Thanx for bumping this Amanda. It's funny to read TJ's comment. It must have really bugged him to no ends, how we read into the story. The thing is, the elemental association is so fitting that I just don't think it's an accident. It's not so clear in Proulx's writing, but it's very apparent in Lee's film. At this point, it's the movie that defines Ennis and particularly Jack for me. So I kinda disregard what Proulx may say about her intention. She gave up that when she sold the rights to the stories to the film makers. What ever he intentions, Lee, Osana, McMurtry, Jake and Heath have as much in put into bringing the two characters to life. They brought their own intentions that may or may not conflict with Proulx's, and that's okay to try and reconcile them, and even choose to ignore or accept the contradictions. We do live in a post modern world where the artist is dead. What ever the artist may intend, it's what his audience understands that matters. A great artist can merge the gap between creator's intention and audience's perception, but in some case the latter has over shadowed the former's intent.