Michel Foucault begins his essay “We 'other' Victorians” with a description of what he calls the “repressive hypothesis” ( Foucault 10).This hypothesis argues that openly expressing one's sexuality in the early 17th century was considered shameless. With the transition to the Victorian era and the development of the Victorian bourgeoisie, sexuality began to take on a completely different meaning physical or visual representation of sexuality with a purpose separate from procreation was deemed “illegitimate,” paving the way for a generation of repressive silence (Foucault 3). In modern American culture, it can be argued that society has “freed itself from those two long centuries in which the history of sexuality [was] seen first and foremost as the chronicle of increasing repression,” but to take this position is to assume that the repressive hypothesis is accurate and that the Victorians were indeed sexually repressed (Foucault 5). Foucault disputes this position, arguing that the Victorians were more sexually free than modern society generally considers them to be. Rather, this consideration is based on a sense of sovereignty that can be gained by triumphing over a repressive force by engaging in any activity widely considered taboo. In Alison Bechdel's Fun Home, Alison's indulgence in lesbian literature and experience within the gay community rewards her with a sense of liberation. Considering Foucault's “repressive hypothesis”, this may be based on Alison experiencing a sudden sense of freedom due to detachment from the sexual repression of our Victorian ancestors. The intent of this essay is to investigate Alison's invigorating exploration of sexual identity through language, physical expression, and the satisfaction gained from a sense of community. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayFoucault argues that during the Victorian period there was a shift from viewing sexuality as behavior-based to identity-based, as a set of identities the categories came into existence. Partly because of this historical shift, Alison she comes to terms with her sexual identity through discourse before actually engaging in sexual intimacy with another woman, experiencing “a revelation not of the flesh, but of the mind” (Bechdel 74). Alison spends a lot of time at the library looking for lesbian books like Word is Out: Stories of Some of our Lives by Nancy Adair and The Well of Lonelies by Radclyffe Hill. In this passage, Alison recalls that she “first learned the word [lesbian] because of its alarming prominence in [her] dictionary” (Bechdel 74). Following this discovery, Alison begins to identify with the word and accept its importance in defining her identity. According to author Timothy Murphy, “some scholars…argue that in their modern form, [gay and lesbian] identities were created in the medical and sexological discourses of the late eighteenth century” (Murphy 598). Thus, the word “lesbian” did not exist in pre-Victorian discourse, whereas it is prominent in Alison's 21st century discourse and plays a decisive factor in her conceptualization of personal identity. Elsa, a character from one of the books represented in this passage, was born in 1898 and “never had that crossing over crisis that we talk about nowadays – the feeling of having to undergo some sort of indoctrination or trauma, or a coming-of-age ritual out” (Bechdel 74). This clearly shows the generational gap regarding discourse between the Victorian era andModern Days by Alison. Foucault highlights modern society's emphasis on overcoming sexual repression to feel liberated and powerful. In this passage from Fun Home there are examples of Alison acting in accordance with Foucault's repressive hypothesis. Following her identification with the word “lesbian,” Alison “gathered herself and bought” a gay-friendly book, “and soon [she] was trolling the public library too, regardless of the risks” (Bechdel 75). The risks in question are undoubtedly based on the social acceptance of homosexuality. As she continues her coming out journey, Alison attends a “Gay Union” meeting, then proceeds to come out to her parents (Bechdel 75-76). Each of these cases represents the urgency of fighting the "repressive" social forces that convince her not to publicly declare her sexual orientation. Foucault challenges the idea that power is a “top-down” model in which those at the top hold power and those at the bottom are subject to it. Rather, Foucault theorizes power as a set of fluid and communal relations. Alison's sense of power in this passage comes from community: a community of gay authors and a community of "Gay Union" people. Like Foucault, Bechdel is challenging the concept of power hierarchy, demonstrating that experience within a community of people has the capacity to foster a strong sense of individual power. Following her public statements, Alison feels “euphoric” and in a “tremulous state” as she experiences a rewarding sense of power and authority over her identity (Bechdel 76). Following the emphasis on discourse and publicity, Bechdel begins to place emphasis on the physicality of Alison's revelation regarding her sexual identity. She describes her experience in the library, stating that she "found a four-foot treasure among the shelves which [she] quickly snatched," a phrase with obvious sexual connotations. This pun is followed by physical indulgence, as “it became clear that [she] would have to leave [the] academic plane and enter the human fray” (Bechdel 76). Alison's enlightenment is supported by an image of her masturbating while reading Anais Nin's Delta of Venus. Moving from literature to physicality, Alison is taking the final steps on her journey to understanding herself and formulating her identity. From this point on, he begins to physically experiment with his college partner Joan without worrying about the social consequences: “Joan was a poet and a 'matriarchist.' I spent very little of the remaining semester out of his bed” (Bechdel 80). Such a strong physical revelation may not have been possible for Alison without first connecting to the lesbian discourse. Even during the physical experience, she and Joan fuse literature with sex, as the bed was "strewn with books, however, in what for me was a new fusion of words and actions" (Bechdel 80). At this point the discussion becomes sexual and sexuality depends on literature. Alison acts in accordance with the repressive hypothesis on several levels. He seeks identity through discourse, advertising his sexual orientation, and engaging in physical sexual acts. Foucault defines “the relationship between sex and power in terms of repression: something that could be called benefit of the speaker. If sex is repressed, that is, condemned to prohibition, non-existence and silence, then the very fact that it is talked about has the appearance of a deliberate transgression” (Foucault 6). Although Alison lives in the midst of the gay revolution, homosexuality is not fully considered socially acceptable (and still isn't today). Because homosexuality is still repressed, Alison engages in “deliberate transgression” by acting, 2000.