts in the story are resolved. It not only allows readers to identify with a character but also to see that character get a happy ending. Fun Home doesn’t have a linear sequence of events and has no real conclusion. It seems like it’s written less with the audience in mind and more to help...