Ennis, Cassie and the Twists (revised title)

[David]

Oh I know what you mean.    I was sooo devastated when Jacks Dad mentioned Randall to Ennis!    Up until then, I had hoped that Jack would keep coming up and working on Ennis until he at least had no more child support to worry about.

And I was shocked that Jack had hooked up with Randall.   At the Dance hall scene, Jack avoids Randalls eye contact at the table.   Then outside on the bench  I was inwardly screaming "NO!  don't do it Jack!  Be faithful to Ennis!"

[Brown Eyes]

A poster on TOB called clancypants, who often has really interesting posts, wrote a long essay arguing that Jack DID break up with Ennis -- as a favor to Ennis! To let him off the hook and ease his torment, after he realized in the last argument that Enni was never going to change. Clancypants marshalled all kinds of evidence and made a strong case. But it was just WAY too depressing, and I didn't agree with all the reasoning, so I opted to reject it.

LOL, I agree.  No surprise there.  It is way too depressing to think that Jack really did break up with Ennis.  I take comfort in the "I wish I knew how to quit you" line.  I don't think he could.  Even when Ennis pushes Jack away... Jack moves forward to hug him in that last long embrace.  Sort of a metaphor that "he couldn't/ wouldn't let go" no matter what.  See,  this is me clinging to an optimistic view of the relationship.  I can see how strong arguments can be made for the idea that he let Ennis go "as a favor" but I prefer to see it differently.  I also think that even if Jack had mentally broken up with Ennis after the argument, he would have gone running back to Ennis if he had lived to receive that last postcard.  I really don't question that.  I think Ennis still would have had an irresistable pull for Jack.

[serious crayons]

Agreed, Amanda. Neither of them could quit. Jack says "wish I could" (rather than "I'm gonna") and then rushes to comfort Ennis. Ennis yells "get the fuck off me" and then reaches out and clutches Jack. In some ways they both probably wish they could quit, for different reasons. But they couldn't and wouldn't, at least not permanently.

Speaking of clancypants, this is OT, but did anyone go read the post s/he wrote on TOB about the symbolism of guns in Brokeback, which someone (as usual, I'm failing to give proper credit) posted a link to last week? Anyway, he presented all these instances in which a gun symbolizes some change in their relationship. It was fascinating -- they all fit perfectly; it was like reading the thread about the buckets. But I noticed clancypants didn't say anything about the lake argument scene. Which got me thinking, wonder if they load a gun into the truck in the lake scene, and it's in some kind of holster or case (which would fit his hypothesis, showing the relationship ending or being packed up)? So later, I watched the lake scene (on YouTube). And SURE ENOUGH, there was the gun -- enclosed in a case.

I was all set to get clancypants over here, until I read that really depressing essay and thought, I don't know if I can take many more of his/her intelligent but devastating theories.

[Brown Eyes]

Oh wow... yet another symbol to dig into! I've never thought much about the guns, though I've always thought they probably mean a lot.  It's too late to really ponder in-depth tonight.  I'll go seek out the thread on the old board.  I haven't ventured back that way for a long time...  Thanks for the tip.

[serious crayons]

I'll see if I can find it and post it here. It really was fascinating.

[TJ]

In the "lake scene of 1983(?),  what happens after Ennis get upset about what Jack said is actually much different than in the original short story.

The same "scene," so to speak, in Annie Proulx's story is in a trailhead parking lot and Jack is already in his own truck, with all of the conversation done through the open window of the cab door. When Ennis reacts to what Jack said which ends with "I wish I knew how to quit you," and Jack does not know whether Ennis is having a heart attack or a fit of incendiary rage, Ennis and Jack do not even touch. By the time that Jack gets out of the truck, Ennis acts like nothing happened and immediately snaps back to normal.

"Trailhead parking lots" on Forestry Service Lands are public places. Ennis was always afraid that someone might see him with Jack in public.

