“Death was all too convincing”: Structures of bearability, immutable absence, and the comics of grief in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home

Presenter's Name(s)

Greta Powers

Abstract

Abstract: My project is part of my thesis, a literary investigation of Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Over last summer, I explored driving questions such as: What makes a graphic memoir? How does Bechdel illuminate her father’s lifelong absence? How do we comprehend the inevitability of death and continue living? My research involved daily reading and writing, resulting in about 25 pages of material. Main takeaways included the power of comics to communicate themes and the methods Bechdel uses to attempt to understand her father’s death. My research greatly developed my understanding of Fun Home and provided half of my thesis.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Lisa Schnell

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

English

Primary Research Category

Arts & Humanities

Abstract only.

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“Death was all too convincing”: Structures of bearability, immutable absence, and the comics of grief in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home

Abstract: My project is part of my thesis, a literary investigation of Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Over last summer, I explored driving questions such as: What makes a graphic memoir? How does Bechdel illuminate her father’s lifelong absence? How do we comprehend the inevitability of death and continue living? My research involved daily reading and writing, resulting in about 25 pages of material. Main takeaways included the power of comics to communicate themes and the methods Bechdel uses to attempt to understand her father’s death. My research greatly developed my understanding of Fun Home and provided half of my thesis.