Symbolism: Ennis and the mules

[Penthesilea]

Two things triggered a new thought for me during the past days. First was Mikaela's expression of Ennis tying himself into knots like he ties knots to affix the baggage on the mules. Second, I came on a bear the other day  Luckily it was only a picture of a bear standing in a small creek, similar to the one Ennis encounters.

The mules are a symbol for Ennis:

• The mules respectively the baggage on their backs are tied carefully into knots. Jack teases Ennis about the knot-tying before their departure to Brokeback. When we see Ennis ordering soup, we see him tying a knot on the mules again. And I think it's safe to assume that he dedicates the same accurateness to this like the first time.
  But when he comes on the bear, the mules shy away, the knots detach and the baggage gets lost. Long ago on TOB I saw a thread in which it was said, that the bear represents their relationship (wild and uncontrollable, and frighteing to Ennis).
  So Ennis the mule ties himself into knots as good as he can, he shies away from their relationship (again and again) like the mules from the bear. But like the mules and their baggage he gets lost in it nonetheless.
• When the mules shy away from the bear, our boys are deprived from good provisioning and all they have left are beans. When Ennis shies away from their relationship, they are deprived from the sweet life and all they have left is "once in a while way the hell out in the middle of nowhere". And Ennis is more willing to settle for beans and fishing trips than Jack is.
• Mules are known to be good-natured and willing to hard work - like Ennis.
• But they're also very stubborn from time to time
• Like the mules, Ennis has a lot of baggage in at least two ways: emotional baggage, his inner demons which keep him from "the sweet life". And he has a family which he is responsible for. And like the mules lose their baggage because of the bear, he loses his family because of his relationship with Jack.
• Even the "dumbass mules" expression can be translated on Ennis. Who of us has not thought "damn you Ennis, go for it, don't be stupid"? Well, I have and still do with every viewing.

[Mikaela]

Great post!

"Stubborn as a mule" certainly is one description of Ennis that comes relatively easily to mind.

I've been wondering about the soup and the beans. They seem to fit directly in with this mule and baggage symbolism.

Beans are the standard fare, the everyday ordinary life, that the outside world tells Ennis to stick to - and he says he will. Beans apparently are easily packed on the mules........... So: Less visible and external difficulties for Ennis the stubborn mule, both directly and symbolically. While Jack won't stick to beans, goes outside the ordinary and expected - and so Ennis orders soup despite that being hard to pack on the mules, harder to fit into the life he'd expected. Going with Jack's wishes for diversity in food and in life means more practical, emotional *and* symbolic challenges and difficulties for Ennis.


Is there more symbolism than reality in the film's differences in packing soup and  beans?

Why, in real life, would soup boxes be harder to pack than cans of beans? I don't know how the soup boxes look, but I suppose they'd either be square and easy to pack - or look much like the bean cans. And they'd not be heavier than the beans, either. Anyone able to shed light on this question?

[Front-Ranger]

I'll try to add to this....when the mules bolt, shedding their packs on the trail, Ennis runs after them, but then stops, pulls a large box out of the pack as if he wants to save it, then thinks better of it and throws it off to the side. That, I theorize, was a box of soup packets (dried). It was a pretty big box, so I think maybe that was the reason it was hard to pack. The script writers went to a lot of effort with this beans and soup thing, so there must be something behind it!!

[Penthesilea]

Is there more symbolism than reality in the film's differences in packing soup and  beans?

Why, in real life, would soup boxes be harder to pack than cans of beans? I don't know how the soup boxes look, but I suppose they'd either be square and easy to pack - or look much like the bean cans. And they'd not be heavier than the beans, either. Anyone able to shed light on this question?

I've always asked myself the same question. Why should it be harder to pack (soup)boxes than (bean)cans? Doesn't make sense in a practical way. So the next best conclusion is, that it makes sense in a symbolic way. And it does, like mentioned above by you (the 'beans are standard fare' paragraph).


Front-Ranger wrote:

I'll try to add to this....when the mules bolt, shedding their packs on the trail, Ennis runs after them, but then stops, pulls a large box out of the pack as if he wants to save it, then thinks better of it and throws it off to the side. That, I theorize, was a box of soup packets (dried). It was a pretty big box, so I think maybe that was the reason it was hard to pack.

