Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
The mettle of a man
Front-Ranger:
Another element that's associated with Jack is . . . metal. Why? I don't know, but let's see if we can puzzle it out. We know that Jack is handy with a can opener, and he solved his buck-toothed problem by having his teeth filed down (presumably with a metal file) and steel plugs inserted. There are many associations of Jack with metal (I'll ask goadra to help me list them all! :)) I looked up the word mettle in the dictionary and found this: vigor and strength of spirit or temperament, ardor, staying quality, stamina, courage. I also looked up metal and found that it can be various substances that share the quality of being good conductors of electricity and warmth.
Jeff Wrangler:
Of course, the thing about the can opener, though, is that's one more thing where from what we see, Jack really isn't as good with it as he thinks he is--or tells Ennis he is (like he says the mare can't throw him, and then she gets lucky--yeah, right, Jack). The only time we actually see Jack use the can opener, what happens? The lid gives way into the can, and Jack gets sauce from the beans all over himself.
Sorry, I guess that's kinda OT here. ...
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on November 01, 2006, 02:46:59 pm ---Of course, the thing about the can opener, though, is that's one more thing where from what we see, Jack really isn't as good with it as he thinks he is--or tells Ennis he is (like he says the mare can't throw him, and then she gets lucky--yeah, right, Jack). The only time we actually see Jack use the can opener, what happens? The lid gives way into the can, and Jack gets sauce from the beans all over himself.
Sorry, I guess that's kinda OT here. ...
--- End quote ---
Very good point, Jeff. I think the idea is that he sees Ennis the same way -- a challenge that, like the mare and the canopener, he believes he can handle. But guess what.
Anyway, back to mettle/metal.
Penthesilea:
The first thing that comes to my mind instantly, thinking of Jack and metall, is his belt buckle. And the metallic sounding *klink* when he flicks it after peeing, to show it off to Ennis.
Then the typical, also metallic, sound of the keys he drops when his father-in-law throws them to him.
And the fact that the taste of blood in ones mouth is referred to as metallic and he drowned in his own blood :'(
Lynne:
--- Quote from: Penthesilea on November 01, 2006, 03:21:45 pm ---And the fact that the taste of blood in ones mouth is referred to as metallic and he drowned in his own blood :'(
--- End quote ---
I believe it is the iron in blood that gives it a metallic taste, and it was the tire iron that Ennis fears got Jack...
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