Would Ennis Commit Suicide?

[Jeff Wrangler]

Jeff - you have beautifully put into words what I have been trying to express but was unable to do so. Thanks!

Aw, shucks! I'm just happy to know I understood your meaning.

Do you suppose there would be some level, perhaps that even he couldn't get in touch with, where Ennis would be angry at Jack for "getting himself killed"? Does anyone know--am I remembering this correctly?--whether "anger" is considered one of the stages of grief?

[jpwagoneer1964]

Aw, shucks! I'm just happy to know I understood your meaning.

Do you suppose there would be some level, perhaps that even he couldn't get in touch with, where Ennis would be angry at Jack for "getting himself killed"? Does anyone know--am I remembering this correctly?--whether "anger" is considered one of the stages of grief?

Yes I think it is,I bet Ennis did have his moments when he was angry at Jack for"getting himself killed".

[Mikaela]

It's as though Ennis might see "being gay," rather than a tire iron, as being ultimately responsbile for Jack's death, so that it could increase his own internalized homophobia--his own hatred of "being gay."

I think this is a very astute observation. I've always considered Ennis's internalized homophobia a (relatively) bigger impediment to his happiness than his fear of being subjected to physical violence for being "gay". I think the same might well hold true for his emotions surrounding Jack's death.

Another event that I was wondering whether might have had the same effect - ie. increasing Ennis's internalized hatred of "being gay", seeing it as "wrong" or "bad" - is AIDS. Just a very few years after Jack died, Ennis could hardly have avoided the news stories; - the media and medical "frenzy" about the illness and the focus on how gay men in particular were affected.

Ennis wouldn't regard the illness in a Conservative Christian light, he's hardly a fan of the fire-and-brimstone crowd's views. But I've wondered if he might still not, influenced by the IMO far-less-than-balanced news coverage back in the day, consciously or subconsciously use it as fuel for the fire of his own "hatred of being gay": Might he consider it some sort of confirmation that his sexual orientation is "wrong" and "dangerous" and so increase his self-hatred. If it did have that effect on him, it might have served to send him further into that self-destructive behaviour (mainly drinking) that has been discussed in this thread, and so have pushed him further towards the passive form of suicide.


(I think I need a stiff drink myself after writing this. It's an interesting and worthwhile, but very depressing subject.)  

[Marge_Innavera]

Yes, it is one of the stages, and I can see Ennis feeling anger at some point.

In some cases, including Ennis' IMO, there's also a kind of relief with survivor guilt piling in right on top of that. Sometimes that can be a person who's died after a lingering illness, or the survivor might have been under years of stress due to drinking problems, drug addiction, etc.  In Ennis' case, it might cross his mind that Jack's death has left him "safe" from discovery.

[Marge_Innavera]

I think this is a very astute observation. I've always considered Ennis's internalized homophobia a (relatively) bigger impediment to his happiness than his fear of being subjected to physical violence for being "gay". I think the same might well hold true for his emotions surrounding Jack's death.

Another event that I was wondering whether might have had the same effect - ie. increasing Ennis's internalized hatred of "being gay", seeing it as "wrong" or "bad" - is AIDS. Just a very few years after Jack died, Ennis could hardly have avoided the news stories; - the media and medical "frenzy" about the illness and the focus on how gay men in particular were affected.

On the other hand, Ennis might be aware that he's denied himself the life he wanted with Jack all these years, and all for nothing. Sometimes that kind of experience tends to make people more reckless.

I wouldn't see Ennis doing himself in with a shotgun, deliberate "accident" and so on but more by drinking too much and neglecting his health.  No telling  how many deaths there are that are at least "partial suicides" but the death certificate says something else.

[Lumière]

Would Ennis Commit Suicide?


No, IMO.
I don't think he would've killed himself, that would be admitting defeat .. If he couldn't fix it, he would've stood it .. albeit miserably and unhappily without Jack and with the knowledge that he really was what he feared the most: queer.

[dly64]

Do you suppose there would be some level, perhaps that even he couldn't get in touch with, where Ennis would be angry at Jack for "getting himself killed"? Does anyone know--am I remembering this correctly?--whether "anger" is considered one of the stages of grief?

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief are: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance

I doubt that Ennis ever got to acceptance.

Ennis wouldn't regard the illness in a Conservative Christian light, he's hardly a fan of the fire-and-brimstone crowd's views. But I've wondered if he might still not, influenced by the IMO far-less-than-balanced news coverage back in the day, consciously or subconsciously use it as fuel for the fire of his own "hatred of being gay": Might he consider it some sort of confirmation that his sexual orientation is "wrong" and "dangerous" and so increase his self-hatred. If it did have that effect on him, it might have served to send him further into that self-destructive behaviour (mainly drinking) that has been discussed in this thread, and so have pushed him further towards the passive form of suicide.

Interesting observation and one that has a lot of truth to it. I remember when AIDS was becoming wide-spread and it was seen as a “gay disease.” The “right-wingers” (as I call them) used the opportunity to lambaste the entire gay population by stating that it was “God’s way of punishing them (gays) for their behavior.”  Bullocks!

As for Ennis – I do believe that would have fed into his own self-loathing.

(I think I need a stiff drink myself after writing this. It's an interesting and worthwhile, but very depressing subject.) 

Whoops! Didn’t mean to depress y’all!    But it is interesting and I appreciate your always well written and thoughtful responses.

On the other hand, Ennis might be aware that he's denied himself the life he wanted with Jack all these years, and all for nothing. Sometimes that kind of experience tends to make people more reckless.

True … and definitely more bitter.

[Front-Ranger]

In Ennis's defense I don't think he became an alcoholic. If he had, he wouldn't have been taking an old half-drunk bottle of white wine out of his fridge to Toast Alma Jr's wedding announcement. And, we didn't see evidence of him smoking during that scene either.

[dly64]

In Ennis's defense I don't think he became an alcoholic. If he had, he wouldn't have been taking an old half-drunk bottle of white wine out of his fridge to Toast Alma Jr's wedding announcement. And, we didn't see evidence of him smoking during that scene either.

Actually, Ennis is smoking right before Alma, Jr. gets out of the car. And I wouldn't say that wine is his forte. He is beer and whiskey drinker. Ennis is definitely a heavy smoker and drinker. Whether that constitutes addiction ... that's a matter of debate.

[moremojo]

In Ennis's defense I don't think he became an alcoholic. If he had, he wouldn't have been taking an old half-drunk bottle of white wine out of his fridge to Toast Alma Jr's wedding announcement. And, we didn't see evidence of him smoking during that scene either.

I see Ennis's choice of wine here as befitting the occasion--he knows that this is a special moment that calls for something more refined, from a traditional point of view, than beer, whiskey (the two beverages one imagines him consuming the most), or even the coffee or hot tea that Ennis earlier offered his daughter. It was old, cheap wine, to be sure, but it was the best he had on hand.

And as self-destructive as excessive alcohol consumption and smoking (note Ennis's stubby cigarette as Alma Jr. drives up to the trailer) are, I feel I can hardly begrudge these little pleasures that our hardened, lonely ranch hand allows himself.