Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Would Ennis Commit Suicide?
dly64:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on August 02, 2006, 10:36:35 am ---IStill, there's one thing you say that I don't understand: why would he be MORE homophobic because of the image of Jack being killed with a tire iron? I would think, if anything, it would make him LESS so, because he would have sympathy for Jack and be repulsed by the prejudices that led to his death. Why would that make him more inclined to side with the homophobes? Or maybe you are simply saying he would be more afraid to reveal his own homosexuality?
???
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I am not saying that Ennis would side with the homophobic bigots … no way, shape or form. Whew! I hope I didn’t imply that! What I am saying is that he would become not only fearful of revealing his own sexual orientation, but also more hateful towards it. In Ennis’ mind, when he realizes that Jack has been having sexual relations with another man, Jack was “found out” and was ultimately killed because of it. His perception of how Jack died only reinforced Ennis’ belief that being gay meant death.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: dly64 on August 02, 2006, 10:51:38 am ---What I am saying is that he would become not only fearful of revealing his own sexual orientation, but also more hateful towards it. In Ennis’ mind, when he realizes that Jack has been having sexual relations with another man, Jack was “found out” and was ultimately killed because of it. His perception of how Jack died only reinforced Ennis’ belief that being gay meant death.
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Oh. Well, I guess I see fearful and hateful as two separate things. There's 1) being afraid to reveal one's own homosexuality for fear of being killed, and 2) hating homosexuality because you see it as shameful or immoral or whatever. Seems to me you could be both, or you could be one but not the other.
Ennis is certainly both at the beginning of the film, and is arguably still both at the end (I think he's less so, but it's debatable). And I can see the tire-iron image making Ennis more fearful than ever. But I have a hard time seeing it as making him more hateful -- to me, that connotes agreement with the bigots.
dly64:
--- Quote from: moremojo on August 02, 2006, 10:44:00 am ---I still hope myself that Ennis found it in himself to use his love for Jack as a touchstone for cultivating his love of others. In the movie, this is very much in evidence regarding his decision to attend his daughter's wedding. He has learned an invaluable lesson from Jack's sweet spirit, and is actively incorporating it into his behavior. Perhaps he could even use this wonderful gift as a means of forgiving himself and loving his own wounded heart. We know that Jack would wish nothing less for his beloved Brokeback buddy.
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I like your romantic spirit …. I usually fall on that side. For some reason, in this case, I am not as optimistic. Ennis is a wounded soul. He was bred out of heartbreak and tragedy. We, the audience, know very little about Ennis’ father. What we do know is that his father had a heavily mortgaged ranch; the family lived in adjunct poverty; he was a “fine roper” and hated homosexuals. Can we also surmise that his father was violent? IMO, yes … certainly Ennis believed that his “daddy” was capable of killing and dismembering another human being. Even though Ennis’ dad was by no means an ideal father, Ennis still looked up to and loved him. This was Ennis’ frame of reference.
As an adult, Ennis was unable to express his love towards others. He was relatively unavailable to his daughters (I am not saying he didn’t love them. I am just saying that he didn’t make them a priority). He also had an explosive temper. The one person who could understand Ennis was Jack …. even though Ennis frustrated and disappointed Jack all of the time. After Jack died, Ennis realized for the first time the potential consequences of his actions. Ennis does take a baby step in accepting his daughter’s invitation to her wedding. IMHO, however, I think Ennis became embittered as time went on. He knew what he could have had … he had a glimpse of that life in the summer of ’63. Instead, Ennis was left with only a memory of BBM and a symbol of their love (the two shirts).
moremojo:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on August 02, 2006, 11:03:07 am ---Oh. Well, I guess I see fearful and hateful as two separate things. There's 1) being afraid to reveal one's own homosexuality for fear of being killed, and 2) hating homosexuality because you see it as shameful or immoral or whatever. Seems to me you could be both, or you could be one but not the other.
Ennis is certainly both at the beginning of the film, and is arguably still both at the end (I think he's less so, but it's debatable). And I can see the tire-iron image making Ennis more fearful than ever. But I have a hard time seeing it as making him more hateful -- to me, that connotes agreement with the bigots.
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As a gay man, I can vouch that being fearful and hateful are two different things, and do not necessarily cohabitate in the same person. I came to terms with my sexual identity in my early adolescence, and found much joy and beauty in it, but remained terrified of being found out, and of what that might mean to my well-being and comfort. At the age of thirty-nine, I still worry about the negative attention of homophobes--I am not out to everyone and in every situation (coming out is a lifelong process).
For the record, I read that Larry McMurtry saw Ennis as possibly becoming more homophobic after Jack's death due to bitterness. I have a hard time seeing this--Ennis loves Jack, and recognizes that Jack was a homosexual. He may even acknowledge himself as a homosexual and be accepting of this, though he may still fear his society's disapproval. But Ennis, in my eyes, cannot, by story's end, love Jack and hate Jack's sexual identity. These two things seem incompatible to my mind.
dly64:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on August 02, 2006, 11:03:07 am ---Oh. Well, I guess I see fearful and hateful as two separate things. There's 1) being afraid to reveal one's own homosexuality for fear of being killed, and 2) hating homosexuality because you see it as shameful or immoral or whatever. Seems to me you could be both, or you could be one but not the other.
Ennis is certainly both at the beginning of the film, and is arguably still both at the end (I think he's less so, but it's debatable). And I can see the tire-iron image making Ennis more fearful than ever. But I have a hard time seeing it as making him more hateful -- to me, that connotes agreement with the bigots.
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I see your POV, and I don’t completely disagree. I am not sure if I am communicating this well. Certainly Ennis’ increased fear is a given. I am not saying that Ennis would want to see homosexuals murdered and strung up by their dicks until they pulled off. What I am saying is, despite his love for Jack and his attraction to men, he does not see homosexuality as being “normal.” In this regard, he hates his feelings. IMO, he never comes to terms with or accepts his homosexuality. That’s a matter of debate … but that is my opinion.
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