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

Money spending...

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Monika:
I came to think of something I´ve meant to ask about for the longest time, but haven´t gotten around to.

It´s the sentence: "Ennis ran full throttle whether fence mending or money spending"


Is she saying he liked to spend money? Cause that doesn´t sound like Ennis, and secondly what money? He didn´t have any.


Or am I reading it wrong?

Lynne:
No, I don't think you're reading it wrong, Monika.  I think Annie Proulx is saying that Ennis did spend what money he had, instead of saving it.

Where it went is a good question, especially before he got married and the kids came along.

I would extrapolate that he spent it on his horses, which I think would be a luxury for a ranch hand, and keeping the beat-up old truck running.  I believe that in general the rancher would supply the horses for working the ranch.  Certainly, he didn't need horses to be on a road crew.  He would have needed the truck to get to work and back, though.

Otherwise, I don't know where it went, besides his family.  Not on himself - not clothes.  Later on, he doesn't even have a decent winter coat.

Was the creel case a gift from Alma?

Movie Ennis says he quit jobs to be with Jack early on - that would have made money less in supply.  And I think that's what led Alma, at least in part, to take the job at Monroe's.

Monika:

--- Quote from: Lynne di Licious on November 10, 2010, 06:23:32 pm ---No, I don't think you're reading it wrong, Monika.  I think Annie Proulx is saying that Ennis did spend what money he had, instead of saving it.

Where it went is a good question, especially before he got married and the kids came along.

I would extrapolate that he spent it on his horses, which I think would be a luxury for a ranch hand, and keeping the beat-up old truck running.  I believe that in general the rancher would supply the horses for working the ranch.  Certainly, he didn't need horses to be on a road crew.  He would have needed the truck to get to work and back, though.

Otherwise, I don't know where it went, besides his family.  Not on himself - not clothes.  Later on, he doesn't even have a decent winter coat.

Was the creel case a gift from Alma?

Movie Ennis says he quit jobs to be with Jack early on - that would have made money less in supply.  And I think that's what led Alma, at least in part, to take the job at Monroe's.

--- End quote ---
Hi Lynne! I think you´re right about the horses later on. Those most have taken a big chunk of his salury.
What has confused me is the early placement of the lineas it appears already up on Brokeback. Because all Ennis seems to own by then are his clothes and the content of his paper bag. Hard to see how he has ever had any money to "run full throttle on".

Penthesilea:
I think this running full throttle on the money is another difference between story Ennis and movie Ennis.
And let's not forget how young they both were at that point. Nineteen. Ennis's income must have been not only low, but very, very few.  I think the spending money at this point of time meant mostly bars.
"They found a bar and drank beer through the afternoon".
Story Ennis also had a truck.
I believe Ennis had next to no money to begin with, and the little he had, he spent when he had it, not caring if he had to eat potatoes and nothing to accompany them towards the end of the month. I think it didn't bother him to live very frugal at the end of the month, so he could as well spend it on beer, whiskey and maybe dine-out meals in bars after pay day.

southendmd:
I agree with Chrissi here. 

"fence mending and money spending" has a nice ring to it.

I always interpreted that as blowing his meager paycheck on beer or whiskey on a Saturday night, with nothing left to show for it but a hangover. 

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