Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
TOTW 16/07: Did Alma Jr. know Ennis was gay?
serious crayons:
Yes, it occurred to me, too, that this might be an interesting subject for a thread. I will consider opening one in Safe Haven.
cricket99999:
My two cents:
By the time she's at that bar with Ennis and Cassie, I believe Alma Jr. is plenty aware about sexual issues as well as the existence of gays. This is post-sexual revolution. She must have sensed something different about Ennis, and suspected.
Isn't that the main point of the conversation with Cassie? For those who don't think Alma Jr had an inkling about Ennis: what was the point of the "not the marrying kind" scene?
Even the final scene is diminished in its power if Alma Jr. is thought to be clueless. IMO
Alma Jr. likely picked up on clues throughout her teens, and slowly became aware. For example, not only was the hug a clue, when she was barely a teen and Jack drove all the way from Texas after hearing of the divorce. It was the hug, plus Jack suddenly leaving, plus the lingering distress she would have sensed in her father.
Surely Ennis didn't get in the truck and suddenly start acting normal?
Brown Eyes:
--- Quote from: cricket99999 on December 05, 2007, 02:43:47 pm ---
Even the final scene is diminished in its power if Alma Jr. is thought to be clueless. IMO
--- End quote ---
I agree with this idea that the interpretation and power of the final scene in BBM must be very different for viewers who believe Junior knows vs. viewers who believe she really doesn't know.
I still contend that probably beginning with the "not the marrying kind" scene, through to the end... Junior has a vague notion or hunch that Ennis may be gay. I don't know that the idea ever becomes entirely concrete... and I'm sure the details remain fuzzy to her. But, I do think she has a hunch.
moremojo:
If we return to the original story, it is interesting to speculate on how Ennis would have fared staying with his married daughter (not specifically named, but very likely Junior) and son-in-law after his eviction from the ranch. Specifically, I'm wondering how he would have handled the transfer of the shirts-and-postcard shrine to his temporary new domicile (though I seem to recall his trailer going with him, he would not necessarily be staying in it while relying on his child's hospitality). The shrine in the story hangs upon the trailer wall, and anyone who investigated it would probably have some curiosity about how it came to be there and what it meant. Any encounter with the shrine on Junior's part would have had to bolster any speculations she might have had concerning her father's private life.
LauraGigs:
--- Quote ---If we return to the original story, it is interesting to speculate on how Ennis would have fared staying with his married daughter (not specifically named, but very likely Junior) and son-in-law after his eviction from the ranch. Specifically, I'm wondering how he would have handled the transfer of the shirts-and-postcard shrine to his temporary new domicile (though I seem to recall his trailer going with him, he would not necessarily be staying in it while relying on his child's hospitality). The shrine in the story hangs upon the trailer wall, and anyone who investigated it would probably have some curiosity about how it came to be there and what it meant. Any encounter with the shrine on Junior's part would have had to bolster any speculations she might have had concerning her father's private life.
--- End quote ---
Scott, if I recall correctly, the shirts are hung on a nail which (in the film) is driven into the inside of Ennis' closet door. Remember, in the very last frame he closes this door and the window to the outside becomes visible? I believe it's that way in the book too. (The closet in the film looks like a portable one, one that could just be carried into a house or wherever.)
But anyway, the crux of your question is most interesting! I have to agree with Katie and others here that if Junior was involved in the handling of Ennis' property upon his death (or debilitation), the "shrine" would be the final piece of the puzzle to confirm to her that yes, the love of her father's life was a man.
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