Social conventions imposed on both men and women have haunted the pages of society for decades. The belief that the ideal man spends more time on the masculinity of hard work than on his appearance, while the ideal woman does not care about work or anything that has nothing to do with dresses and entertainment, appears again and again. as the social “norm”. Members of our society use these “traditional” gender characteristics as an essential factor in assuming a person’s sexual orientation. Alison Bechdel, in her graphic memoir Fun Home A Family Tragicomic, uses these same conventions to her advantage, while reversing the roles society has assigned to gender, giving male characters more "feminine" qualities and female characters more "feminine" qualities. “masculine”. In doing so, Bechdel illustrates the breadth of gender roles, a key factor in determining sexuality, thereby eliminating the idea that "traditional" sexuality is synonymous with "normal" sexuality. Bechedel first illustrates the reversal of gender roles when she describes the differences between her men and women. and the characteristics of his father. As the story progresses, Bechdel reveals a sense of resentment toward his father for his treatment of his "furniture like children, and his children like furniture" (14). children as free labor. Due to her father's neglect, she decided early in life that she would be the complete opposite of her father, the "Spartan of my father, the Athenian". Butch to his Nelly. . . I developed a disdain for unnecessary ornaments, what function did the scrolls, acorns and Bric-A Brac that infested our home serve? » (15-16) In this passage, Bechedel describes himself as having...... middle of paper......constraints on what each gender is allowed to do. Furthermore, by redefining these characteristics, which are used by society to determine whether a person's sexual preference is normal, Bechedel is renegotiating sexuality, proving that just because something is traditional and standard does not mean it is is the case for every person. By repeatedly proving that what is considered integral to proving a person's sexual orientation is flawed, Bechedel inadvertently proves that the larger question of what is "normal" sexuality also involves defects. . Through Fun Home, Bechedel renegotiates what are considered “normal” gender actions, thereby renegotiating the concept of sexuality that these characteristics strongly influence. The novel speaks against “tradition” and what is “normal” and shows that each person is individual.