Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Ennis, Jack and swearing
Brown Eyes:
I don't think I've ever thought of the word "swear" here in terms of cursing. I've always heard it as a vow. I think it's very much related to Ennis's very recent discussion with Junior about love and marriage.
chowhound:
I thought it might be useful to explore this ambiguity a little further, so here goes:
First, my understanding that "himself" refers to Ennis, not Jack, is essentially a minor expansion of the original:
"'Jack, I swear...,' he said, although Jack had never asked him to swear anything and he himself[i.e. Ennis] was not the swearing kind."
The advantage, I think, of this reading is that it keeps the focus on Ennis at this critical moment. We know that Ennis has never been asked by Jack to swear anything, so in doing so now, is not fulfilling some promise he may have made to Jack in the past. We also know that the taciturn Ennis is not given to making solemn pronouncements or oaths. Even so, as Ennis contemplates the two shirts, his own now covering and protecting Jack's, he is so profoundly moved that, probably for the first time in his life, he offers Jack a solemn statement or pronouncement starting "Jack, I swear..."
I feel if "himself" refers to Jack we lose this concentration on Ennis and it is replaced by a not particularly relevant piece of information that Jack wasn't "the swearing kind". So what?
But it's a possible reading. To each his own choice. But undoubtedly a choice has to be made.
Sason:
Chowhound, I like your interpretation. It makes a lot of sense.
southendmd:
I love Annie's ambiguities, however maddening they can be.
However, I always read "himself" as referring to Jack. I see it as contrasting Ennis (who just swore), with Jack--who never asked Ennis to swear, nor was he (Jack) the kind of guy to swear.
Let's look at the sentence:
'Jack, I swear...,' he (Ennis) said, although Jack had never asked him (Ennis) to swear anything and (Jack is the implied subject here) was himself (Jack) not the swearing kind.
In this case, I think of "swear" as meaning promise, oath, hold sacred.
Brown Eyes:
Great analysis Paul! I like your point that the "himself" is meant to contrast with Ennis's action of swearing immediately before this observation.
There's something interesting and nice/poignant here that the gendered term "himself" is what causes a bit of confusion... it underscores the fact that we're thinking about a same sex couple here.
In a very somber context here, it emphasizes some of the quirky peculiarities that do arise when one is in a same sex couple (the kind of thing that is unique to a same sex relationship and not experienced in a straight situation where pronouns are always distinct). The "she-said-she-said" scenario vs. the "he-said-she-said" kind of grammatical silliness is something I've experienced when I've been in relationships with girlfriends. And, one of my best male gay friends once dated a guy with his same first name (Michael and Michael).
This also makes me think of a very general, interesting paradox about BBM... at least in how I perceive it. It seems very true that BBM is a "universal" love story on many levels. But, at the same time, it's also about the extreme specifics of gay relationships, gay identity and certain aspects of gay psychology, etc., etc.
--- Quote from: southendmd on June 02, 2010, 07:23:00 pm ---I love Annie's ambiguities, however maddening they can be.
However, I always read "himself" as referring to Jack. I see it as contrasting Ennis (who just swore), with Jack--who never asked Ennis to swear, nor was he (Jack) the kind of guy to swear.
Let's look at the sentence:
'Jack, I swear...,' he (Ennis) said, although Jack had never asked him (Ennis) to swear anything and (Jack is the implied subject here) was himself (Jack) not the swearing kind.
In this case, I think of "swear" as meaning promise, oath, hold sacred.
--- End quote ---
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[*] Previous page
Go to full version