Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
The short story
Ellemeno:
--- Quote from: Lynne on December 04, 2006, 12:28:48 pm ---
My reading copy stays on my bedside table. And my souvenier copy goes with me to Brokie meetings for autograph purposes. ::)
--- End quote ---
Lynne, what a beautiful idea. Makes me wish I had already done that when I met Brokies here in Seattle, and in Santa Monica and San Francisco. But it's not too late for me to be ready for the next time I meet me some wonderful Brokies. :)
serious crayons:
Without intending to offend anyone -- either fanfic fans or nonfans -- I would like to ask that we keep discussions of fanfic to the fanfic forum. I'm sure nobody meant any harm. For many Brokies, fanfic is enjoyable. But for others, the existence of fanfic is highly controversial, even objectionable. We don't all feel the same way about this; to each his/her own. This difference of opinions poses no problem when fanfic discussions remain on the fanfic forum, where people can read them or not, as they choose.
But when the subject is broached in posts on a forum devoted to discussions of the story and film, there is no way that people who object to fanfic references can steer clear of them, while continuing to participate in the topics at hand. That has caused distress to more than one BetterMost member. I'd like to respect those sensitivities by avoiding those situations.
Thanks!
:)
Lynne:
--- Quote from: Ellemeno on December 04, 2006, 03:09:41 pm ---Lynne, what a beautiful idea. Makes me wish I had already done that when I met Brokies here in Seattle, and in Santa Monica and San Francisco. But it's not too late for me to be ready for the next time I meet me some wonderful Brokies. :)
--- End quote ---
Of course, Clarissa! It's never too late. Bring it to Virginia with you, please? ;)
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on December 04, 2006, 12:03:38 pm ---If the prologue was written and added later, then my take on it is that it actually represents Annie's "sequel" to the body of the story, and that a significant amount of time has passed between the end of the story and the morning described in the prologue, possibly ten years or more. Why do I think that?
My opinion is based on Annie's physical description of Ennis as he gets out of bed that morning. Remember that Ennis and Jack were essentially the same age when they met in 1963, so they were also essentially the same age when Jack died (in 1983 in the story)--39 or 40-ish. While it's true that everyone ages differently and at different rates, it seems to me that the Ennis of the prologue is significantly older than the Ennis of the conclusion of the story because--forgive me for being graphic here--Annie describes his belly and pubic hair as having turned gray. That suggests to me that Ennis-in-the-prologue is in his late 40s at the youngest, if not older.
And he's still alone, with the shirts, in that ratty trailer which, apparently, doesn't even have a bathroom (more like a travel-trailer camper than a "house trailer").
--- End quote ---
Hey there, Jeff,
I believe that the prologue is in essence an epilogue, regardless of when Annie wrote it or added it, for exactly the reasons you mention. It's apparent to me that Ennis has lived with the pain of being without Jack for quite some time. He seems to have been dealing with the dreams coming to him for a length of time such that he has made peace with them, considering himself fortunate when they're good and he can use them to 'stoke the day.'(?) It's as if he's had enough time to develop rituals, if that makes any sense.
Regarding the trailer's bathroom - I suspect it has plumbing, but it's either not functional (likely), or Ennis is so apathetic about the state of his life that p*ssing in the sink seems like the thing to do (equallly likely IMO).
I love talking about the story...wish I had my copy at work - need a 3rd!
Lynne
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: MaineWriter on December 04, 2006, 12:56:54 pm ---Brokebackjack posted that he saw Annie Proulx a few weeks ago. He asked her why the Prologue was not included in the New Yorker version of the story and she said it was a MISTAKE...it was not included by accident. When she received her copy of the magazine with the missing prologue, she almost had a stroke.
His comment is here:
http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php?topic=2833.msg115760#msg115760
and a longer commentary about the short story and the movie can be found here:
http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php?topic=2833.msg115579#msg115579
Leslie
--- End quote ---
Thanks for that, Leslie! You just increased my BBM knowlege base exponentially!
(I wish I could remember if 1997 was still within the Tina Brown regime at The New Yorker. In any case, standards have declined from the days of William Shawn's editorship.)
MaineWriter:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on December 04, 2006, 03:36:53 pm ---Thanks for that, Leslie! You just increased my BBM knowlege base exponentially!
(I wish I could remember if 1997 was still within the Tina Brown regime at The New Yorker. In any case, standards have declined from the days of William Shawn's editorship.)
--- End quote ---
I was amazed to learn this tidbit of information. I have always assumed it was an editing decision to leave the prologue off. I couldn't believe a magazine of the stature of the the New Yorker would make this sort of egregious error.
No wonder Annie almost had a stroke!
L
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