Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Carving up the Two Old Birds
serious crayons:
Well, yay! That all makes sense. I like your analysis of wood-chopping. Yes, I had noticed the music changes when they're cutting up the tree. And I had wondered about the significance of Ennis grabbing the log and then tossing it. I figured that, coming as it does right after Ennis kicking the water in the stream -- their relationship -- it must mean something.
And this is a good way to explain the connection between the little horses, for which I hadn't previously found a really satisfactory answer.
--- Quote ---I did give it consideration after you mentioned it, but that was also after I originally posted this. Smiley
--- End quote ---
I'm kidding, kind of. It's not essential to mention, because I don't think my interpretation of the electric knife interferes with your theory (to those who haven't seen me say this before, it reminds me of a vibrator -- albeit a dangerous one -- suggesting that Monroe is a substitute for Ennis). I see it as a subtle joke, but certainly jokes can coexist with more serious metaphoric schemes. (Or enhance them, as with the laundry-entrance sign.)
Anyway, thanks for posting all of this. I like your interpretations a lot.
Meryl:
--- Quote from: ruthlesslyunsentimental on July 03, 2006, 02:26:16 am ---The next significant occurrence is at the Thanksgiving dinners. Here, two old birds get carved. The two old birds were, according to Ennis, Earl and Rich. But Ennis and Jack are also two old birds. When Ennis tells Jack the Earl death story, Ennis himself is comparing Earl’s and Rich’s situation to Jack’s and Ennis’, making Jack and Ennis a pair of old birds. At Thanksgiving at the Twist home, LD Newsome starts to carve up the old bird, Jack. But Jack will not have it. Jack takes control of his home and his family and metaphorically says “If anyone is going to carve this bird (me), then it’s going to be me.” And Jack picks up the knife and carves.
At Alma’s Thanksgiving Spectacular, the old bird is being carved by Monroe. Here, Ennis is not in control of his life or family. Someone new has come into the picture, replacing Ennis in his roles of husband and father. He cannot wrest this away from Monroe, and Monroe continues carving their old bird, Ennis.
The final significant appearance of knives is in Ennis’ trailer in the final scene. He has not one, but two sets of knives in knife blocks. Because of the revelations he has had concerning the true meaning of his relationship with Jack (the final lake scene breakdown, Cassie, Lureen, the Twists, and the shirts), Ennis is now ready to really take control of carving his life into something that will make him happier and whole. There are so many knives there either because he’s going to get really good at it, or because it’ll still take him a long time. He was good back on Brokeback at tying things in knots, and he continued this throughout the film by tying himself in knots with his disassociations between what he felt for Jack and what he was taught to be the truth of such a thing. Now he has all the knives he needs to cut those knots free.
--- End quote ---
Hi ruthless, I have enjoyed your posts a lot and find them impressively well thought out and persuasive, and this one is no exception. Your thoughts about the knife symbolism are much appreciated, as this is a topic I've often wondered about. I also like to think that everything in the film is there for a reason and is rife with metaphor and subtext.
I like your take on the early knife instances as being symbolic of the boys forming their characters and their lives. This makes sense, and the riderless horse and Jack's imaginary bull make a nice pairing.
Though there's no reason to refute your interpretation of the two old birds, I'll throw in another view. After Ennis rejects Jack in the post-divorce scene, things take a downward turn. If Jack and Ennis are the turkeys, it's clear that at this point they start to diminish, no matter who is doing the carving. The lifeblood has gone out of them, they are done to a turn, and their very essence is consumed by the families they provide for rather than going to fuel their relationship. In the end, all that is left are the bones of that relationship.
The knives in the trailer could represent potential, following through with your earlier analogy, but I take a more pessimistic view of Ennis's future. To me, those knives seem to be left over from a former tenant, and as such might represent the leftover baggage Ennis carries from his life--old wounds, old hopes. The knives speak of stabs of grief, of pain, of guilt, of words unspoken. Yes, they can slice through knots, but will Ennis ever pick them up to do so? IMO they are a mute testament to pain. :(
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: meryl on July 04, 2006, 01:32:38 pm ---The knives in the trailer could represent potential, following through with your earlier analogy, but I take a more pessimistic view of Ennis's future. To me, those knives seem to be left over from a former tenant, and as such might represent the leftover baggage Ennis carries from his life--old wounds, old hopes. The knives speak of stabs of grief, of pain, of guilt, of words unspoken. Yes, they can slice through knots, but will Ennis ever pick them up to do so? IMO they are a mute testament to pain. :(
--- End quote ---
Wow, Meryl, I like this, too. Besides, I'm not averse to the idea that one object can have two symbolic meanings. That's just two for the price of one, in my book.
ruthlesslyunsentimental:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on July 04, 2006, 11:28:16 am ---Anyway, thanks for posting all of this. I like your interpretations a lot.
--- End quote ---
And I like (a lot) that you like my interpretations a lot. ;D
But they're just mine and I hope to hear some others from others... and I like what you added here.
ruthlesslyunsentimental:
--- Quote from: meryl on July 04, 2006, 01:32:38 pm ---I'll throw in another view. After Ennis rejects Jack in the post-divorce scene, things take a downward turn. If Jack and Ennis are the turkeys, it's clear that at this point they start to diminish, no matter who is doing the carving. The lifeblood has gone out of them, they are done to a turn, and their very essence is consumed by the families they provide for rather than going to fuel their relationship. In the end, all that is left are the bones of that relationship.
--- End quote ---
LOVE IT! Thanks for this addition!
--- Quote ---The knives in the trailer could represent potential, following through with your earlier analogy, but I take a more pessimistic view of Ennis's future. ... The knives speak of stabs of grief, of pain, of guilt, of words unspoken. Yes, they can slice through knots, but will Ennis ever pick them up to do so?
--- End quote ---
I can certainly go along with this. I am also pessimistic -- ruthlessly unsentimental -- about Ennis' future. I see him as working hard every day, maybe going to a bar, alone, for several beers, or to the bus depot, alone, for pie... but then sitting in his trailer all evening long, again, alone, drinking beers, smoking cigarettes and watching TV or gazing at the shirts hanging in the opened closet. To be brutally frank, I see Ennis starting to talk to the shirts after a while. I think those shirts are going to become his best and only friend. Still, we did see a teeny weenie bit of movement on his part at the end, didn’t we?
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