In Response to Charles French's Post:
The final part that stuck out to me (that I am going to note in this lengthy blog) was on page 46. I have a decidedly biased perspective on this page in the graphic novel knowing for certain what I do about Alison. What struck me was when she notes "I bicycled back to my apartment, marveling at the dissonance between this apparently carefree activity and my newly tragic circumstances. As I told my girlfriend what had happened, I cried quite genuinely for about two minutes" (46). It is interesting for me to notice this section of the graphic novel that I hadn't particularly noted the first time reading this piece. I'm wondering if this is in fact Alison's first official coming out, when she notes that she has a 'girlfriend' or if she intended this to mean simply her 'girl who was a friend' and to allow the scene later in the book to be her coming out. It is an interesting question to consider and I have to say based on Alison's blunt, matter-of-fact style I have to think that this scene was meant to purposefully be her intended coming out.
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For me as well i found this part in the book apart of the author coming out finally. It caught my attention at the beginning when the author made the comment about her father "having sex with young boys" it was was a tad ironic to me and made me think of the stereotype about priest having sex with young boys. The fact that the author is so nonchalant yet abrupt with the statements she is constantly making just makes the reading and my interpretations even stronger. I saw her fathers death as somewhat of a coming out to a lot of things for her but also the conversation she has when she becomes aware of things that she was curious of when she was younger.
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I agree, I think this is a means of coming out for Alison. But it is not only coming out as in her sexuality, but it is a release of the built up anger, and emotion that she has felt since she has started keeping her diary. I believe this text is a way for Alison to cope and have her voice heard, similar to the clothesline project and The Trials of Girlhood. They all have that same theme of expression and I think it is very healthy.
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