what possessed Jack to take that shirt in the first place?

[tiawahcowboy]

While Jack Twist HID Ennis Del Mar's "Bloody Brokeback Mountain" shirt inside of his own "Bloody Brokeback" shirt on a nail that was in a HIDING jog in his cretonne fabric "makeshift" boyhood closet at Lightning Flat, Annie Proulx did not have her Ennis hang the shirts in any closet. From the way that I read the story, the "like two skins" shirts were not actually on a hanger, they were just hanging together from a nail in the jog in the north end of the makeshift closet.

After Ennis got the Brokeback Mountain postcard which Linda Higgins ordered for him, he used 4 brasshead tacks to pin the postcard to the wall of his trailer and under the postcard, he drove a nail. Ennis put the shirts on a wire hanger (the cheap kind you get from the drycleaners) and hung the hanger with the shirts on the nail on the trailer's wall. Ennis did not hide the shirts!  And, after everything was the way he wanted them, he said, "Jack, I swear -- "  . . . , though Jack had never asked him to swear anything and was himself not the swearing kind.

Why the movie folks had Ennis hide the shirts in a closet, hanging them on the back of its door, makes absolutely no sense to me.

[Mikaela]

I suppose the operating words are "in the closet".  It's an extremely expressive image, symbolic of all of Ennis's life.


Why Jack took the shirt - my take on that is he wanted something to remember Ennis by, fearing with good reason that Ennis would act just the way he later actually does, when they get down to Signal. Ennis's behaviour from Jack said the "bring them down" line must have driven home to Jack that in Ennis's mind, their one shot thing is definitely about to end. And so he just *may* never see Ennis-who's-getting-married ever again.

And also, Jack is so careful of being openly emotional - at spooking Ennis with emotions, - at initiating any kind of personal and intimate talk touching on their relationship;  - he always waits till Ennis says something or he keeps silent. (For instance....the way Jack silently waits in the scene where Ennis *finally* opens his mouth to say "this is a one shot thing...."  just *kills* me!) So I can't see Jack actually *asking* for the shirt or anything else as a remembrance. That would probably cross Ennis's line to seeming queer; -crossing the boundary to the "touchy-feely" stuff that Ennis would consider outside the limits of their one shot thing on the mountan. Plus, I think Jack wouldn't or couldn't take the risk that Ennis might refuse him anything to remember him by. For he did want something, no matter what Ennis might thiink about it, so when an opportunity presented itself, he went for it.

[Penthesilea]

Ennis's behaviour from Jack said the "bring them down" line must have driven home to Jack that in Ennis's mind, their one shot thing is definitely about to end. And so he just *may* never see Ennis-who's-getting-married ever again.

So I can't see Jack actually *asking* for the shirt or anything else as a remembrance. That would probably cross Ennis's line to seeming queer; -crossing the boundary to the "touchy-feely" stuff that Ennis would consider outside the limits of their one shot thing on the mountan. Plus, I think Jack wouldn't or couldn't take the risk that Ennis might refuse him anything to remember him by. For he did want something, no matter what Ennis might thiink about it, so when an opportunity presented itself, he went for it.

I think Mikaela's explanation is very good and covers all aspects of this question.


And yes, I took a sweatshirt from my then BF (and now husband), too. I "lend" it and never gave it back. Ahhh, it's precious to have a piece of clothing with the scent of your loved one in it.  Especially when you're apart.

It's so sweet from Jack. Gotta love him for taking and keeping the shirt, doncha?

[silkncense]

I think after the punch, Jack's hopes of keeping in touch with Ennis after the summer were considerably dimmed.  When he had the chance, he took the shirt, knowing he could at least have a little bit of Ennis left to comfort him.  Just seeing those shirts in his closet over the years (and being unable to throw them out) might have been the reason Jack finally got up the nerve to contact Ennis again.

I tend to agree with this interpretation, Meryl.

