"Jack, I swear..." What do you think Ennis meant by that?

[serious crayons]

I just say that Ennis (although he did not finish his sentence aloud) swore a promise to Jack

Thanks for the story quote, TJ. And what you say above makes sense to me. Of course, the exact nature of the promise is unclear.

[TJ]

Since Ennis Del Mar was a man of few words, even when he was talking aloud to himself, we just have to guess what he swore to Jack Twist.

Ennis might have made some better choices in his life and occupations if he had talked out loud when no one else was around.

One does use more of his brain when one speaks aloud and he can also hear himself "think" outloud.

[Mary Twist]

My beloved son Jack had been a vcitim of sexual abuse by a man at a young age and continuing for many years.

Sadly,
Mrs. Mary Twist

[Karan13]

I agree i think Jack was saying he would SWEAR to see to it that Ennis ashes were laid to rest where he wanted them to be , in the only place he was ever truely happy. I also think he is saying `I Swear` i love you and i will never forget you. So sad x x

[TJ]

In the movie, "Jack, I swear--" is just a few moments from the end of the movie.

In the book, he has lots of dreams after he says those words and in the way that the original copyrighted story goes, one more scene takes place after Ennis has all of those dreams. But, Annie Proulx put the only thing about Ennis having a daughter who got married in the opening paragraphs of the story and Ennis is going to stay with her while he looks for work.

[twistedude]

I think Ennis had three great awakenings during his life: the first to passion, the second to love (during that first summer, or possibly, not till four years later) and the third, when Jack died, and he found the "outwsrd and physical signs of etc."--to the fact that Jack was the love of his life, "snd all the rest is talk."

As for Jack's ma--(who the hell posted that shit about sexual abuse? Was that a funny joke?. No.): "The only things Jack's ma don't know haven't happened yet."--er,  me...

Oh, I have no idea exactly what Ennis meant when he said it. But I think it had something to do with what he'd come to reaslize after Jack's death.

[Rayn]

I think Ennis had three great awakenings during his life: the first to passion, the second to love (during that first summer, or possibly, not till four years later) and the third, when Jack died, and he found the "outwsrd and physical signs of etc."--to the fact that Jack was the love of his life, "snd all the rest is talk."

As for Jack's ma--(who the hell posted that shit about sexual abuse? Was that a funny joke?. No.): "The only things Jack's ma don't know haven't happened yet."--er,  me...

Oh, I have no idea exactly what Ennis meant when he said it. But I think it had something to do with what he'd come to reaslize after Jack's death.

Dear Julie,

I think you're right on about Ennis and his awakenings...and it's nicely said too.   

About the sexual abuse in Jack's life.  That is a part of the story in the book.  Toward the end, you will find that Jack's father was abusive, beat him terribly on one occasion and then pissed all over him.  Some would call that only violent and humiliating, but I would say that is sexual abuse as well due to the use of a sex organ to administer punishment on a small child.  From all accounts, Jack's father was an rather ignorant and cruel man.  His wife is afraid of him; that's clear from how she acts around him in the movie when Ennis visits them.   

Rayn

[Rayn]

I agree i think Jack was saying he would SWEAR to see to it that Ennis ashes were laid to rest where he wanted them to be , in the only place he was ever truely happy. I also think he is saying `I Swear` i love you and i will never forget you. So sad x x

Hey Karan13,

I like what you say... of course, because you're the first one to imagine the same thing I did about the Jack's ashes... and of course I think, like many, that you're so right about Ennis swearing his love and loyalty to Jack.

Thanks for your input and welcome!
Peace, Rayn

[TJ]

 

About the sexual abuse in Jack's life.  That is a part of the story in the book.  Toward the end, you will find that Jack's father was abusive, beat him terribly on one occasion and then pissed all over him.  Some would call that only violent and humiliating, but I would say that is sexual abuse as well due to the use of a sex organ to administer punishment on a small child.  From all accounts, Jack's father was an rather ignorant and cruel man.  His wife is afraid of him; that's clear from how she acts around him in the movie when Ennis visits them.   

Rayn

In the book, Mrs. Twist, interrupted her husband when he was talking about Jack and brought up the subject of how she kept Jack's room like it was when he was a boy and that Ennis was welcome to go up and see it.

Then the next thing out of ol' man Twist's mouth was "I can't get no help out here." Why did he say that before he mentioned Jack talking about Ennis Del Mar and his plans of bringing Ennis up to get the ranch in shape?

Mrs. Twist was recovering from an operation in the book. But, I believe that while she was not willing, or was afraid, to leave her husband, I think that Jack's mother would stand up to her husband if she knew something was going on in his treatment of Jack.

I don't think that she even knew about the bathroom incident where Jack missed the toilet bowl in the bathroom and the abuse Mr. Twist heaped upon Jack that day when he was such a little boy. The man physically abused Jack with a belt, verbally abused him, and then abused him more by sexually abusing him by urinating all over him and then making Jack clean up the whole bathroom and his own urine soaked clothing in the bathtub. 

[Rayn]

Page 282 of "Open Range"

Jack:  "Christ, he licked the stuffin out a me, knocked me down on the bathroom floor, whipped me with his belt.  I thought he was killin me.  Then he says, 'You want a know what it's like with piss all over the place?  I'll learn you', and he pulls it out and lets go all over me, soaked me, then he throws a towel at me and makes me mop up the floor, then my clothes off and warsh them in the bathtub, warsh out the towel.  I'm bawlin and blubberin."

And all that because a boy of 3 or 4 missed the toilet while trying to pee ?!!!!   That's cruel and abusive. 

I guess Mrs. Twist didn't know about it.

Just for the record,
Rayn