Fun Home Lesson Plan

What is your first impression of Bechdel's father based on these chapters? How do you think Bechdel felt about him?

Bechdel's father is an enigmatic figure. He's abusive but, at least on the surface, a devoted family man; he is obsessed with historic restoration; he had sex with teenage boys; he could be both kind and disturbingly distant. He was a teacher and a funeral director; he worked and died in the same small town where he grew up; he served in the military; he may have committed suicide. Students should explore the contradictions, and consider that a child can feel multiple things about a parent.

Do you think that Bechdel's father did, in fact, commit suicide...