Chapter  6

            I enjoyed reading chapter 6. I found it rich with literary technique; most notably, the juxtaposition of family events, Allison’s ‘coming-of-age’, the “Importance of Being Earnest,” and the Nixon scandal. She says it herself, that she was glad to be “taking notes...otherwise, I’d find the synchronicity implausible.” Lose of innocence is major theme, taking form in Allison’s own body, as she notices the very first signs of her womanhood. She pays little mind to it, hoping it’ll go away. She brushes it under the carpet, a little bit ashamed and embarrassed. Also during this period, on a side note, her journal entries begin taking a turn for the better, sentence fragments and incomplete thoughts gradually evolve into complete thoughts and structured sentences with better vocabulary, largely because she begins to take a liking to her mother’s play as she runs lines with her. But anyway, puberty begins encroaching on Allison’s innocence. At the same time, in his own way, Allison’s father’s innocence also becomes compromised after he is arrested for ‘furnishing a malt beverage to a minor.’ On a larger scale, good old-fashioned American values like honesty and integrity we also in jeopardy, and under a microscope, the whole world watching, as Nixon crashed and eventually burned (by stepping down) in public disgrace.

            Important allusions appear from the play as well, most importantly through Oscar Wilde himself. She shocked me personally by revealing Wilde’s own affinity for young boys (that explains a lot with regard to Dorian Grey, actually). Not simply that alone, but in the play lay plenty “covert references to homosexuality.” Perfect play, seemingly, for the situation. Irony?  In my last blog, I spoke about how Allison’s father lives vicariously through characters in his literature books. That’s superb, because Wilde offers great advice to someone with a condition like Allison’s father. Wilde offers: “the only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” Get the kids inside.

            As Bechdel continues through womanhood, the groundwork is slowly laid for the book’s ending. She matures a lot, and at this point in time she experiences the “mystical pleasure” in wearing her father’s old clothes. Although she doesn’t realize she is a lesbian yet, the hints and feelings are there. Along with her own, her father’s are also being realized for the first time. Homosexuality plays a big role in how the two finally end up connecting with each other toward the end of the book. It was here in chapter 6, where Allison also took a liking to books and stories, and where her journal writing ability developed, both of which, combined with elements of homosexuality, help facilitate connected moments between father-daughter, ones which provide Bechdel with some comfort in her relationship with her father.