What is Truth?

As is the case with all works of artistry, Fun Home and Tarnation deal with the central issue of truth. Readers and viewers are left wondering whether or not to trust the narrator. They are also left wondering what parts of the stories are factual and what parts are manufactured for the sake of creating the art of the story. Bechdel, author of Fun Home, and Caouette, director/producer of Tarnation, both create the illusion of truth while simultaneously fictionalizing things for the sake of their art.

In Fun Home, it is obvious that Bechdel’s graphic novel is an autobiography that depicts the story of growing up with her family, especially with her father. However, at some point readers will realize that the story could almost be considered a biography about her father exclusively. The focus of the novel seems to shift back and forth between Bechdel herself and her father. This leaves the readers wondering what the actual purpose of the novel is. In addition, there are certain aspects of the book that seem to be constructed for the purpose of giving the readers an emotional response. For example, the scene where the television is playing the exact same story that Bechdel references in the text, as a similar circumstance plays out in her house at the same time as the movie is being shown. This seems to be too coincidental to be actually true. In addition to this, she has many literary references that are mentioned during scenes that seem to line up a little too perfectly for them to not be crafted that way.

In Tarnation, most of the film consists of home video style clips of film that aid in the telling of Caouette’s story. However, there are some scenes that have a different feel than the rest. Although they are shot in the same style, the scenes at the beginning and end of the film seem to be scripted or set up in a way that the other clips do not. Caouette’s boyfriend enters the apartment to the camera already set up facing his entrance and recording, while Caouette is supposedly sleeping on the couch. Then Caouette just happens to wake up and tell him about a dream, after the camera has switched angles and positions to be facing the couch. It is relatively impossible that this particular scene was not scripted at least slightly. It is possible that the moment happened off camera, and Caouette thought it was important to include in his film. Because of this, he was forced to stage the scene again in order to have it recorded for use in the movie. Whatever his reason, Caouette did stage this clip (and possibly others as well) for the sake of his story.

This begs the question of whether or not it is okay for an author or a director/producer to embellish his or her art in this way. This brings readers back to Tim O’Brien’s argument about “story truth” versus “happening truth”. According to O’Brien, it doesn’t matter if a story is factual or not, as long as it has some basis in “truth” (whatever that really may be) and causes the readers/listeners to have some sort of emotional response to it. Bechdel and Caouette take this stance to a new level by arguing through their works that stretching the truth is something of an artistic license that is necessary to create an effective work of art, whether that be a graphic novel or an underground film. Would one question an abstract painting in this way? Probably not. Thus, it seems that some level of embellishment on a work of art, in order to perfect it or invoke an important emotional response is okay and even necessary. The absolute factual truth is not always able to create the exact response that the artist is trying to create through his or her work.

Does it really matter?

The Makings of a Superhero

In No Face, Junot Diaz depicts the main character as a real-life superhero to show that rejection can lead to self-confidence and independence in the individual who believes in himself and refuses to give in to negative feelings.

Spiderman, Superman, & Batman

In many cases, superheroes come from broken families or have no family presence in their stories at all. For example, as a young child, Batman watched his parents get murdered by a mugger; Superman is taken in by his adoptive parents after his real family is killed in the destruction of his birthplace, planet Krypton; and Spiderman is an orphan living with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben (who is later robbed and killed). Like these superheroes, No Face comes from a broken family. Although his parents and brother are still alive, they do not act like a traditional family towards him. His mother forces him to wear the mask that covers his facial deformity, his father refuses to even look at him, and through all this, his younger brother is given all the love and attention that he himself is denied ("...and he can see...his mother washing his little brother, scrubbing his face and his feet." (Diaz 153) "He watches his mother hold Pesao's head gently under the faucet...Pesao yells as if he's been given a present or a wish come true."(Diaz 160)).

Art inspired by "No Face"

No Face is rejected not only by his immediate family, but also by his peers in the community. Throughout his story, not a single person calls him by his real name Ysrael. Instead, they shout at him and insult him. "Hey No Face! a motor driver yells...You haven't started eating cats, have you? He'll be eating kids next, another joins in." (Diaz 155) He is constantly pursued and bullied by the other children his age and rejected and ignored by the adults that witness his torments.

