Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Life and this movie are messy
Front-Ranger:
::) Isn't this it??
delalluvia:
I don't know how I missed this thread the first time out.
Yes, I love the way Proulx uses 'stink'. Men in Ennis and Jack's line of work don't bathe that often - especially in 1963 - and if they do, rarely could they afford deoderant, so yes, they did stink after a hard day's labor.
The short story is majorly Ennis POV. So Ennis is not about to describe another man's personal effluvia with such soft-pedaled words as 'scent', 'odor', 'fragrance' or what have you. Jack stinks after a normal day's work - though in the short story we do wonder about Jack's personal hygiene after he's married Lureen and comes up to Riverton after 4 years. He's a businessman by then and you'd think he'd be a little cleaner.
Or else, his scent is simply familiar and Ennis is so overcome with joy and memory at their reunion that just the scent of Jack - whether mild or strong - evokes their time on the mountain for Ennis. People do have an individual scent, no matter how well they clean.
So Jack has a personal smell and Ennis, attune to everything in the natural world, not only recognizes his scent, it is as wonderful to him as any perfume.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: delalluvia on September 27, 2006, 11:00:04 pm ---People do have an individual scent, no matter how well they clean.
--- End quote ---
Glad to see you here, Del! You obviously know your smells. (I hope that doesn't sound too weird. :))
Not only do people have individual scents, but if you love someone you usually love their stink, too. Hard to tell which is the chicken and which is the egg -- maybe it's their stink that attracts you in the first place.
delalluvia:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on September 27, 2006, 11:06:50 pm ---Glad to see you here, Del! You obviously know your smells. (I hope that doesn't sound too weird. :))
Not only do people have individual scents, but if you love someone you usually love their stink, too. Hard to tell which is the chicken and which is the egg -- maybe it's their stink that attracts you in the first place.
--- End quote ---
Sorry I haven't been around much, been badly under the weather for a couple of weeks now.
Not weird at all. I'm a nature girl. I do love scents. One of my favorite times is when you wake up with your lover in the morning w/ or w/o having made love the night before. I love the way guys smell.
Nice........ :-*
Penthesilea:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on September 27, 2006, 11:06:50 pm ---Not only do people have individual scents, but if you love someone you usually love their stink, too. Hard to tell which is the chicken and which is the egg -- maybe it's their stink that attracts you in the first place.
--- End quote ---
Yep. Thinking of pheromones, we don't know how much of what we call "attraction" is caused by them.
And regarding the use of the word stink: I love it. I love how Annie Proulx doesn't mince matters and is frank and outspoken in her descriptions of smells.
It's how the world is and how people are: messy at times. And people stink at times.
We often stated how real this movie feels, how real Ennis and Jack are for us. In the story, these descriptions play a part in creating this feeling of authenticity. It's not only for the purpose of undercutting sentimental mushiness.
--- Quote ---Or else, his scent is simply familiar and Ennis is so overcome with joy and memory at their reunion that just the scent of Jack - whether mild or strong - evokes their time on the mountain for Ennis. People do have an individual scent, no matter how well they clean.
So Jack has a personal smell and Ennis, attune to everything in the natural world, not only recognizes his scent, it is as wonderful to him as any perfume.
--- End quote ---
Beautiful said, Mel. I can relate to Ennis on this. The familiar scent of a beloved person is something wonderful. And if it turns into something stronger than scent = stink, I don't care. When my husband comes close to me after a day of labour in hot summer, it's all HIM.
And when he's on a business trip, I like to take his blanket, course it smells like HIM.
Reminds me of Ennis sniffing at Junior's sweater. It's so typical Ennis and I love it. (I didn't re-read the whole thread, don't know if it's already mentioned here)
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