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

"There was some open space between what he knew and what he tried to believe..."

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fernly:
I agree with all of you, and how about this, too...

Much as it tears at me to say it, I think part of what Ennis knew was that the choices he made did help lead to Jack's death.
(Like Jake himself and many others have said before, once Jack was sure that Ennis would never really be with him, that's when he began to die.)

Far as what Ennis tried to believe (and this tears at me, too, that he isn't sure) - he could only try to believe that, given the chance in November, he would finally have said yes to Jack ("Jack, I swear.."),
and saved Jack, and himself.

Midnight24:

--- Quote from: fernly on June 30, 2006, 02:29:26 am ---I agree with all of you, and how about this, too...

Much as it tears at me to say it, I think part of what Ennis knew was that the choices he made did help lead to Jack's death.
(Like Jake himself and many others have said before, once Jack was sure that Ennis would never really be with him, that's when he began to die.)

Far as what Ennis tried to believe (and this tears at me, too, that he isn't sure) - he could only try to believe that, given the chance in November, he would finally have said yes to Jack ("Jack, I swear..")

--- End quote ---

What you said really makes sense. It actually makes this a lot more emotional for me (the movie's already emotional enough), but the idea of him finally saying yes in November in the "Jack, I swear..." actually fit in together. Thanks for pointing that out.  ;)

Jeff Wrangler:
I've focussed my understanding narrowly and a little bit differently from what I've read above, not really looking at in relation to the manner of Jack's death. I wish I had the story in front of me, but I never carry it with me to work, so here's my reading:

What Ennis knew, thanks to old man Twist, was that shortly before Jack died he had been talking about bringing someone other than Ennis up to Lightning Flat.

What Ennis tried to believe, since the shirts were still in the closet, was that Jack had not quit him and still loved him.

But Jack was dead, he could never really know, so he had to stand it. Poor Ennis. ...  :(

Daniel:
I actually performed on of my daily meditations on this line. Whatever its meaning, it is profoundly stated and suggests a great many things in my opinion. It can be interpreted practically any way. See Daily Meditation 23. http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php?topic=538.msg49485#msg49485.

Meryl:

--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on June 30, 2006, 09:22:46 am ---What Ennis knew, thanks to old man Twist, was that shortly before Jack died he had been talking about bringing someone other than Ennis up to Lightning Flat.

What Ennis tried to believe, since the shirts were still in the closet, was that Jack had not quit him and still loved him.

But Jack was dead, he could never really know, so he had to stand it. Poor Ennis. ...  :(
--- End quote ---

Phew!  That's a sad take on it, Jeff, but it does make sense to me.  Ennis didn't have a lot of self confidence, and I could see him worrying that Jack had found someone more compatible, maybe more 'fun' (as he said to Cassie) to share his life with. 

Ennis had to know that Jack loved him, but a big part of Ennis's grief must have centered on the fact that he drove Jack to do what he did by his refusal to give Jack what he needed.  He tried to believe that he had been right to refuse, but in the end, he knew that that refusal had cost them both dearly.  :'(

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