[Penthesilea]

A poster on TOB called clancypants, who often has really interesting posts, wrote a long essay arguing that Jack DID break up with Ennis -- as a favor to Ennis! To let him off the hook and ease his torment, after he realized in the last argument that Enni was never going to change. Clancypants marshalled all kinds of evidence and made a strong case. But it was just WAY too depressing, and I didn't agree with all the reasoning, so I opted to reject it

I also think that even if Jack had mentally broken up with Ennis after the argument, he would have gone running back to Ennis if he had lived to receive that last postcard.

I agree with the above quoted. And there is another point, which a poster named Rontrigger stated over on the IMDB board: even if Jack had descided to move on - whether to his own best or as a favour to Ennis - he would never have let Ennis in doubt about it. From the fact that Ennis wrote the November postcard and what he wrote on it, we can assume that Ennis thought everything was alright/normal.
If Jack had decided to break up whith Ennis, he would have done it directly. He never would have ignored the postcard without any reaction and left Ennis out in the rain whithout knowing what happened. How cruel would that have been? No, Jack would not have done this.
And I think he would not have done it over the phone or in a letter (also a Rontrigger thought which I agree with). He would have quit Ennis face to face - if that was his intention (what I doubt). So at least he had shown up in November to make everything clear.

Maybe Jack would have given Ennis an ultimatum, maybe Ennis would have come to terms by November, we know that something had changed in him. As someone (Front-Ranger ?) said it so beautifully: he had almost done his travelling round the coffepot and almost found the handle. He was almost there.
This it what makes the story all the more tragic. I think the November meeting would have been so important for them. And as an optimist, I'm sure it would have changed for the better. If only...   

[David]

I guess that is part of the mystery too.   We don't know what Jack did after he left his folks place in Lightning Flat in the Spring.    We know he was upset enough about his lack of future with Ennis that he spilled the beans (no pun intended) to his folks about Randall.     

But when Jack got home, what did he do?    Did he start the process? Did he tell Randall?  Did he tell Lureen?     Assuming that Jack was murdered, did the locals find out that Jack was leaving his wife for Randall?   

Or did Jack decide to do nothing?    Did he just get drunk and careless enough to make a pass at one of the mechanics that beat him to death?

With that look on Jacks face, I can almost imagine him now bringing Randall up to Lightning Flat to ranch up, then going back to see Ennis in November to give him a "Tell you what....  I wont be back in the Spring " speech.

That could have had another interesting twist (no pun intended) if Ennis announced that he decided to commit to Jack finally.    Now imagine that new developement to Jack!    Now what?   He ranches up with Randall and now Ennis wants to get serious?

Now what do you think Jack would do?    Dump Randall?  or tell Ennis it was to late?

[serious crayons]

If Jack had decided to break up whith Ennis, he would have done it directly. He never would have ignored the postcard without any reaction and left Ennis out in the rain whithout knowing what happened. How cruel would that have been? No, Jack would not have done this.
And I think he would not have done it over the phone or in a letter (also a Rontrigger thought which I agree with). He would have quit Ennis face to face - if that was his intention (what I doubt). So at least he had shown up in November to make everything clear.

Good point, Pent (and Ront)!! I hadn't thought about that, but you're right, and it's very reassuring. He wouldn't have called Ennis (no phone), but he definitely wouldn't have just disappeared without a letter. Though I suppose it's possible he might have responded to Ennis' last postcard (which at least appeared to be business as usual, meet in November) with a "Tell you what, Friend, ...."

But David, in answer to your question, I think that if Jack knew Ennis had found the coffee pot handle, he would have dumped Randall. In a heartbeat. Just as he kept seeing Ennis the whole time he was seeing Randall. He loved Ennis.

[Brown Eyes]

Oh totally... Jack would have run back to Ennis so fast that Randall wouldn't know what hit him. 

I think, as has been discussed in the past, Jack's sad line... "sometime I miss you so much I can hardly stand it" is meant to show that Randall is not satisfying to Jack as an Ennis-substitute.  Jack is stuck... he can't leave Ennis because what would he have left really?  He'd have a life with people (Randall and/or Lureen) who couldn't measure up to Ennis (at least from Jack's point of view).