Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
One Man Men
Br. Patrick:
One of the most wierd aspects of Ennis (the whole character that I see in myself and also, of all people, in my late FATHER!) is that he seems to be only attracted to ONE man. I can't quite believe that there could exist such a person. If he was a 'top', wouldn't he have enjoyed checking out the tight rears of the Riverton locals? (I hate to stereocast him as a 'top' now, but when I came out at 19 in 1973 the lines were pretty "straight" forward.)
But (or BUTT if you prefer), Annie writes, "You know, I was sittin up here all that time tryin to figure out if I was --? I know I ain't. I mean here we both got wives and kids, right? I like doin it with women, yeah, but ..., ain't nothin like this. I never had no thoughts a doin it with another guy except I sure wrang it out a hunderd times thinkin about you.
Are any of you like that? Or am I way out there? Thanks for reading this!
Impish:
I think Ennis is gay, and also that he is in love with Jack. Both factors add up to his subjective experience that making love to Jack is better than any other sexual experience. Because of his internalized homophobia, he just can't conceive of himself as being gay.
This is the crux of the differentce between the story and the film. In the book, Ennis is much more open with himself about his physical and emotional love for Jack. There's the quote you gave about his physical attraction, and there's another passage in which he tells Jack about getting sick by the side of the road, and realizing that he was sick because (paraphrasing) "I should never let you out of my sights."
In general, the Annie's story shows that Ennis is closed and reserved and shy around everyone but Jack. When he's with Jack, he opens up, relaxes, and can even get quite chatty.
This is the question I'm dying to ask Lee, McMurtry, and Ossana: why was this trait of Ennis not carried over to the movie's screenplay?
TJ:
Speaking of the book, Ennis Del Mar was not walking when he and Jack Twist parted company after being up on Brokeback Mountain during the summer of 1963.
After they had been paid by Joe Aguirre in his Signal office in August '63, they went to the town of Dubois (pronounced dew-boys) to get something to eat.
Then, after the meal they drove off in their pickup trucks in opposite directions.
I don't know how far Ennis was going to be driving; but, he could have been driving back to Signal since he had told Jack that his brother lived in Signal and his sister was in Casper.
So, Ennis had to pull his truck over to the side of the road because he felt that someone was pulling his guts out and he thought he had to puke. Well, that was a super-empty feeling pulling on his gut because the man with whom he was in love drove off in the opposite directed and it took him a long time to figure that out.
It was not until Ennis switched with Jack and after he had spent the first night and day up with the sheep that Ennis actually started a conversation of on the mountain. His talking about shooting a coyote with big balls, started the "ball" rolling so to speak.
From the way that I read the story, Jack was the first person to make Ennis feel like he was really somebody. And, when Ennis went back up the mountain the next evening, Jack had become his best friend.
It was not until sometime later before they actually had sex. And, unlike the movie, they had deepened intimacy in Jack's bedroll before Jack took Ennis's LEFT hand and put it on his cock. [That scene in the movie with Jack lying on his left side and reaching with his RIGHT hand across Ennis to get Ennis's right hand was stupidly awkward. Understanding the nature of Ennis, he would not have allowed Jack to do that all of a sudden and probably would have slugged him.] And from the way that Annie Proulx wrote the story, Jack could have been naked in the bedroll. I know that one can stay warmer when camping out and having enough blankets to keep out the cold, it is better to sleep without clothes. Ennis does undo his belt and his jeans in the story and even pushes them down; but, Jack is already ready to accept Ennis immediately.
I have not been even lurking much in this forum since I am a moderator of another forum and owner of 3 Brokeback Mountain Yahoo Groups. And, I own 7 other Yahoo Groups, too.
I am also active in the annieproulx.com forum as well.
Front-Ranger:
This clarifies several questions, most importantly why Jack drives off and leaves Ennis walking down the road. I would have offered anyone a ride, especially if they had just helped me get my truck started, and even if they did just give me a bruise on the cheekbone.
Phillip Dampier:
--- Quote from: Br. Patrick on March 05, 2006, 11:22:51 am ---One of the most wierd aspects of Ennis (the whole character that I see in myself and also, of all people, in my late FATHER!) is that he seems to be only attracted to ONE man. I can't quite believe that there could exist such a person. If he was a 'top', wouldn't he have enjoyed checking out the tight rears of the Riverton locals? (I hate to stereocast him as a 'top' now, but when I came out at 19 in 1973 the lines were pretty "straight" forward.)
--- End quote ---
I really suspect Ennis is more bisexual than Jack was, and it would not be surprising to see Ennis attracted to Jack in a more complex emotional<->physical way. Without both components, it wouldn't have worked. I think we can also assume that Ennis was satisfied with less than Jack was. Also, in that Ennis is more repressed, unless someone came onto him, I am not sure if he would have ever sought anyone out. In fact, it almost always seemed to be Jack's idea.
In people I've encountered or gave advice to, there seems to definitely be a personality trait in some of them that requires the other guy to make the first move. They "want it" but for whatever reason they will drop cookie crumbs and hints, but still make you be the one to suggest it. I don't know why that is, but it has been something I've seen in several people.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version