"Time to hit the hay, cowboy"
Ms Proulx is adamant that her characters are shepherds during that summer in 1963
E. Annie Proulx used the word cowboy once and only once in her novella Brokeback Mountain.
Granted the word is used in the 1980s, to remember an event which happened in 1963 - and is quoting an occurence in the 1950s.
In the 80s Jack is remembering the dozy embrace from 1963, complete with a memory of the watch ticking away in Ennis pocket..
In 1963, Ennis and Jack have the dozy embrace.
In the 1950s Ennis' Mom first says the line to him.
So there is an arc through time, connected by the word "Cowboy".
It is very intersting to study the use of the word in the screenplay, and in the movie.
I think it might be the most positive message in the move.
What have you noticed about the use of the word COWBOY as you read McMurtry and Ossana, and watch the movie?