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

trying to make sense of Jack

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nakymaton:
This has been niggling away at me for a while, and I'm going to throw it out to the forum and see if you all have insights that I don't have.

It seems like conversations about Ennis keep coming back to the internal struggles he has. Whether people say he doesn't know that he's gay, or won't accept that he's gay, or won't accept that he loves Jack, or knows he loves Jack but is scared of that horrible memory of his childhood, it still comes down to some kind of essential conflict within Ennis himself. And it rips my heart out to watch it.

But then there's Jack. On the one hand, Jack seems like he's the one who accepts who he is and who he loves and just wants to be able to live openly with Ennis. But on the other hand... Jack also pretends to be straight to the world, and seems to manage it fairly successfully until Ennis's divorce. (And even afterwards, Lureen and Jack never get divorced.)

In the story, Jack lies. He lies a lot. But in the movie, he's quite a bit different -- in particular, he seems much more emotionally vulnerable than story-Jack is. So... hmmm.

Here's one try. Pick this apart, cause I don't think I've got it figured out.

Movie-Jack seems like a bit of a chameleon... like he tries (at least) to be what people expect him to be. It sounds like he never succeeded with his father (paraphrase from memory: "can't please my dad," in the first bar scene). And he doesn't succeed with Aguirre (not the first summer, and definitely not the second summer). And he doesn't succeed with Lureen's father (though he appears to be trying, at least, in the scene with baby Bobby). But he succeeds the first time he meets Lureen, and he's at least a decent salesman ("You're the best combine salesman we've got." Though he's also the only combine salesman Lureen's got, so that may be faint praise.)

And then there's Ennis. Or rather, there are the many different Jacks that react to Ennis. There's that first moment outside Aguirre's trailer, when Jack looks as though he's going to start off by saying something, but when they end up sizing each other up (or checking each other out; they could be doing either or both). There's the very friendly "Your folks just stop at Ennis?" There's the attempt to find common ground in the bar ("You from ranch people?")

And then on the mountain there's all the bitching about Aguirre... trying to find common ground by complaining about the boss? There's that moment when Jack tries to decide how to approach Ennis after the bear attack, when Jack is worried and happy to see Ennis, but fakes being angry. It's like Jack just keeps trying different approaches to see how Ennis responds to them.

I could try to fit every interaction into this description, but I'm not sure if I can. But I wonder... does Jack like being a chameleon, or is it a relief that Ennis seems to know Jack, that Jack doesn't have to pretend to be somebody that he's not? And does Jack start to fall apart after the divorce because he doesn't want to have to keep up a charade for his entire life?

Daniel:
I see Jack more as being openhearted and sensitive to everyone around him. As I understand him, all he wanted was a little bit of kindness, some sign of loving affection from the men in his life (his father, Mr. Aguirre, Ennis, Jimbo, Mr. Newsome), but he never received any, except for the little bit from Ennis on the mountain and during their reunion. Jack's personality centered and hinged on this prospect of love and kindness. If you notice in the film, Jack was never afraid to show kindness. And I think we can suspect that he learned that from his mother, as his father didn't seem to show him any and none of the other men that he encountered in the film did either.

There are some people in this world whose beings center around this perception of being loved. And I think Jack was one of those people. He pursued many "interests" such as rodeoing and ranching, but I think all in all, these were attempts to be recognized and loved by his father specifically. He wanted to make him proud so that his father would finally show some appreciation to him. Most of the men in his life seemed to avoid doing that.

Just my thoughts.

 

Shakesthecoffecan:
The thread "Jack.....rejected by men" is very similar to this one, may want to check that out as well.

Front-Ranger:
Daniel, I really like the way you see Jack. Parents have such an influence on their children. And thank you, Mel, for starting this subject. At last someone talking about Jack rather than Ennis!!

Brown Eyes:
Hi Mel,

Good topic.  I think the metaphor of a cameleon is a good one for Jack.  And, I do think that letting down his masks (everything to do with Texas really) is part of his relief in being with Ennis when he is with Ennis.  And vice versa, of course... maybe even more so for Ennis.  But, I think Jack is very wary of Ennis in many ways and is scared (a lot of the time I think) of setting Ennis off or frightening Ennis off, etc.  I think Jack picks his words carefully with Ennis.  Telling him somethings and fibbing about others.  I'd like to believe that there are moments between the two of them when they both mutually put down their guard, masks, fears, etc. and just enjoy one another and try to understand one another.

But I think what you said here is quite accurate:


--- Quote ---there are the many different Jacks that react to Ennis
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