Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
TOTW 12/08: What's your take on the detailed nature descriptions in the SS?
nakymaton:
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on April 14, 2008, 02:41:51 am ---One part I haven't made much sense of yet is the listing of all the mountain ranges they went to over the years. Of course it's striking that they were all over the place - but never returned to Brokeback. The garden Eden metaphor we discussed several times before. Once you're thrown out, you can never return. Hey, even the movie trailer says so "There are places we can't return".
But to make this point, it would have been enough if Proulx had listed three or four mountain ranges, adding .."and many others" (something along that lines). But she doesn't. Instead she lists no less than seventeen (!*) different mountain ranges.
Any thoughts on this?
--- End quote ---
I don't have the book with me (and have it tucked away someplace - that's why I haven't participated in this thread yet). But it's a pretty extensive list of the mountain ranges in Wyoming. I think that one reason the list is so long is to make Brokeback's omission seem all the more significant. They went everywhere else... but they couldn't go back.
(I wanted to comment on the various rock metaphors - somber malachite, flinty wind, and so forth. But I need to find my book first.)
brokeplex:
sometimes "you can never go home"
BlissC:
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on April 14, 2008, 02:41:51 am ---But to make this point, it would have been enough if Proulx had listed three or four mountain ranges, adding .."and many others" (something along that lines). But she doesn't. Instead she lists no less than seventeen (!*) different mountain ranges.
Any thoughts on this?
*There's that number again; we discussed the 17 before, but mostly movie related. Could it be another example of the Lee/Proulx/Ossana/Murtry synergy?
--- End quote ---
Sorry, I think I've missed something. What's the significance of 17?
Front-Ranger:
--- Quote from: BlissC on April 16, 2008, 05:26:46 pm ---Sorry, I think I've missed something. What's the significance of 17?
--- End quote ---
Ang is trying to tell everybody not to forget my birthday, LOL!! Actually, in addition to the 17 mountain ranges listed in the story where Ennis and Jack went over the two decades of their relationship, 17 is also the street address of Ennis' trailer at the end of the movie. We know because there was a close-up of him putting the numbers on his mailbox.
We have all been scratching our heads to try to figure out why 17?? Lee may be a devotee of numerology, but we doubt if Proulx is.
Dal:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on April 17, 2008, 06:14:02 pm ---Ang is trying to tell everybody not to forget my birthday, LOL!!
--- End quote ---
D'OH!! It's my birthday today -- and I was really busy at work, forgot all about it til I read this! And Im supposed to be going out. Thanks Front Ranger!r
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