Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Jack Circles the Earth
Brown Eyes:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on January 11, 2009, 02:22:04 am ---I am not surprised. Jack would, and did, go to the ends of the earth for love. He had his priorities in order; he knew that the Big Horns were not in Texas. And he never did quit Ennis. Ever.
--- End quote ---
Yes, I'm not surprised either. But, it's really overwhelming to think about someone living like that for so long. I'm sure he was happy enough to get away from Texas and even happier to be seeing Ennis on all those trips.
But, it puts his huge frustration and his behavior following the rejection he receives from Ennis in the post-divorce scene in new perspective.
LauraGigs:
--- Quote ---And, it's even more interesting if you think about the possibility that Ennis's nature symbol is the earth/Earth.
--- End quote ---
Well, Ennis is Gallic(?) for Island, and an island can't move. And earth, as a metaphorical symbol, is thought of as immovable. Jack's life definitely revolved around Ennis. Even when they first encounter each other, Jack moves; Ennis doesn't.
Interestingly though, the single most joyful scene for Ennis seems to be the tussle scene, where he takes Jack's shirt and runs, teasing and frolicking. Where Jack's biggest joy is the perfect stillness of the dozy embrace. A yin and yang thing for sure — where each craves an element of the other to be complete.
Monika:
Love this thread!
Though earth is unmovable, wind does shape landforms, and that´s what Jack does to Ennis.
Penthesilea:
In the greater scheme of things the earth is not unmovable. It moves around itself - a very small circle, so to speak, just around the coffeepot, like Ennis.
It also moves around the sun. But this takes a long time. It doesn't happen at a speed that you can actually notice it. The transformations it causes (=seasons) are very slow. But they are there nonetheless.
Ennis is also slow with changes, it takes him many years. Too many, sadly. But he changes nonetheless:
- the maybe Texas scene
- his "I can't stand this no more" comment at the lake side argument
- dumping Cassie
- the lightbulb moment in the bus station
- and finally after Jack's death.
I know some people think different, but I've always believed (and still do so) that Ennis would have come around eventually. He had almost found the handle, as FRiend Lee phrased it.
Monika:
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on January 11, 2009, 06:41:21 am ---
- the maybe Texas scene
--- End quote ---
what change did you see happen here?
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