However, rather than drag him into depression or thoughts of worthlessness or suicide, being cast off by everyone around him has transformed No Face into something greater. He truly views himself as a hero who can use his "powers" to do things that normal humans would not be able to do. Every morning, he trains himself to become stronger, and every week he buys a comic book to read about other superheroes and how they save the world (Diaz 153, 155).

Because No Face had no one to support him, he was forced to reach out to the only positive influences in his life: Padre Lou and the heroes in his comic books. Based on these models, No Face shaped himself into his own version of a superhero. He even begins to become a positive influence on others. When his four-year-old brother asks him where he has been, he responds by saying: "I've been fighting evil." (Diaz 160) The little boy tells No Face that he wants to do that too. However, No Face realizes the struggles and burden of what he goes through ever day when he tells his sibling that he would not enjoy it. This sounds extremely similar to the lesson that Spiderman learns after his uncle is killed: With great power comes great responsibility. This also shows how he has emotional maturity and understanding beyond his years. If he was not rejected by the people closest to him, No Face may have never become the self-reliant, intelligent, and strong young man that he is.

Spiderman learns his lesson & becomes a hero.

Those Who Ignore History...

The source of the misinterpreted saying.

"Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it." This is a commonly used phrase that stresses the importance of remembering and learning from the mistakes of the past. Sherman Alexie presents the use of stories in This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona as reminders of Native American history. Not only this, but also these stories are vital connections to the tribe's past. Alexie's portrayal of the lone storyteller Thomas, and the entire tribe refusing to listen to what he has to say, reiterates the fact that the tribe is suffering because they are ignoring their past. 

Sherman Alexie

From the very beginning of the story, Thomas is described as a social outcast. "Thomas was a storyteller that nobody wanted to listen to. That's like being a dentist in a town where everybody has false teeth." (Alexie 61) "Thomas Builds-the-Fire walked through the corridors of the tribal school by himself. Nobody wanted to be anywhere near him because of all those stories. Story after story." (Alexie 72) "Thomas Builds-the-Fire told his stories to all those who would stop and listen. He kept telling them long after people had stopped listening." (Alexie 73) Thomas is the annoying gnat that will not just fly away, even if you swat at it. His social status does more than just alienate him from the rest of the tribe, though. It paints the picture of a group of people who no longer want to remember the stories of their past. The pain and suffering that those stories would incite inside of the tribe members seems to outweigh the necessity to preserve their history. Alexie uses Thomas to show that a people in pain will collectively ignore the events that led them to that pain in the first place.

Victor and Thomas belong to the Spokane tribe.

Near the end of the story, Victor begins to realize that he has been missing out on something throughout his life on the reservation. It takes his time with Thomas to understand that "the tribal ties, the sense of community" within their tribe has dwindled (Alexie 74). He recognizes that the "only real thing he shared with anybody was a bottle and broken dreams" (Alexie 74). Across the entire reservation, there is a serious problem with alcoholism (among other things). It seems as though Thomas is one of the few to rise above that stereotype. Perhaps Alexie is trying to show how ignoring the past will not make it go away. Instead, it will force individuals to turn to more destructive choices in order to try to contain and live with their internal pain.

By ignoring the stories of their past, the Native American's in Victor and Thomas' tribe are refusing to acknowledge the pain that they all hold inside of themselves, as a result of the events in their history. Thomas' stories hold the truth of their past, which is what the tribe members so desperately want to forget. However, as stated in John 8:32, "the truth will set you free". If these Native Americans ever want to turn away from self-medication and truly overcome the suffering of their past, they need to listen, accept their history, and learn to rise above it because, as Thomas says in the story, "Nothing stops, cousin...Nothing stops." (Alexie 75)

Who is the Savior of the World?

Be the master of your own life. Focusing on the individual’s ability to control his own fate and questioning the pillars of organized religion is not a recently developed concept. Beginning in the Romantic period (and even before this), writers began to put a new spin on aspects of religion and society that were always generally accepted as truth. During the Romantic period, “New, challenging, and often contradictory energies reverberated across Britain and Europe” (Damrosch and Dettmar 7). These energies fueled writers of the time to create a unique way of composing art. The purpose of this change in technique was to allow readers to have a differing perspective on pivotal issues in their world that they may have never thought twice about. Allen Ginsberg’s writing style is certainly very Romantic, in that it forces one to reexamine major principles of life. One principle, religion, seems to be the main focus of Howl. Ginsberg uses this poem to argue the ineffectiveness of religion in “saving” people; consequently, poets and artists must step up to their duties as the true saviors of the world.

