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

Knowing

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Brown Eyes:

--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on January 26, 2009, 09:11:42 pm ---Hmmm, friend, you have reminded me of another pivotal sentence that refers to knowledge, and that is the last line of the story:

There was some open space between what he knew and what he tried to believe, but nothing could be done about it, and if you can't fix it you've got to stand it.

I still don't know what "it" is referring to. I have a suspicion that it does NOT refer to how Jack died. Perhaps it refers to the nature of Ennis' and Jack's relationship, or perhaps it refers just to Ennis himself??


--- End quote ---

I think the "open space" refers to multiple things... to me it's about the nature of Jack's death, the nature of their relationship, Ennis's understanding of his own identity and probably many other things (like what he believed his own father was capable of, etc.).  And, I think the "it" in the "can't fix it..." part is also meant to refer to multiple things.  At the end of the story the standing it part really, truly applies to Jack's death, because it's now impossible to bring Jack back... he has to learn how to cope with the loss.  And, then it also means that he can't fix any of the anger or disappointment or sadness that existed in their relationship either.  And, I think "it" can stand for more than that too.

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