Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What is an allusion? Why do authors make them in written text?

Teaching Suggestion: Bechdel makes a number of references to books and literature throughout Fun Home in order to characterize herself, her parents, and her relationships with them. Prepare students to analyze these allusions by parsing out their function in texts.

• This “Allusion” resource page defines the term and provides examples.
• “What Is an Allusion?” from Oregon State University explains the function of this literary device and offers two examples from classic works of American literature.

Short Activity

Split into two groups. One group will focus on the disadvantages of using a graphic novel to tell a story. The other will think about the advantages.

First, take three minutes to brainstorm a list of advantages or disadvantages (depending on your team). Additionally, decide who will represent your team at the board in the next step.

Once time is up, flip a coin to determine which team will go first. The first team will name an advantage or disadvantage, and their representative will write it on the board. The second team will then have a turn. The two teams should go back and forth as long as possible, even if they exhaust their list.

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to think about graphic novels/memoirs from all angles. If available, pass out samples for them to look at during their brainstorming session. Additionally, as a follow-up, take a picture of the board and transcribe it. Then, pass out that list (plus any additional ideas you think your students missed) to the class so that they have their own copy to refer to as they read Fun Home.

• “The 10 Best Graphic Memoirs” from Publishers Weekly offers examples of graphic memoirs and their strengths, providing definitive examples of advantages to the form.
• “Adaptations, Limitations, and Imitations” from Florida State University explores the limits of different forms of literature, including graphic novels, providing examples of disadvantages to the form. This resource is also useful as a look into a student’s writing process, as it shows the essay in several drafts.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

In what ways have your parents or guardians shaped your lives? Write about a moment in which their guidance influenced your decision-making. Discuss how you believe they felt in the moment based on their reactions and words.

Teaching Suggestion: Fun Home is a story about the Bechdel family; the narrative is particularly focused on Alison’s relationship with her father. Encourage students to think about the depth of their relationships with their parents or guardians and the ways in which they have shaped their lives. Due to the potentially sensitive nature of the question, private journaling may be the most fitting way to respond.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who benefit from visual representations may also use images to symbolize their relationships with their parents or guardians. Encourage them to incorporate different colors and/or symbols to convey meaning. The Color, Symbol, Image routine from Project Zero is a reliable method for tapping into the creativity of visual students.