Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Joe Aguirre: what do you think of this character as portrayed in the movie?
Monika:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on January 07, 2009, 03:09:08 pm ---I feel fairly confident in saying Jack and Ennis were the only ones applying for the job that summer. There were plenty of "better" places for young men to work, in the oil fields, in agriculture, forestry, etc. in addition to the military or going off to college. Those inclined to work with animals usually chose to work with horses and cattle, sheep being the lowest of the lows (unless you count pigs, goats, or chickens).
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That´s interesting. I wonder why then Jack and Ennis didn´t apply for other jobs? Any theories?
Front-Ranger:
--- Quote from: buffymon on January 07, 2009, 03:22:00 pm ---That´s interesting. I wonder why then Jack and Ennis didn´t apply for other jobs? Any theories?
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In Jack's case, he knew about the job from having worked it the summer before. And I think he liked the work and the country. It didn't seem like he was making any money on the rodeo circuit, and he might have been unlucky in love and wanting to get away from it all.
For Ennis, I got the feeling that somebody else had motivated him to apply for the job. He didn't seem to have much initiative. The story says both of them were "hungry for any job." Ennis might have also been hungry for independence that would take him away from his brother, who seemed to have a mean streak. Another attraction of the job was that it provided "lodging" which neither man had.
Since the position was located north of Signal, it may be that Alma or her relatives had found out about the job and urged Ennis to apply. Alma was always trying to get Ennis better employment, such as at the power company. It would be somewhat ironic if she had been the impetus for him to go up that mountain with Jack!
Monika:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on January 07, 2009, 05:13:35 pm ---
For Ennis, I got the feeling that somebody else had motivated him to apply for the job. He didn't seem to have much initiative.
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Thanks for an interesting post, Lee. I found this to be particulary poignant. Ennis indeed seems to be happy with any kind of work and it never seems as he has any kind of aspirations in that department. As long as he has food and lodging, he´s content.
I find it more surprising that Jack came back, though. He´s more driven and "ambitious" than Ennis. My guess is that he at least tried to find a better job, but for some reason ended up back on Brokeback Mountain.
Front-Ranger:
--- Quote from: buffymon on January 07, 2009, 05:45:55 pm ---Ennis indeed seems to be happy with any kind of work and it never seems as he has any kind of aspirations in that department. As long as he has food and lodging, he´s content.
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Can you blame him, given his childhood, not being able to finish school, always a "fifth wheel" in someone else's home, even getting beaten up at night by his brother, and with that cruel miserable excuse of a dad?
--- Quote from: buffymon on January 07, 2009, 05:45:55 pm ---I find it more surprising that Jack came back, though. He´s more driven and "ambitious" than Ennis. My guess is that he at least tried to find a better job, but for some reason ended up back on Brokeback Mountain.
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Good point, friend. I never thought of Jack that way before, but you're right. To go back to sheepherding just as rodeo season was getting underway...but you can tell from the state of his truck that he's pretty desperate.
Penthesilea:
--- Quote from: buffymon on January 07, 2009, 03:20:03 pm ---There is also the question whether Jack really was incompetent. I have a feeling that Aguirre would have complained no matter how well Jack performed, it´s just the way he is.
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Agreed. Jack can't have been *that* incompetent, otherwise Aguirre wouldn't have hired him again. Of course Aguirre complained, and in his eyes "ranch stiffs never did much of a job". That's just Aguirre being Aguirre.
But he understood that the 25% loss of the previous year hadn't been Jack's fault. That's why he hired two guys the next year; "bad predator loss, nobody near looking after em at night". Jack couldn't watch the sheep 24 hours a day, he had to sleep, take on other chores, get supplies, etc.
As to why the boys applied for the job: they were hungry for any job, like Lee already said. Jack was also "crazy to be somewhere, anywhere else than LF".
I think the fact that the job came with lodging was the determining factor for both of them. Jack didn't care for the kind of work as long as it led him away from LF (and OMT!). And (movie)Ennis didn't have any place to stay. He had lived with his brother until the brother got married a month ago. "No more room for me. That's how come me to end up here."
... both high school dropout country boys with no prospects.... that's why they applied for the job. The world and the better jobs didn't exactly wait for them. :-\
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