Ennis's behaviour from Jack said the "bring them down" line must have driven home to Jack that in Ennis's mind, their one shot thing is definitely about to end. And so he just *may* never see Ennis-who's-getting-married ever again.

I think Ennis' behavior after the "bring 'em down" line actually showed the opposite.  I felt Ennis was clearly showing his pain and loss mixed w/ a "I don't know what is going on" feeling.  He got angry, frustrated, he moped, he went off by himself - possibly to avoid having to confront his feelings. 

And when it was time to ACTUALLY go - he lost control of his feelings & struck out - as we saw him do a number of other times in the film.   After this point, Jack determined that there may not be a future with them together in some way and he took the shirt.

And, I still have a personal issue that Ennis didn't have any "touchy feely" stuff with Jack & did not acknowledge his feelings.  The flashback shows Ennis being incredibly tender & loving towards Jack & was in no way sexual or a prelude to a sexula encounter.  Also, later, the hotel scene where he is stroking & caressing Jack's arm and even the last tent scene where Ennis has his arm around Jack as they sleep. 

[Mikaela]

I think Ennis' behavior after the "bring 'em down" line actually showed the opposite.

Just to clarify, I was thinking of Ennis's behaviour from that line was spoken and all the while till Jack took the shirt - which would encompass Ennis's punch and the nosebleed. (It's sometimes a struggle for me to be precise enough in the wording of posts....) I think Jack senses strong pain, loss, panic and desperation in Ennis; - and sees all those as Ennis's (mostly non-verbal)  reactions to their time together being over. The very strength of those reactions indicating to jack that in Ennis's mind, it is *really* over.

I still have a personal issue that Ennis didn't have any "touchy feely" stuff with Jack & did not acknowledge his feelings.

 
Ennis *had* strong feelings by the truckload. But in my view, he showed them through actions, not through spoken words. He's holding on to Jack for dear life in the motel room scene, but when Jack asks "What about you" - Ennis can only manage to mumble "I don't know". Ennis can't manage to verbalize all that he's feeling. Even on one of those few occasions where he does speak his feelings (- sending up the prayer of thanks -) he turns it into a spoken joke right away instead of being earnest about it; - nevertheless conveying his *actual* feelings through his expression if not through words.

Jack actually asking for the shirt or some remembrance outright, even explaining the reason why he wanted it, would bring the emotional stuff out into the open between them in spoken words - something I do believe Jack would know or sense that Ennis for various reasons would be uncomfortable with.

[opinionista]

Just seeing those shirts in his closet over the years (and being unable to throw them out) might have been the reason Jack finally got up the nerve to contact Ennis again.

I think Jack sort of swore to himself he was going to find Ennis again one way or another. He goes back to Aguirre a year afterwards pretending to look for work when he was actually looking for Ennis. And I bet at the rodeos and later at his job as a farm machinery salesman, he didn't hesistate to ask, especially among the folks from Wyoming, if someone knew Ennis del Mar by a chance.

However, I think it's odd they don't exchange addresses when they part ways. But I guess Ennis wanted to avoid any temptation, and Jack didn't want to be punched in the face again.

[nakymaton]

But I guess Ennis wanted to avoid any temptation

It's really telling that the camera focuses on Ennis (and we first hear his voice clearly) in the "...lead us not into temptation..." part of the Lord's Prayer, isn't it?

Interesting answers, everyone. I can't decide whether Jack thought he would never see Ennis again after the punch, or whether he still held out hope that Ennis would come back the next summer (until their conversation by the truck? until Ennis wasn't at Aguirre's trailer the next summer?). Was Jack taking the shirt to remember Ennis by forever (like keeping the clothing of a deceased love one... like the way Ennis keeps the shirts in the end), or was he taking the shirt to keep the memories fresh through the winter (like Eddy's boyfriend, maybe?), or as a sort of token of unspoken commitment (which, I guess, was what my boyfriend and I were doing with our exchanged clothing... certainly when we returned them, we were saying the relationship was over for good)?

