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TOTW 20/08: Ennis rejecting people close to him

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brokeplex:
simplistically, Ennis rejects others because Ennis rejects himself.

Gabreya:
I totally agree with EVERYBODY. Ennis's issue of 'abandonment' is one of the main themes/morals of the movie. It shows what can happen if you let your fear of abandonment and rejection of get in the way of the desire to be happy and being in love without feeling guilty.

Ennis had that problem and it was eating him up. All because of the mess he's been put through as a child and while growing up, he felt that in order for not to get hurt inside by someone who has rejected him, he rejects them first before going any further. Of course, it only makes the situation(s) worse when that happens. And it's like you guys said. It's not that he didn't love any of the people that were in his life. It's just that inside, he was broken. And he has been broken for so long that it's becoming even more and more unbearable. And since he was broken, he really didn't know exactly how to cope with it and it became really difficult for him to 'function'. Of course, he has low self-esteem and doesn't think he's worthy. He always had that feeling that he hates himself and feels guilty about something he did which he shouldn't do to himself. That's why he was never the one to be in a completely commited relationship because of that. Even Jack, Alma Jr., and Cassie were pretty worried about him.

But, who could blame the poor guy? He had an assholish father and his life was gloomy.

And if I may continue on about his situation with Jack:by the time Jack had died and when the end of the story/movie rolled on, Ennis went from broken to completely shattered. He realized that it was too late. His Jack wanted to desperately spend the rest of his life with him and be happy but Ennis wasn't really ready for that and as usual, was afraid. He wanted to reject the offer to leave with him but he never wanted to reject Jack.
And I personally believe that the famous final line,"Jack, I swear...," was in a way, some form of promise mixed with an apology to Jack. It's like he's saying that he'll make the memory live on and at the same time saying sorry to him for not giving him the chance to really show him how much he loved him when he probably should have. It was a mistake that he deeply regreted and now was going to cherish his memory for comfort.

shortfiction:
Very nice post, Gabreya.

Do you think Ennis would take Jack's mother up on her invitation to come back and see the Twists again?

Brown Eyes:


Somehow I really doubt that Ennis would go visit Jack's parents again.  On the one hand Ma Twist's offer almost sounds like simple politeness (but not necessarily really meaning it), but on the other hand we get the sense that she's so lonely out there and so affectionate towards Ennis and what she seem to understand about his importance to Jack it's possible that she might really mean it.

But to me, regardless of whether she really meant it, it just doesn't really seem to be within Ennis's character to go back.  I feel like it took so much courage and determination for Ennis to go there in the first place... I just don't think he would put himself through that again.  Plus, I feel like that one visit provided him with the closure he needed... at least the closure he needed as far as Lightning Flat was concerned.  I think he realizes that th ashes will never come into his possession and I'm sure he would dread another encounter with Old Man Twist.  I feel like, for Ennis, the discovery of the shirts really supercedes the issue of the ashes by the time he leaves the house.

I feel like in his rejection of Jack (living with Jack) he cheated himself out of the opportunity to have a new mother-figure in his life.  Ma Twist, I feel fairly confident could have become a very good figure in that regard in Ennis's life if he'd given her and Jack the chance.  By the time of Jack's death and the end scenes of the film, it's really too late for that I think.  As much as Ma Twist is lovely and sympathetic to him, it would be awkward to try to build a "son-in-law" type relationship at that late stage.

Artiste:
I do NOT see Ennis rejecting persons close to him; on the contrary !

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