Twist and Mar
by latjoreme (Tue Apr 10 2007 23:23:13)
We have talked about the meaning of the names Twist, a rodeo term, and Ennis Del Mar, island of the sea (an isolated individual).
But a good friend of mine on BetterMost recently posted dictionary definitions for the names. This time she looked up Twist and Mar. And suddenly, the implications changed.
Put together, Twist and Mar evoke images of something damaged, disfigured, defaced, bent out of shape, scarred, tarnished. Are Jack and Ennis damaged and disfigured by their homosexuality? Some of their friends and neighbors, as well as the people who got the original version of this thread deleted, would no doubt say yes. Or are they damaged and disfigured as a reaction to the pressures placed upon them by the society they live in?
One clue might be in the names of Rich and Earl, which denote wealth and nobility. Eventually, of course, Earl was quite literally damaged and disfigured. But for a while, the two men chose to live together and enjoy life's bounty.
Another friend once mentioned that, in the story, Jack and Ennis are frequently portrayed as marked or marred. I'd love to hear other people's ideas about names, these and others in the story/movie.
Re: Twist and Mar
by garycottle (Wed Apr 11 2007 08:54:55)
Very interesting observation, latjoreme. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I've sometimes wondered about Alma, Jr.'s name. Usually it's boys that are called Junior, and I've thought that maybe Proulx was playing with gender rolls a little bit there, and by doing so reminding us that girls can sometimes do things boys do without having their femininity called into question.
Re: Twist and Mar
by latjoreme (Wed Apr 11 2007 10:30:46)
Thanks, Gary! And good call on Alma Jr.'s name. I've wondered about it, too. I like the idea of it being another little jab at gender roles and expectations.
Those reminders that people aren't always what they seem occur frequently throughout. Ennis' dad, who we are set up to think of as upstanding, turns out to be cruel and possibly murderous. John Twist, who we assume is homophobic because he's such a jerk, turns out to display no homophobia (but plenty of jerkiness). Aguirre doesn't fire them. And so on.
Re: Twist and Mar
by atz75 (Thu Apr 12 2007 13:50:04)
Hey latjoreme!
Nice thread Bud!
I think the topic of names really is worth investigating in BBM. And, along with the really interesting implications that can come out of the dictionary definitions of "mar" and "twist" (sometimes the definitions even sort of sound like poetry when you're thinking about the words in the context of BBM), I think it's interesting to think a little bit about the contrast between the names Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist.
"Ennis Del Mar" is such an exotic and unusual combination of words. While "Jack Twist" sounds so much simpler and common. I would venture to bet that very few people know an "Ennis", while almost everyone knows a "Jack." And, likewise with the relative common-ness of the words involved in the last names. I wonder why Proulx decided to set up such a contrast (purely in the name department) between the two cowboys?
And, I agree about Alma Jr. I think it was a really interesting gesture to make her a Jr. It does at least highlight the issue of gender again... it makes you stop and take notice that this is a *girl* junior and not the more typical or expected boy junior. I don't see much in her character, however, that seems to upset gender expectations for her time and location (especially in her decision to get married so young).
And, of course, I think we've all been curious about what happened with the name of Ennis's second daughter. Why change her from "Francine" to "Jenny" from story to film?
Re: Twist and Mar
by latjoreme (Thu Apr 12 2007 14:22:07)
Hey, thanks for posting, Bud! Yes, the person who thought up the idea for this thread sure was a genius.
"Ennis Del Mar" is such an exotic and unusual combination of words. While "Jack Twist" sounds so much simpler and common. I would venture to bet that very few people know an "Ennis", while almost everyone knows a "Jack." And, likewise with the relative common-ness of the words involved in the last names. I wonder why Proulx decided to set up such a contrast (purely in the name department) between the two cowboys?
Good point. And Ennis Del Mar sound melodious and graceful, whereas Jack Twist is kind of blunt and straightforward.
I don't see much in her character, however, that seems to upset gender expectations for her time and location (especially in her decision to get married so young).
No, that's for sure.
And, of course, I think we've all been curious about what happened with the name of Ennis's second daughter. Why change her from "Francine" to "Jenny" from story to film?
Yes, that's a puzzle. Francine is also a male-derivative name, whereas Jennifer (as far as I know) is not. That's not much to go on, though.
Re: Twist and Mar
by Susiebell (Thu Apr 12 2007 14:28:45)
And, of course, I think we've all been curious about what happened with the name of Ennis's second daughter. Why change her from "Francine" to "Jenny" from story to film?
I remember ClancyPantsNasty once suggestiing the following:
Jack + Ennis = Jennie
I thought that was pretty cool .... clancy you're a genius!!!