Interesting point about Jack asking about Ennis, opinionista. I've wondered how Jack knew to send that postcard to Riverton.

(And Mikaela, I think you're right, that asking for a shirt would have forced Ennis to admit too much to himself. I guess the expression "touchy-feely" doesn't quite work in that context, because the touching and feeling were actually the things that Ennis was comfortable doing. But all the symbolic stuff, from saying "I love you" out loud to openly exchanging clothing... yeah, that's not the Ennis I see on the screen. And I guess I asked because I, personally, would have left with nothing rather than take a shirt. But then my personality is more like Ennis than Jack.)

Another question: when do you all think that Jack layered Ennis's shirt inside his own? Right away, up there on the mountain? Some time during that winter in Lightning Flat? After the reunion? After one of the other "fishing trips"?

[opinionista]

Interesting point about Jack asking about Ennis, opinionista. I've wondered how Jack knew to send that postcard to Riverton.

Well, in the postcard Jack writes:

"Friend, this letter is a long time over due. Hope you get it. Heard you was in Riverton. I'm coming thru on the 24th, thought I'd stop and buy you a beer. Drop me a line if you can, say if your there". (This is from the short story).

So I reckon, he heard Ennis was in Riverton because he asked around. Why would anyone mention Ennis out of the blue when he wasn't famous, or rich or anything? Just a ranch hand, like many others.

Another question: when do you all think that Jack layered Ennis's shirt inside his own? Right away, up there on the mountain? Some time during that winter in Lightning Flat? After the reunion? After one of the other "fishing trips"?

I picture Jack layering Ennis's shirt inside his the very same day he was back in Lightning Flat. I started to write a fan fiction about it, but I haven't finished it and don't think I will. I'm a writer but I write in Spanish, I don't think my English is good enough for that.

[Mikaela]

And I bet at the rodeos and later at his job as a farm machinery salesman, he didn't hesistate to ask, especially among the folks from Wyoming, if someone knew Ennis del Mar by a chance.

I really think this explanation makes a lot of sense.  I've been wondering about how Jack happened to "hear" that Ennis was in Riverton, too.

When they parted ways in 1963, I suppose the only address Ennis would have had to give out would be his married brother's.....sounds like that from his story on how he ended up herding sheep on the mountain,  And after he and Alma got married, they had moved a couple of times already between "lonesome old ranches" before they ended up above the laundromat. Ennis can't have been easy to track down.

Jack must have been so elated when he actually, eventually, got a lead on Ennis's whereabouts!



Mel, totally OT but still; - I though touchy-feely was just another way of saying "emotional" - that those were directly interchangable expressions? I take it it's not, then - that it's actually used in the literal sense? Seems BBM is about to improve my english knowledge once more!

[nakymaton]

Mel, totally OT but still; - I though touchy-feely was just another way of saying "emotional" - that those were directly interchangable expressions? I take it it's not, then - that it's actually used in the literal sense? Seems BBM is about to improve my english knowledge once more!

No, you're right, it is used just to mean "emotional," usually in a negative sense. But I guess you could read it literally, as well -- it kind of evokes an image of a caress, I guess.

opinionista -- yeah, I guess that's the only way that Jack could have heard that Ennis was in Riverton. I guess I'm surprised that even guys on the rodeo circuit would have known Ennis -- he's such a quiet, try-to-fade-into-the-background kind of guy. (And would Ennis have gone anywhere near a rodeo during those four years? I'd imagine him getting a bad case of the shakes just seeing a flyer advertising one -- that Ennis would lie awake wondering if Jack was going to be there and trying not to think about him, and that Ennis would avoid even looking at the flyers in fear that somebody would know, and I'd better stop because I'm getting a little too close to fanfic myself here.) I guess that there might have been guys who worked on a ranch in the area, met Ennis, and then joined the rodeo circuit.

It's a big world. Jack's lucky that he ever managed to track Ennis down, I guess.