The 7 deadly sins: pride, greed, gluttony, wrath, envy, lust, & sloth

“I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness” (Ginsberg 9). According to Ginsberg, the best minds of his generation are those who suffer from all kinds of vices, from alcoholism to drug addiction, and from poverty to extreme sexuality. The entire first section of Howl is dedicated to depicting the exact opposite of what religious morality would consider being common of a great thinker. In fact, the Bible rebukes all of the described situations and practices very adamantly. It outlines the consequences of what can happen to not only those who participate in such vices, but also to those that associate with people who practice them. (See Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 23:29-35, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Galatians 5:21, 1 Timothy 3:3, and 2 Timothy 4:5.) Rather than using their vices to condemn them, Ginsberg raises these “best minds” up in a way that no religion ever would by stating they are seekers of visions. In order to achieve the gift of sight, these individuals must do whatever it is that takes them to the place where they can truly see. Therefore, the very things that religion would consider faults are actually the methods by which one can enter into a higher state of being. If the madness that is suffered by the best minds of the world is not any of these, then what is it really? Ginsberg seems to believe it is religion itself. Right at the end of the first section, he references several important religious ideas using words like “time come after death”, “reincarnate”, and “absolute” to further emphasize the spiritual undertones (Ginsberg 20). Specifically, the words “eli eli lamma lamma sabacthani” are written (Ginsberg 20). This Hebrew utterance is the last thing spoken by Jesus Christ as he died from crucifixion and roughly translates to “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Ginsberg uses this statement to connect to religion and show how the intellectuals of his time feel forsaken by God and religion in general.

 

Moloch: an ancient deity that demands blood sacrifice

Interestingly enough, the second section of Howl seems much more emotionally fueled but slightly less hateful towards religion. On the contrary, it almost completely agrees with the religious ideal of living a modest, humble life. In Matthew 6:20, Jesus says, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;” and Matthew 19:21 states, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” (New American translation) There is still an undercurrent of anger towards religion, though, especially in the use of the pagan god Moloch, who demands blood sacrifice, and is present in the Old Testament (signifying importance to all Judeo-Christian religions). Most religions instruct excessively on the power of self-sacrifice and sacrificial love. Ginsberg may very well be mocking this morality with his rage towards the blood and monumental sacrifices that America has gone through to become what it now is: a place devoid of any intellectual nourishment, which is why poets and artists must turn towards other devices (i.e. drugs, alcohol, sex, etc.) to find the food they need to fuel their art.

 In his aversion for religion, Ginsberg does not discard the notion that even the best minds need a leader. This leader is not any prominent religious figure like Jesus, the Pope, or even a simple priest. Instead, he is Carl Solomon (and others like him), the man voluntarily locked away in a mental institution at Rockland. By Ginsberg’s word, Solomon is the only one who really understands what it means to be an influential artist, and Ginsberg develops a deep bond with him immediately after meeting him for the first time. The final section of Howl is a celebration of the connection, collaboration, and union between the two men.

The footnote to Howl is also important in establishing Ginsberg’s theme of becoming your own God. Ginsberg’s mind (and other great minds of his time) believes that true religion means rejecting society and everything in it. By doing so, one can enter into the new vision that leads to poverty, death, and being a social outcast. If one casts off the garments of organized religion, everything in life can become holy. This state of being can then be enhanced by whatever means necessary to create art, which will in turn lead others into the new vision.

Ginsberg, and the other artists of the Beat Generation, believed that they were the masters of their own lives, and that they were leading others away from the constraints of organized religion into the true religion of the new vision “with the absolute heart of the poem of life butchered out of their own bodies good to eat a thousand years.” (Ginsberg 20) This “religion” portrays writing as a self-sacrificing act, much like the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which produces the fruits that people can eat for a thousand years. Poets, writers, artists, and musicians who reject society, embrace the marginalized life, seek visions above all else, and sacrifice themselves to lead others into the true religion are the real saviors of the world; their art captures the hearts and minds of those who were abandoned by all the other false religions. 

Allen Ginsberg: the new Jesus Christ