We see from the beginning of Fun Home that Bruce is morally ambiguous. He is depicted as not especially caring for his children, being too concerned about the house, and generally being a lackluster parent for Alison. Furthermore, we know that he has had sexual relations with teenage boys, making the reader feel strongly against Bruce’s morality. For Alison, the lack of interaction with her father growing up and the general mystery surrounding him may have caused her to compensate by trying to create a more meaningful relationship with him.
We often see Alison described in opposition to her father in many ways. For example, we see from a young age that she has a dislike for her father’s aesthetic (in the house). We also see extensions of this divide between the characters in the way their sexuality is expressed. We see that Alison is taking her time to diligently read up on the lifestyle of being lesbian, and carefully coming out to her parents at the right time. However, Bruce’s sexuality is expressed through the abrupt leakage of illegal activities. This is made worse by the fact that his experiences have been with teenage boys, and that it slipped out very uncomfortably for Alison. This divide between the ‘proper’ and ‘improper’ and the fundamental basis upon which Alison builds her relationship with her father.
We see Alison begin to frame Bruce in a more sympathetic manner. We begin to realize that Bruce was suppressed by his ‘time’ to not show his sexuality. In many ways, his identity was hidden, and he was never able to come out and experience his sexuality in the right way, as Alison is doing in her life. By framing Bruce like this, the ready can, in some ways, feel sympathetic to Bruce. Furthermore, by framing Alison's life as an extension, or improvement, of the suppression, that her father felt, Alison, is able to create a much more profound and deeper connection with her father than before. Although this may not be entirely artificial, I still think that part of her desire to create such a narrative is because of her lack of relationship with her father as a kid. Furthermore, the constant divides between them may have caused her to want to create common ground on an important part of their identities, that is their sexuality.
I think part of what was so interesting about the book was the fact that our perspective on Bruce changed as we went. It was a rollercoaster. But I do think the perspective change had to do with Bruce's sexuality as well as his death. But you did a really good job of explaining it!
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