Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum

TOTW 06/08: Did Ennis die at the day described in the prologue?

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Sheriff Roland:
Awright, it's 5 in the morning here and this may not sound as coherent as I would like but here goes anyways ...

Annie Proulx wrote a short story. Every word has meaning, I accept. But the use of symbolism is more a Ang Lee thing. The many mataphores are the product of the movie version of BbM. Annie put a lot of wind in BbM to help us feel we were in Wyoming - as she does with most of her other Wyoming stories. To say that Jack is the wind in the prologue is extrapolating from the movie, not the book, and the discussion this week's suppose to be focussing on the prologue, which is strictly a short story happening. I do not think of the many metaphores when reading the short story and so, I remain the the camp of those who do not see any reason to think that Ennis is on the last leg day of his life in the prologue.

Maybe it's an emotional response on my part (I want him to continue to live), but that's how I feel about the current discussion.

injest:

--- Quote from: Sheriff Roland on February 27, 2008, 06:08:09 am ---Awright, it's 5 in the morning here and this may not sound as coherent as I would like but here goes anyways ...

Annie Proulx wrote a short story. Every word has meaning, I accept. But the use of symbolism is more a Ang Lee thing. The many mataphores are the product of the movie version of BbM. Annie put a lot of wind in BbM to help us feel we were in Wyoming - as she does with most of her other Wyoming stories. To say that Jack is the wind in the prologue is extrapolating from the movie, not the book, and the discussion this week's suppose to be focussing on the prologue, which is strictly a short story happening. I do not think of the many metaphores when reading the short story and so, I remain the the camp of those who do not see any reason to think that Ennis is on the last leg day of his life in the prologue.

Maybe it's an emotional response on my part (I want him to continue to live), but that's how I feel about the current discussion.

--- End quote ---

I agree.

I dont' think Ennis died that day (or was already dead) mainly because of the last line about 'can't change it so you have to stand it'. To me that shows that he is hanging on...because as long as he lives, Jack lives.

mouk:

--- Quote from: Sheriff Roland on February 27, 2008, 06:08:09 am ---Maybe it's an emotional response on my part (I want him to continue to live), but that's how I feel about the current discussion.

--- End quote ---

LOL Roland, I want him to die so he is free from his pain, so my interpretation is probably also an emotional response on my part!

As regards metaphors, I read somewhere that AP had been brought up with metaphors by her mother who also asked her what particular music pieces evoked for her - or something like that, I can't remember exactly. And there was this strange thing where a piece of music reminded her of 'a bishop running in the forest' - I just wish I could remember properly  - old age... ::)

southendmd:

--- Quote from: mouk on February 27, 2008, 05:38:35 am ---The keys were also mentioned, I think as the offer of a choice of a new life, and a parallel with the keys thrown at him by Aguirre was also mentioned, giving him the choice of a life with Jack. As I write this I just realise this could well be the keys to love, thrown by Aguirre and then the keys to death dropped in his hand by the shark -  death that may well reunite him with Jack, so these are perhaps again the keys to love...

--- End quote ---

Mouk, this is an interesting idea, but Aguirre tosses Ennis a watch, not keys.  The story says he winds it and sets it before tossing it.  Perhaps his time with Jack is limited...

Trailer as doomed submarine and coffin of loneliness.  I can see that. 


In the italicized prologue, I think the "grey" reference is the only clue as to the time.  The end of the story seems to take place shortly after discovering the shirts.  "A few weeks later", Ennis goes to the gift shop to order the postcard.  "Around that time Jack began to appear in his dreams" is the second-to-last paragraph. 

Perhaps Ennis had been dreaming of Jack for a long time.  Interesting to think of the prologue taking place in 1997. 

Is it Ennis's last day?  I think not, but it's another example of what we choose to project, or how we "finish" the story ourselves, depending on who we are.

mouk:
Sorry, memory playing up again - you're right Southendmd, it was a watch, not keys, and there was talk indeed about limited time with Jack. So much for my new little theory  :laugh:

The connexion between washing the horse blankets, going to the gift shop and starting having dreams of Jack remains intriguing - could it be that he is washing his guilt away (but not entirely as there are still lurid pictures in the dreams), acknowledging with the postcard that BBM was real and it was love, and then over the years losing the guilt totally and remembering only the love - 'suffused with pleasure' and trying to keep the dream alive so that it might stoke the day?

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