Leaving the Hometown
I know my class section of coming of age briefly mentioned Alison Bechdel moving away from home, but I feel like it’s a key element in her development, so I’m dedicating this blog post to elaborate on the value of leaving your hometown. The main character wouldn’t have been able to reflect and grow as much if she was still living with Bruce and her mother. Also, they lived in a community with their extended family, and that also makes it hard for someone to change and find their individuality. In general, it can be extremely beneficial to leave your hometown because everyone there knows you. Most people you interact with might have known you ever since you were a child, so you unintentionally become reluctant to change because you become afraid of how those people could perceive your “new self”. You think about the version that people know you as, and try to mimic that so that you don’t let your community down for thinking that you changed “for the worse.” When you’re in a new env...