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

Yin and Yang: Ennis and Jack

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Brown Eyes:
I've been thinking a bit about the "fixer vs. stander" issue lately and have come to realize more and more how much Jack behaves like a "stander" in the movie.  Yes, Jack has the urge and keeps asking Ennis about possible ways to "fix" their situation (i.e. live together or at least live closer... "maybe Texas").  But, really he lives all those years after the reunion mostly "standing" an unsatisfactory situation.  I'm posting this here because it seems to fit with the idea of opposites that rely on each other or that contain a little bit of the other within themselves.  It seems that Jack's personality is oriented towards being a "fixer" and he'd probably say that he was a "fixer" if asked.  But, he really does act like a "stander" for much of the relationship... putting up with his "short leash."  This is much the same with Ennis.  He overtly describes himself as a stander.  In fact, he thinks he has to be a stander.  But, we've all seen that on Brokeback, Ennis spends a lot of time acting like a "fixer"... ordering soup, hunting elk, etc.  This was on my mind while reading the fixer vs. stander poll over in Polling Place.  But, it occurred to me that this a complicated enough issue that it might be worth bringing up here.

serious crayons:
So they each have a touch of fixing and standing are like the dot in the middle of the two sides of the yin and yang? Interesting idea, Amanda!

 :D

Meryl:
That's a great way to think of it, Amanda and Katherine.  You're real thinkers there.   8)

Rutella:
Oooh I love these posts, they've made me think of all kinds of stuff. Unfortunately my brain is a bit fuzzled and I'm not sure that this stuff will come out right, so apologies in advance  :) 

The idea of who is the fixer/stander got me thinking about how much of a pragmatist Jack is sometimes, as well as being a dreamer. He stays married because what is the point of hurting Lureen and Bobby, and losing what he's got unless he gets the sweet life. Whereas Ennis wants to stay married for what it shows to everyone outside and what it signifies to himself. Similarly Jack lies to Ennis about being queer because he knows he has to in order to be with Ennis (and I love the way he looks at him as he says it, I always think he's half wondering whether Ennis believes him and half wondering whether Ennis really thinks that he (E) isn't) and about Randell because he is scared of losing him. Jack is aware of his lies and the fact he has to tell them but Ennis's worst lies are to himself.

Also about the way that Ennis 'fixes' stuff on Brokeback made me think that that's another reason for Jack to be so excited about the divorce, I mean up on Brokeback Jack moans about stuff (beans, sleeping in the cat-piss pup tent) and asks for things (elk, no beans, sex with ennis...). At first he gets a refusal from Ennis but then Ennis sorts it for him. When Ennis lets him know about the divorce it's like he's 'fixed' things again for Jack....  :'(

The link between how they both fix and stand stuff and with yin and yang is, I think, an important one. No-one is ever all yin or all yang; sometimes people take different positions with different people and within a single relationship there is also this interplay, so despite the way they may see themselves as a fixer or a stander, they actually move between the two poles, often in response to the demand of the other.


Ok, I have no idea if any of the stuff above makes sense, and I'm pretty sure a lot of it is just repeating what y'all have said already. I really should post stuff at times other when I'm about to go to bed!

Front-Ranger:
My latest yin/yang sighting:

I have a new favorite scene, and it may surprise you... Recall the scene late in the movie where Ennis and Jack are walking their horses down the middle of a stream? I always thought that they had kind of glum looks on their faces because of dissatisfaction with the relationship...but as I look at it again, I'm thinking they are at peace and in harmony with each other. The reason for this change in thinking...I got to looking at the horses. Ennis is riding a beautiful black horse with a lovely diamond-shaped white star on its...forehead? (Is that what it's called). And Jack is riding an equally beautiful light-colored horse (a bay mare?) with a black shock of mane between its ears. The yin/yang sign was there all along, and I didn't even see it!! I started to see that scene differently...they are in equilibrium. Makes me think they did find some sort of peace and happiness together at last.

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