Great idea for a thread.
I think Alma loved/loves Ennis. I think she loved him more than she was able to articulate to herself, even. She's not better at articulating her real emotions than Ennis is, seems to me, which makes sense given their probably similar backgroud although she apparently had more of an intact family, growing up.
I wouldn't be surprised if the two of them met at some sort of Church Social thing, actually.... I can imagine Ennis's sister dragging him along before she moves to Casper.
But anyway, I think as a down-to-earth person not given to flings of fancy or elaborate fantasies, Alma probably defined
love to herself as wanting a small slice of that "American dream; husband, kids, a home - and constantly improving their material conditions. More "nice things". Financial security. Not by leaps and bounds, but little by little. A husband to cuddle up to, like in the car when she's expecting Junior.
She's still living that dream, and thinking she's got that love, when they "move to town"; - but at that point she has no reason - not enough psychological understanding, probably no reason for comparison - to see that something is missing from hers and Ennis's marriage. Then reality hits hard..... I do think she truly loves Ennis. I think that's why she clings to him for as long as she does, - even though Monroe (in the film, at least) seems to be around and available, even from before J&E's Reunion.
I don't think she'd actually have minded their status quo financial situation so much if she'd known herself to be loved by Ennis.... As she matured as a person, she'd have managed to distinguish better between love as a deepfelt human emotion and love as some sort of woman's magazine tale of pretty curtains. But she wasn't given that chance of developing insight with Ennis.
I think the
"I'd have them if you'd support them" is her way of saying "
I'd have them if you'd really loved me". And I do believe she wanted more kids - as far as I can understand, she and Monroe has at least two - the one she's carrying on Thanksgiving and the "new baby" Junior refers to around two years later.
I'm not even sure she's not a passionate person - but she's certainly been thorughly conditioned not to seem to be. And Ennis's behaviour when he's with her doesn't exactly encourage the release of big time passion on her part, either. Nor do I think her life with Monroe opens up for that. And so it seems a lot of pent-up passion gets directed into resentment and even bitterness in her, for I think I do see quite some amount of passion gone awry in the Thanksgiving scenes. I think she still loves Ennis at that point, though she channels it into deep hurt and resentment..... and though she has by then completely given up on himand gone with the available alternative solution. Which did give her a husband, a nice home, kids, improving financial situation.....but which also, I suspect, is teaching her the difference between *that* and love.
I have very much sympathy for Alma and the hard life lessons she learns. I feel very sorry for her. And for Lureen. One of the reasons that I like the film so much is that it does look at the wives with very sympathetic even compassionate eyes.