Bless you, BlissC. I agree with everything you said. It never occurred to me that what Jack or Ennis did, in terms of their drinking, was strange or out of the ordinary. They were young men, full of piss and vinegar, trying to look tough. And of course I've known plenty of people who felt they needed a drink or two or ten, as the case may be, to bolster their confidence to do something they were scared of, including approaching / being with someone they were attracted to. It's just my humble opinion that Ennis chose on his own that night to drink that much so that he would have an excuse to stay in the camp with Jack and see what might happen. Jack wasn't pouring it down his throat, that's for sure. The whiskey seemed to always be there, just like the beans were always there. Ever present, it seemed. Thanks for making me re-analyze this point, though. I appreciate that.