Helen's blogs

I think the most interesting part of this book was the complexity behind Alison Bechdel’s dad, Bruce. From the first page of the book, in the picture frame for chapter 1, we see him depicted as this grueling depressed man standing in front of their house in a stance that showcases power but then in the following introduction of him, we see him as a caring father figure playing with Alison (Bechdel, 1). There are countless scenes throughout the entire book that involve grief, regret, and confusion between Alison and Bruce. During the first chapter, Bechdel gave us a good overall dynamic in her family and it was nice getting to see this through a graphic novel with so many details in every panel. Especially when it comes to depicting Bruce’s obsession with furniture and the decorations around the house. Bechdel said “I grew to resent the way my father treated his furniture like children, and his children like furniture” (Bechdel, 14). It shows anger and confusion in the way that she wis...

From our very first impression of Esther and the way she described what she saw of New York, we could feel how she felt unsteady in her life. After convincing Doreen to come with her to go out with Lenny and the guys, Esther is trying to lead the way into experiencing what it’s like to really embrace the atmosphere of New York city. She displays nervousness as they stay at Lenny’s apartment and soon become frightened by the reality of the sexual activity between Doreen and Lenny while they were still in front of Esther. During this phase of her life, it seems like she wants to be “cool” or step outside of the scholarship girl she was always known to be. I think throughout this entire book, we see Esther finding her actual personal identity through the choices she makes without involving the consequences of all other variables. One of which is when she comes back home to find out the news that she didn’t make the writing course. She says, “Then my mouth shaped itself sourly. I had expec...