Brokeback Mountain: Our Community's Common Bond > Brokeback Mountain Open Forum
Would it have worked? Merged with "Would a SWEET LIFE ever have been possible?"
serious crayons:
Well, I happen to think he IS foolin'. No way would he hurt Jack. Do you actually think he would kill Jack if he knew he was straying? Here's a subject for a whole 'nother thread!
(And for the record, I don't think he would have hurt Alma either.)
SFEnnisSF:
What latjoreme said.
MaineWriter:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on April 26, 2006, 02:35:19 pm ---
(And for the record, I don't think he would have hurt Alma either.)
--- End quote ---
I think Ennis (all three of them, story Ennis, movie Ennis, and A Love Born From Steel Ennis) had a personal code that he would not hit a woman. I don't think he was an abusive husband. I also don't think that if he had gotten together with Jack (in whatever universe we are talking about) he would have been an abusive partner/spouse.
Movie Ennis looked like he was coming pretty close to a punch after Thanksgiving, but even then he was able to control his temper.
JennyC:
I believe in the power of tragedy. A lot of great literatures have tragedy endings. Tragedy haunts us more because it makes you feel the pain, leaves this lingering thoughts on your mind on what could/should have happened, and other things that I can not articulate... Therefore I respect the way Annie chose to end the story. It probably made a bigger impact than a one with happy endings.
That said while acknowledging the impact of tragedy endings, I always hope for happy endings for the characters that I become to know and care so much about. The devastated feeling after read the short story stayed with me for a very long time, it haunted me so much that I felt I need to allow myself thinking about a different alternative. That’s when I started to read some of the fanfictions. In a way, it’s therapeutic to ease that devastated feeling.
So to the question “Would a SWEET LIFE ever have been possible?” I think it would have been possible. I don’t believe (or don’t want to believe) Jack was ready to give up Ennis after the lake scene. He may later, but given Jack, I think he would want to make it clear to Ennis. As to Ennis, I don’t think the story or the movie gives us a lot of clue in terms of how he would face the reality that Jack was ready to give up their relationship if he did not make a commitment. Jack had never really pushed Ennis into that position. People can change, we make decision that even surprise ourselves when we have been pushed to our bottom line where we don’t have the luxury to afford nice-to-haves, but just barely hold on have-to-haves. The question that probably we will never find a definite answer (therefore is up to everyone’s own interpretation) is where exactly Ennis’s bottom line is. Also the time is changing; the society’s tolerance on homosexuality is changing. My interpretation is overtime Ennis realized that Jack was the most important things in his life, apart from his daughters. He didn’t seek change because Jack indulged him. When he must face the fact that Jack would leave him, he would agree to have a life together with Jack. The decision won’t come easily and their life ahead won’t be easy too, which is why you should read some of the fanfictions :) There are some really good ones out there including Leslie’s.
Of course, this is just my interpretation of the characters and probably mixed with my own life experience.
SFEnnisSF:
--- Quote from: JennyC on April 26, 2006, 03:05:21 pm ---
He didn’t seek change because Jack indulged him. When he must face the fact that Jack would leave him, he would agree to have a life together with Jack.
--- End quote ---
Very interesting point!
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