Ties that Bind

Alison is not sad that her father is dead: she is instead happy about the fact that her father no longer looms over her family and herself as a domineering figure of callousness.

Throughout the entire graphic novel, Bruce acts coldly towards his family and intimidates them through violence or threat of so.  When Alison receives word that her father has died she, “cried quite genuinely for about two minutes.  That was all” (46.)  His (Bruce’s) legacy died with him and that is why Alison is not sad, but relieved when she learns of his death.  She now has the opportunity to move on with her life and not live under the shadow of her father’s will and presence.

From and early age, Bruce imposed his will upon Alice and her family to do what he wants.  Most notably, he for all intents and purposes forced Alison to dress like a girl when she was growing up.  Never allowing her to express herself for who she wanted to be and always suppressing any desire or urge to be something other than what he wanted her to be: normal.  Or rather the appearance of being normal, like the façade that he wears around.  On page 15, Bruce forced Alison to change her clothes so that the “necklines match” and on page 118 after seeing the “bulldyke” Bruce condescendingly asks Alison, “ Is THAT what you want to look like?”  He simply refused the notion of allowing his daughter to be whom she chose to be and not what was demanded of her from society or from him.

The moment when Alice sees her younger brother, John, they break into uncontrollable smiles.  Not because they hated their father, but because they know that the implications of his death meant for them and for their family: the oppressive atmosphere at the house would be no more.  They didn’t smile out of malice or disrespect towards their father, it was the realization of what lay ahead of them that caused their “ghastly, uncontrollable grins” (46)

Bruce was a representation of many things, hatred towards oneself, tyrannical behavior and projecting his faults on the children--most notably Alice.  It wasn’t until Alice moved out of her parent’s house and went to college did she finally grow into her own skin and was able to fulfill her ideal self-image.  None of that could have been accomplished if she had continued living with her parents and with her father.  His death metaphorically set Alice free from the chains that bonded her to him and his will.  Though he is gone, Alice will have to live with the implications that he left behind as his legacy and come to grips with who he was and what he did.