Susie
Re: Twist and Mar
by merr7242 (Thu Apr 12 2007 14:40:06)
I have another thought on Jack and Ennis. Of course their names probably mean what was suggested above, as in Twist and Mar. After hearing their stories about their childhood, I think the two of them found the first person who they could trust. Ennis grew up mostly without parents and not very secure while Jack grew up with parents - a father who he could never please. Since they were arbitrarily thrown together they confided in each other - and probably for the first time - developed a bond for that reason. They never had a good hug and that could have been what brought them together - need for a live person to love.
Also, concerning Alma Jr., Frank Sinatra named his daughter Nancy Jr. (her mother was Nancy). That was before 1963.
I love that so many people find this story so interesting.
Re: Twist and Mar
by atz75 (Thu Apr 12 2007 18:23:39)
I *love* the Jack + Ennis= Jenny idea. Very cute. I'd not heard that before. Although, I don't quite understand why it would apply to Ennis's second daughter. But, still, it's an adorable idea.
OK, so I figured I should go ahead and copy the definitions of "mar" and "twist" that I have in my dictionary (Webster's 9th Collegiate Dictornary). It would be really interesting to me to see what other dictionaries list as definitions (all dictionaries are certainly not the same). I'd especially be curious to see the definitions from a comprehensive dictionary like the OED. Next time I'm at the library I'll be sure to look these words up there.
Mar (this is in addition to the metaphor of "island in the sea" that seems to fit with Ennis's whole name):
1 mar- vt, marred; marring [marren, fr.: to obstruct, waste...]- 1: to detract from the perfection or wholeness of: SPOIL 2: archaic, a: to inflict serious bodily harm on. b: DESTROY. syn see INJURE
2 mar- n (14c): something that mars: BLEMISH
Twist (there are tons more definitions for this word than for Mar, which has only the brief entry noted above)
1 twist- vb, 1 a: to unite by winding [--ing strands together] b: to make by twisting strands together [--ing thread from yarn] c: to mingle by interlacing
2: TWINE, COIL
3 a: to wring or wrench so ast to dislocate or distort: SPRAIN b: to alter the meaning of: DISTORT, PERVERT [--ed the facts] c: CONTORT [--ed his face into a grin] d: to pull off, turn or break by torsion e: to cause to move with a turning mostion f: to form into a spiral shape g: to cause to take on moral, mental, or emotional deformity h: to make (one's way) in a winding or devious manner to a destination or objective
~ vi 1: to follow a winding course: SNAKE
2 a: to turn or change shape under torsion b: to assume a spiral shape c: SQUIRM, WRITHE d: to dance the twist
3: to rotate while taking a curving path or direction [ball]
4: TURN: to bring strong pressure to bear on one
2 twist- n- 1: something formed by winding: as a: a thread, yarn, or cord formed by twisting two or more strands together b: a strong tightly twisted string c: a baked piece of twisted dough
2: the fleshing between the hind legs esp. of cattle or sheep
3 a: an act of twisting: state of being twisted b: a dance performed with strenuous gyrations esp. of the hips c: the spin given a ball in any of various games d: spiral turn or curve
4 a: a turning off a straight course b: ECCENTRICITY, IDIOSYNCRASY c: a distortion of meaning or sense
5 a: an unexpected turn or development b: a clever device: TRICK c: a variant approach or method: GIMMICK
Re: Twist and Mar
by merr7242 (Sat Apr 14 2007 23:29:16)
In response to the names Twist and Mar, when my kids were very young, I was asked to be part of a volunteer program at school. The program I was asked to participate in was called "Great Books" = not the adult program - it was designed for kids to flesh out what the author was trying to convey to them when they read certain stories. The first story was about a little boy named Charles. His friends all had nicknames (Johnny, Jamie, etc.) but everyone called this boy Charles. One of the questions we were asked during our training was "why did the author name the boy Charles." That was the first time I really gave any thought to why the author used certain names. When we conducted these session with the children in school, we would make up a list of questions that we thought would spur their imagination. There was actually no correct answer so they were free to say anything because they knew they wouldn't be told they were wrong, but it would give food for more conversation. I wonder if they still use that program.
Anyhow, it is interesting to think about why authors use names and actions. There is probably a reason.
Re: Twist and Mar
by atz75 (Mon Apr 16 2007 19:40:13)
Hi merr7242, that's a really great story. Things like that really help to make us sit up and take notice of the craft of writing... including the craft of choosing the right word.
There's a famous old quotation by Mark Twain that goes something like this... I'm sort of paraphrasing from memory, so this probably won't be exact.
"The right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug."
Well, at least based on a few of Proulx's comments we can assume that she really did put quite a bit of thought into the issue of naming. I'm thinking here about all the discussion of the word "Twist" in relation to rodeo culture and the apparent communication that she even had with Jake about this word. If she put a lot of thought into one name, she probably put a lot of thought into at least the major character names.
