Fun Home -- An Ironic Title Analysis

Alison Bechdel's "Fun Home" is a novel of what has become typical American growing-up for teens today. In rural Pennsylvania, Bechdel recalls issues of her relationship with her father, dysfunctional family life, suicide, gender roles, and especially sexual orientation. Bechdel documents in a graphic, textual memoir, her development of lesbian feelings and her eventual realization of her sexual orientation; all which did not add up to a "fun home."

I believe Bechdel uses an ironic, humorous title to show the struggles of growing up in American in a oxymoronic way. Teen life has become hard for most of America, but Bechdel shows the additional hardship of growing up in question of one's sexual orientation. Her experiences at the time they happen are certainly anything but "fun." The ironic title draws in a reader and allows them to understand Bechdel's humorous, light hearted way of looking at her own not always light-hearted life. There is also emphasis on the word "home" in title, as it is clear once Bechdel left for college, she began to understand herself and escape her dysfunction as she meets Joan, her first girlfriend and first sexual lesbian experience.

In analyzing a story, a title is always important to take into consideration as it is the first piece of information one takes in before they even begin reading. In Bechdel's choice, "Fun Home," says a lot, as explained it shows how she can look back and recollect with a sense of humor and peace, but it also really comments on how the American life is lived behind the scenes and the complete opposite portrayal families present on the outside.

Alvarez and Her Reason for a Story

Alvarez probably feels compelled to share this story to American readers and the rest of the literary world because of her proximity to the tale. Being a dominican woman as well, she is just as much a part of the cruelty and brutality the Mirabal suffered, as well is the rest of the nation. By telling the story, I believe Alvarez hopes to shed light on the bloodshed that was caused by the desire for the Dominican Republic to become free and to help prevent further tyranny in small nations that may not always be in the limelight, a the United States is.

This is, in fact, Alvarez's story as well. As aforementioned, being a Dominican-American poet, she has proximity and relation to the story, but it goes beyond that, as Alvarez met with and interviewed the only surviving Mirabal sister, Dede. Through Dede's painful recollection of the legend, Alvarez also injects her own voice into the story as she takes history and adds details of fiction to strengthen the story. Historical fiction is not an uncommon way for auteurs to bring tales of yesterday to light. For example, popular and control director, Quentin Tarantino took a very well known event, the Nazi occupancy of France, and added his own twist to the story to remind Americans and the rest of the world of it, so it is never forgotten; so it never happens again. I believe Alvarez formatted the story in such a way that she too could ensure that the death of the Mirabal's is never forgotten and never repeated.

The Styling of Alvarez in "In The Time of the Butterflies"

Alvarez, in her novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, employs an interesting technique in developing her four main characters; each chapter is told through the perspective of one of these four. In doing so, the reader is initially confused and thrown into a large pool of names, actions, and background that must be memorized and re-referenced. Eventually, however, Alvarez's method proves to be a highly effective one, as each character makes her way into the reader's mind on her own individual basis. As Minerva tells of her confusion and shock when learning of Trujillo's cruelty against Sinita's family, the reader learns exactly how Minerva felt, rather than hearing it from another one of the characters or a third-party narrator. It is a more personal connection to her emotions being made. The same can be said of any of the tragedies illuminated in the novel : Patria's stillbirth, Dede burying her three sisters, etc.

Although the styling takes getting used to, in hindsight, I cannot imagine a more effective way to meet each of the Mirabal sisters. And regardless of Dede initially telling us that the other three sisters are deceased before we even meet them, the plot still unfolds well, and perhaps may even be more entertaining as the reader is invited to completely plunge into the life of the girl's and follow their stories to their inevitable demise. I admire the risk Alvarez took in this method as well which again led to a solid, respected novel.

I Am An Emotional Creature : Title Analysis

Today, as I finished I Am An Emotional Creature, before anything else, I started to think over the title first. By discussing a woman's typically thought of emotional stature in a novel celebrating femininity, I had to question if Ensler had accidentally generalized and illuminated an oppressive cliche towards women. With PMS and a history of being considered frail and inferior to men, the title almost helps support this offensive belief. As an obvious and influential activist in the feminist movement, Ensler, in my opinion, wouldn't have purposely fed into that train of thought but it can't be denied that it wouldn't be hard for someone with a preconceived misogynist to come up with such an idea and be counter productive to Ensler's celebration.

As a male, the title also sparked thoughts that perhaps Ensler wasn't drawing light to women's oversensitivity but to insensitivity of men. Its common for oppressed groups of people to take what they are discriminated against, such as a woman's mood swing, and juxtapose it in such a way that it becomes less powerful. The example of Zora Neale Hurston who found being white "pale and boring" and black to be more powerful came to mind as I analyzed this thought. The same is also found in the black community with their use of the N word, a word that used to be used against them. Ensler has shown that she refrains from male bashing, and I would believe she does well, but it was worth entertaining and considering the thought.

I Am An Emotional Creature and The V-Day Movement.

        Ensler's other novel, I Am An Emotional Creature, is a strong supplement to The Vagina Monologues and her V-Day movement. Ensler strongly states, "I love being a girl," in her poem, right away claiming the same pride and strength in femininity that she did in her former book, which of course is the whole theme of celebrating vaginas or V-Day.  Ensler reiterates the themes of her feminist day without redundancy through a new approach. Whereas the monologues varied in views from different sources and demographics, I Am An Emotional Creature is a more personal message straight from Ensler, rather than interpretted by her.
              
     However, it is important while discussing I An Emotional Creature's strengths in feminism, it is as equally important to highlight it's weaker points in the feminist movement. By claiming all girls are emotional, it makes it possible for a quick interpretation of all women are therefore weak, irrational, and epitome of other PMS symptoms. Under a closer inspection, although not required (which again, draws a weak point), one can look and see that Ensler is again, rejoicing women.