Jack Circles the Earth

[Brown Eyes]

As always, I apologize if this topic has come up in Open Forum before.

But, this topic came up in chat today during the one of the viewings of the movie and I thought I'd tackle it here.  I've heard it said that if you try to calculate the number of miles Jack must have driven over the years to meet up with Ennis... you come up with a number that indicates he probably circled the Earth's circumference at least once if you add up all his likely trips.  Of course, all of this is approximate since we don't know exactly where he met Ennis for each trip, and we don't know exactly how many trips he made.  But, we can make some educated guesses and even the approximations are impressive here.

So, I made a quick study of this.  The Earth's circumference north-south is 24,859.82 miles.  And, the Earth's circumference at the equator is slightly larger: 24,901.55 miles.

The distance between Childress and Riverton according to MapQuest (I just typed in generic Childress and generic Riverton) is: 920.5 miles.  Since we don't know exactly where they met up on each camping trip, I figured Riverton was as good as any marker for his Wyoming destination, especially since Riverton is approximately in the center of Wyoming.

Between 1967 and 1982 (15 years) let's be optimistic and assume that Jack and Ennis met up twice each year, giving us 30 trips.  Plus one trip in 1983.  Giving a total of 31 likely or possible trips. 

920.5 x 31 = 28,535.5 miles 

So by either the equatorial standard (24,901.55 miles) or the meridional standard (24, 859.82 miles), Jack probably more-than circled the Earth once in his quest to be with Ennis.

It's a really fascinating thing to think about.

And, I think it's also interesting to think about in terms of Jack's symbol, the wind.  The idea that the wind is in constant motion and is like a jet stream circling the earth in different ways makes a lot of sense for Jack, who is essentially in constant motion.  And, it's even more interesting if you think about the possibility that Ennis's nature symbol is the earth/Earth.




** edit... actually, it just occurred to me that 950.5 is just the distance one way between Riverton and Childress.  So, his driving mileage is actually double what I just wrote.

The full distance would be:  1841 x 31 = 57,071 miles.

[Front-Ranger]

You have taken science and made it into art, my friend! I feel pleasure and pain at reading this information, but I'm glad I know it!!

[Brown Eyes]

You have taken science and made it into art, my friend! I feel pleasure and pain at reading this information, but I'm glad I know it!!

Thanks Lee!  But, I just now realized I made a major error in my first post.

920.5 is only the distance one way between Childress and Riverton.  The full / round trip would be 1841 miles.

So, 1841 x 31 = 57,071 miles.

It turns out Jack has the Earth's circumference beat hands down. 

[Brown Eyes]

LOL, doing math at 1:20 in the morning is not the best idea!

But, this was a fun exercise.

[Front-Ranger]

I am not surprised. Jack would, and did, go to the ends of the earth for love. He had his priorities in order; he knew that the Big Horns were not in Texas. And he never did quit Ennis. Ever.

[Brown Eyes]

I am not surprised. Jack would, and did, go to the ends of the earth for love. He had his priorities in order; he knew that the Big Horns were not in Texas. And he never did quit Ennis. Ever.

Yes, I'm not surprised either.  But, it's really overwhelming to think about someone living like that for so long.  I'm sure he was happy enough to get away from Texas and even happier to be seeing Ennis on all those trips.

But, it puts his huge frustration and his behavior following the rejection he receives from Ennis in the post-divorce scene in new perspective. 

[LauraGigs]

And, it's even more interesting if you think about the possibility that Ennis's nature symbol is the earth/Earth.

Well, Ennis is Gallic(?) for Island, and an island can't move. And earth, as a metaphorical symbol, is thought of as immovable. Jack's life definitely revolved around Ennis. Even when they first encounter each other, Jack moves; Ennis doesn't.

Interestingly though, the single most joyful scene for Ennis seems to be the tussle scene, where he takes Jack's shirt and runs, teasing and frolicking. Where Jack's biggest joy is the perfect stillness of the dozy embrace.  A yin and yang thing for sure — where each craves an element of the other to be complete.

[Monika]

Love this thread!


Though earth is unmovable, wind does shape landforms, and that´s what Jack does to Ennis.

[Penthesilea]

In the greater scheme of things the earth is not unmovable. It moves around itself - a very small circle, so to speak, just around the coffeepot, like Ennis.

It also moves around the sun. But this takes a long time. It doesn't happen at a speed that you can actually notice it. The transformations it causes (=seasons) are very slow. But they are there nonetheless.
Ennis is also slow with changes, it takes him many years. Too many, sadly. But he changes nonetheless:

- the maybe Texas scene
- his "I can't stand this no more" comment at the lake side argument
- dumping Cassie
- the lightbulb moment in the bus station
- and finally after Jack's death.

I know some people think different, but I've always believed (and still do so) that Ennis would have come around eventually. He had almost found the handle, as FRiend Lee phrased it.

[Monika]

- the maybe Texas scene

what change did you see happen here?