Was Bruce's Death a Suicide or an Accident?
Bruce's death is one of the most important events in this book and a lot of Alison's reflections and contemplations revolve around it. She specifically mentions how she sees that her coming out is linked with his death, and while that's probably true to some extent and it makes a sense in the narrative of Fun Home, based on what she says in the book I still don't think it was actually a suicide. The main reasons Alison gives for it being intentional is how her coming out seems to have caused the divorce which drove him to suicide (Bechdel 58-59) There's also the constant theme throughout the book that Bruce more or less failed his coming of age due his staying closeted, and that that sense of failure could have also driven him to suicide, and the sense that he kind of felt trapped in Beech Creek (Bechdel 125) However, Alison also gives us reason to believe it wasn't a suicide: she mentions that Bruce jumped back in front of the truck like he'd seen a snake, and that he likely wasn't thinking entirely clearly because of the divorce (89; 28).
The reasons Alison gives for it being a suicide are probably less grounded in reality but they also do make a lot of sense. It's clear that her coming out was a shock for her family and the divorce probably had something to do with his death either way. But the fact that Bruce had been stuck in the same town for most of his life, that he stayed deeply closeted for most of his life, and the sense that a lot of his life was more or less a facade could also be reasons for suicide. Alison doesn't specifically mention these as reasons but they are pretty commonly referenced parts of his character (125). Alison also mentions that she finds it a lot easier to think about as a suicide since then it at least means that it had meaning and it's a connection between her and Bruce. It also does kind of make sense with Bruce's character in this book for his death to be a suicide given everything, but these reasons also aren't exactly concrete.
While there may not be so many reasons to believe it was an accident, they do seem a bit more grounded in reality. Considering the divorce and Alison's coming out, it would make sense if he just wasn't thinking clearly and didn't see the truck because he was so preoccupied (Bechdel 28). Alison also mentions that the driver said that he saw Bruce jump back like he'd seen a snake, which also implies that he likely just didn't see the truck or forgot about it. He was also busy working on a farmhouse at the time so it's possible he could've been preoccupied with that too (Bechdel 89). While it does seem a little weird for someone as meticulous as Bruce to miss the truck, it's also very likely he could've just been so preoccupied and was unlucky. I find that to be more likely, but the book doesn't leave it entirely clear, so I can see how it makes sense to interpret it as a suicide as well.
I think you bring up good reasons for why it could be a suicide and why it might have been an accident. I agree that it being an accident may be more grounded in reality. Another point is that he was clearing a garden, indicating that he had plans for future renovations.
ReplyDeleteI think you do a good job of summarizing points from both sides of the "was it a suicide?" argument. I like that while you take the side of Bruce's death being an accident you still acknowledge that Bruce's death being a suicide would make more sense in terms of the novel's themes and Alison's connection to her father even if the evidence isn't as concrete. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteYou make a lot of solid points about Bruce's death, I think Allison kind of in a twisted way wants his death to be a suicide because in an odd way it would bring them together more and it would connect the two in ways his death being an accident wouldn't. I think Allison is/was searching for a way to create a deeper bond before herself and her father
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