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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How old was Alison Bechdel when she realized she was a lesbian?

2. The author compares her aesthetic to her father's in Chapter 1, saying that she was Spartan to her father's what?

3. What classic movie with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed does the author allude to in Chapter 1?

4. Why did the author complain about the wallpaper her father chose for her room in Chapter 1?

5. Over how many years does the author say her father restored their home?

Short Essay Questions

1. How affectionate does the author describe her family when growing up?

2. What mythological allusions does the author make in Chapter 1?

3. How does the author describe her "coming out" to her parents in Chapter 3?

4. What does the title of Chapter 4, "In the Shadow of the Young Girls in Flower" allude to?

5. What symbolism is related to the Swiss Army knife that appears in Chapter 3?

6. How does the author describe her parents' first meeting in Chapter 3?

7. What literary allusions does the author make in describing her mother in Chapter 3?

8. What does the title of Chapter 3, "That Old Catastrophe" allude to? Why is this significant?

9. How and why does the author allude to It's a Wonderful Life in Chapter 1?

10. How does the author describe Joan in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's literary allusions to Albert Camus in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. What works by Camus does the author allude to in the narrative? How does Bechdel connect Camus to her father's death? What are common themes between the works of Camus and Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the style of the illustrations in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. What colors predominate the images? Why do you think these colors were chosen? How do the pictures in the book help the reader relate to the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author's allusions to F. Scott Fitzgerald in Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. What correlations does Bechdel make between Fitzgerald and her father? What characters from Fitzgerald does the author associate with Bruce Bechdel? Why?

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