What would have been Jack's reaction had Ennis died?

[ghent]

I think Jack would have always mourned Ennis, but he would have made a new life without him, still being sociable, joining up with someone else.. 

I also think that Jack would have mourned for a time, experienced guilt (entirely misplaced guilt considering that he did much more to maintain the relationship than Ennis). But I also think that eventually he would have not only found a more compatible, sympathetic love-interest, but also probably leave Texas/Wyoming entirely. Randall would be left behind as well. Jack would probably move to a liberal, rural area and fall in love with a more suitable life-partner, an individual much more likely to be the 'love of his life' than Ennis ever was or could have ever been.

Annie gave us two characters who cannot stand alone.

Ennis and Jack *were* alone (ie. apart) for most of their relationship. And Ennis' profound emotional dysfunctionality and hypocrisy (he could have girlfriends, Jack could have affairs with women, but Ennis went berzerk about Mexico) clouded their time together.

I think that the last big fight they had ended the relationship in Jack's mind. Eventually, Jack would come to realize that Ennis needed a good therapist more than a boyfriend.

[tiawahcowboy]

If the 1st two paragraphs of Annie Proulx's copyrighted 1997 original story had been used in the movie, one would have been able to see that Ennis had gone through several steps of the grief and bereavement process on his own in the loss of Jack Twist from his life.

The last dream mentioned which Ennis had is in those two paragraphs and it was not a sad one, nor even a nightmare.

[akredhead]

I think it would matter when in the story Ennis died.

In the beginning when they were first starting their trips...perhaps it would have been utterly devistating to Jack...

But...near the end...Jack was drifting away from Ennis...his frustration and dissappointment was overwhelming his one happy memory that seemed to keep him tied to Ennis. If Ennis had died when they were older (around the same age as when Jack died)...he would surely be sad...but then I think he would have divorced his wife and found some hard-as-nails cowpoke to ranch with...

One of the layers of tragedy of this story was Ennis's heart was so dead (or dormant) until Jack died...but Jack's heart was so alive...

[jpwagoneer1964]

If Ennis had died I the Jack would have lost all hope. As long as he had Ennis he had that. He would have taken it much harder than Ennis. I don't mean to say that Ennis loved Jack less, just that he had a lifetime of loss and was able to "stand it"

[Noviani]

anything from devastated to severe stress.

Ennis is in his blood. without him, can Jack live?