Why Jack Quit Ennis

[Brown Eyes]

I think Annie Proulx set it up so that Jack was ready to quit Ennis and Ennis was ready to accept Jack when it was all cut short by Jack's death. That would be just like her. 

Wow!  That's such a concise way of stating this in a nutshell.  I think this might be spot on Lee!  Everything about a scenario like that really does seem Shakespearean as far as tragic construction goes... and it fits in with their star-crossed/ moon-crossed status.

[serious crayons]

Wow!  That's such a concise way of stating this in a nutshell.  I think this might be spot on Lee!  Everything about a scenario like that really does seem Shakespearean as far as tragic construction goes... and it fits in with their star-crossed/ moon-crossed status.

Agreed. As dramatic structure, that would make the most sense. And that's basically the foundation of why I prefer the "Lureen was telling the truth" interpretation.

When it comes to how Jack died, I think people probably prefer to think that Ennis' imaginary version was right. Horrible as a hate murder would be, it is actually more comforting in the terms of the story. If Ennis was right, his fears all along were well-founded, and he and Jack would have been in danger had they lived the sweet life. Which would mean Ennis hadn't screwed up his own life (due to internalized homophobia), which is an even sadder fate. And yet, it's one that no doubt befell countless people throughout history.

So as great literature, with its big themes and Shakespearean tragedies and all of that, BBM works better if Jack died in a random mishap.

[serious crayons]

Of course!  I think about him every day, and I still miss him after all these years.  He changed (and not for the better) toward the end of his "tenure" but I refer to remember his good qualities and the happy times we spent battling the trolls and PMing back and forth.  I'm still on the look-out for him over on the other Board, but I doubt he'll return.

My rocky online friendship with the mysterious Clancy was one of my most amazing internet adventures to date. He definitely changed over the years, but was always one of a kind, with a Brokie brilliance that couldn't have been faked. Let me know if you ever see him, Marie. Cheers for Mr. S! ( )

[Luvlylittlewing]

My rocky online friendship with the mysterious Clancy was one of my most amazing internet adventures to date. He definitely changed over the years, but was always one of a kind, with a Brokie brilliance that couldn't have been faked. Let me know if you ever see him, Marie. Cheers for Mr. S! ( )

I definitely will.  He'll use a different name, of course, but I'll recognize him immediately.  He has a one-of-a-kind style, IMHO.

[serious crayons]

I definitely will.  He'll use a different name, of course, but I'll recognize him immediately.  He has a one-of-a-kind style, IMHO.

Agreed. He's instantly recognizable, partly for his incredibly in-depth understanding of BBM and strong opinions about it, partly because he's one of the few people on IMDb who I've never seen make a grammatical or spelling mistake.

Any other old friends still sticking around over there, Marie? Daphne? Malia? Toycoon?

[Luvlylittlewing]

Agreed. He's instantly recognizable, partly for his incredibly in-depth understanding of BBM and strong opinions about it, partly because he's one of the few people on IMDb who I've never seen make a grammatical or spelling mistake.

Any other old friends still sticking around over there, Marie? Daphne? Malia? Toycoon?

Yep, they're all there.  Malina and Daphne appear once-in-awhile while Toycoon is more active.  Its strange -- the problems are still there: TXMike (remember him) is as active as ever.  Most of the people who post there now are homophobes and seem proud of it.  Its such a shame that people who want answers to questions about our movie are given smart-ass answers by trolls who are the first to answer newbie's questions and think they own the Board!  There is this one guy from England who is so obsessed with BBM that he has gone so far as to create websites that track Ennis and Jack's ascent up the mountain, complete with a little horse and a cowboy figure graphic that climbs up the mountain. He even has a timer on the site that records the horse's progress!!  But at the same time, he'll post almost incomprehensible, disgusting rants about how Ennis and Jack are terrible people, and not only because they're gay.  The big board is still pretty active but I don't know most of the posters there anymore.  I visit IMDB only once a week or so.

[CellarDweller]

I think Annie Proulx set it up so that Jack was ready to quit Ennis and Ennis was ready to accept Jack when it was all cut short by Jack's death. That would be just like her. 

Wow!  That's such a concise way of stating this in a nutshell.  I think this might be spot on Lee!  Everything about a scenario like that really does seem Shakespearean as far as tragic construction goes... and it fits in with their star-crossed/ moon-crossed status.

I agree with Lee.  However, unlike Kathrine, I don't believe that Lureen was telling the truth about the accident.

I do believe that Jack was ready to quit Ennis.  There is only so much that people can take, and after 20 years, I think Jack had his fill.