Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
On earth and stones
LauraGigs:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger ---Now I am wondering why AP had Jack eat two bowls of stew, two bottles of beer, four of Ennis's stone biscuits, and a can of peaches one evening early in their Brokeback Mountain adventure...
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Obviously Proulx is indicating Jack's ravenous nature and appreciation of what Ennis provides. But if we "read in" as Brokies tend to do...
The menu to me seems to hint at sexual tension. Even numbers (pairs) of most everything. Then the peaches — with their smell, ripeness, fuzz and round cleavage on the outside — connote youth, freshness and sexuality. Here, they're "canned" = preserved from a while ago, put on hold. Our boys, at least so far, have put overt sexuality on hold while up away from town. So the "stew" is especially appropriate. I pictured the "stone biscuits" as being round (or hard) like stones (didn't know about the...hmmm... grinding method!) It can be thought of as another testicular reference (do you have the stones to do it, or not?)
And of course (to really reach), peaches are a fruit (queer).
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger ---To me it also reminds me of the stony face Ennis adopted sometimes when talking of his dad, his early life, etc.
And, now that I think about it, the stony face of Jack as he watched Ennis drive away...
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If we're branching off with alternate uses of the word... Jack + Ennis get stoned on their last evening together.
And of course Jack may have suffered a tribal-style execution at the hands of a group of men... a contemporary, roadside version of "stoning". :(
David In Indy:
--- Quote from: ifyoucantfixit on April 22, 2009, 01:34:10 pm ---
I think that put a stone up. Is the southern vernacular for headstone. My family was from Texas. They often
used that term. "Putting up a headstone," or we got them a "headstone." The term "stone," is simply a shortened version of that, and an understanding that you would understand that was the inference.
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It must also be Midwestern because we say that around here too. And Jeff said he's heard/used it in Pennsylvania. Maybe it's something used in the eastern part of the country. I don't know.
Those are very pretty flowers Chrissi. :)
Front-Ranger:
You could be right about those flowers, Elle!
Brown Eyes:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on April 22, 2009, 09:53:59 pm ---This is interesting. Thank you, everyone. Now I am wondering why AP had Jack eat two bowls of stew, two bottles of beer, four of Ennis's stone biscuits, and a can of peaches one evening early in their Brokeback Mountain adventure. It is interesting to me that all these things except the peaches were even numbered things. Did he eat stew because he was stewing about things? the stone biscuits, that means they were made by flour ground on a stone, correct? And peaches have stones.
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About the stone biscuits... I recall that when we were together last year in Cheynne, we asked one of the chuckwagon participants at Frontier Days about some biscuits or bread-like products they were making. I think we asked if that was related to the term "stone biscuits". But, I don't remember what the answer was!
:laugh:
Anyway, this is a good topic. The concept of stones certainly does come up in a variety of ways in both the story and film. I agree that I think of it more as an Ennis concept... related to the Ennis=earth idea. The visual of him building the stone fire circle is great! I like that Ennis sets up the stones to contain the fire... and Jack brings the buckets with the water. Both fire and water seem to be important elements in the symbolism surrounding their relationship. So, in this early setting-up scene we see them both contributing to building the elements of the relationship.
It's interesting that the stone concept gets transfered to Jack in reference to his Texas funeral.
Brown Eyes:
Just jumping back in here to say this is a great post Laura! 8)
--- Quote from: LauraGigs on April 23, 2009, 12:52:26 am ---Obviously Proulx is indicating Jack's ravenous nature and appreciation of what Ennis provides. But if we "read in" as Brokies tend to do...
The menu to me seems to hint at sexual tension. Even numbers (pairs) of most everything. Then the peaches — with their smell, ripeness, fuzz and round cleavage on the outside — connote youth, freshness and sexuality. Here, they're "canned" = preserved from a while ago, put on hold. Our boys, at least so far, have put overt sexuality on hold while up away from town. So the "stew" is especially appropriate. I pictured the "stone biscuits" as being round (or hard) like stones (didn't know about the...hmmm... grinding method!) It can be thought of as another testicular reference (do you have the stones to do it, or not?)
And of course (to really reach), peaches are a fruit (queer).
If we're branching off with alternate uses of the word... Jack + Ennis get stoned on their last evening together.
And of course Jack may have suffered a tribal-style execution at the hands of a group of men... a contemporary, roadside version of "stoning". :(
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