Author Topic: Does Ennis view himself as a cowboy?  (Read 5100 times)

Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: Does Ennis view himself as a cowboy?
« Reply #10 on: August 06, 2007, 09:55:30 am »
I remember Proulx writing that both Ennis and Jack want to be cowboys, are in thrall to the mystique of the cowboy, but are not themselves cowboys. The suggestion here is that the cowboy myth permeated the consciousness of the mid-twentieth century West, but that real cowboys basically didn't exist anymore--the way of life that defined the authentic cowboy had died (slowly or otherwise) with the closing of the frontier.

My interpretation is that it was primarily Jack who dreamed about being a cowboy, but that this was just a matter-of-fact reality or identity for Ennis.  And, yes, neither of them were really the mythical image of a frontier cowboy of earlier eras. 

When Jack was young and on Brokeback he was "really" a cowboy (and/or a herder if we're being very precise) based on his work with the sheep, rodeoing and probably his work on the Lightning Flat ranch.  But, once he quit the rodeo and married Lureen, he got further and further away from being an actual cowboy (in terms of work).  He became a salesman confined to the showroom and the parking lot for demonstrations of the farm equipment.  It's interesting to note his wardrobe... his cowboy outfits begin to seem more and more like fashion or an image, not practical cowboy work clothes.  And, the fact that he seems to be less in-shape as he ages implies that he's not doing as much physical labor has he had in his youth.  By the time the reunion happens in '67 the "cow and calf operation" is already a fantasy for Jack - tied to his idea of life with Ennis. 

As far as Ennis goes, by '67 we know he's already working of a cow and calf operation (based on the grocery scene, and we know he continues with this work based on his conversation with Cassie and even some visual images of him working).  Of course, we know he's not able to maintain these jobs consistently with intermediate stints as a highway worker, etc.  So, his experience as a working cowboy (or ranch hand) does definitely seem to imply the erosion of the cowboy lifestyle or the poverty involved in rural living.  But, Jack's dream of a "cow and calf operation" wouldn't probably seem so glamourous to Ennis since it's part of his daily experience.  While, of course, the fantasy of living with Jack would have held just as much power for him as it did for Jack (even if in different ways). 

Ennis's more consistent identification as a working cowboy vs. Jack's image as a cowboy (but working in other capacities) seems to be one way of indicating the rift in experience that develops between the two as the years go on.


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