Sorry, but I beg to differ on this. The bear incident occurred at the same day as Ennis orders soup for the first time. The Chilean is surprised by Ennis ordering soup: "Thought you don't eat soup?" Ennis: "Sick of beans." Chilean: "Too early in summer to be sick of beans."
Had Ennis ordered soup before, the Chilean would not have been surpised. So the box Ennis grabs can't be a soup box.

The script writers went to a lot of effort with this beans and soup thing, so there must be something behind it!!

Yep. Agreed!

[Brown Eyes]

Cool topic.  I think what you wrote in the initial post is a convincing interpretation Penthesilea.  So my question is ... if Ennis = mules and relationship = bear, then what is Jack's animal?  I think elk is also a symbol for their relationship... I think elk specifically functions as an aphrodisiac (I've posted about this in other thread), but I think elk could be expanded to be a symbol of their love.  I think the bear as a symbol of the entirety of their relationship (all the different aspects of making the relationship happen... not just the love) is very good.

[Front-Ranger]

Jack's animal is the eagle, IMHO.

[Toast]

I jsut found your post, and here is what I posted recently on the ABCs of Brokeback.:

As I watch the horse and mules and Ennis with the groceries spilled all over the trail, I think of Epona.
 
Epona - Celtic goddess of horses and mules and asses.

[Brown Eyes]

Jack's animal is the eagle, IMHO.

Well, yes, I'd agree for the story but the eagle feather is omitted from the movie.  I honestly can't think of a great solution to this for film-Jack.  Oh, wait... maybe it's sheep.  Maybe this goes back to the whole "sacrificial lamb" idea.
 

[Front-Ranger]

When Aguirre's trailer first appears, we hear the cry of an eagle, or at least a bird of prey. Later, we hear it again, echoing in the canyon. There is an eagle above the door of the Black and Blue Eagle Bar. After the reunion, Ennis lies spread-eagled. Other birds appear throughout the movie: the crow flying above the truck, the Thanksgiving turkey. In the story, when Ennis punches Jack, the "ministering angel" lies with wings folded. I'll look for other references, I'm sure there are some. But it wouldn't have worked for Jack to shoot an eagle and brag about it these days, so I surmise that's why it was omitted from the moive.

[Penthesilea]

Cool topic.  I think what you wrote in the initial post is a convincing interpretation Penthesilea.  So my question is ... if Ennis = mules and relationship = bear, then what is Jack's animal?  I think elk is also a symbol for their relationship... I think elk specifically functions as an aphrodisiac (I've posted about this in other thread), but I think elk could be expanded to be a symbol of their love.  I think the bear as a symbol of the entirety of their relationship (all the different aspects of making the relationship happen... not just the love) is very good.

The idea with the bear as symbol for their relationship is not mine, I read it somwhere (back on TOB, I believe).
As for Jack's animal: I just had this idea about Ennis and the mules, I saw the similarities triggered by what I mentioned in my OP, but didn't think of Jack in this case.

But thinking about it after your question, I agree with what Front-Ranger said: it has to be something with wings. Must not necessarily be an eagle, like she said. But birds in general or even an angel could do it for me.
This fits with the wind as symbol for Jack. Wind/air/sky/birds - on a symbolic level, it's all the same: a being not bound to the ground of the earth (like Ennis is). More free and less bound.

Like Jack is more free to set himself above the rules on the earth: shoot a sheep, f*ck Aguirre, leave his wife, love another man and live with him, leaving his home farm and living footloose on the rodeo circuit, and so on.

After his death this thought can be continued: angel/heaven. In my language, the word for sky and heaven is the same, we have only one word for both. So for me heaven=sky=up above.
And what do humans become after their death? They go up to heaven and become angels.

[serious crayons]

The idea of Jack as birds/angels sounds right to me. And I agree with Front-Ranger that Annie made the Jack-eagle association more explicit, but it would have been politically dicey to do so in a movie these days, so they chose not to play that up.

I beg to differ slightly on the idea of bear=relationship, though. I think bear=danger in the relationship, and perhaps the danger that lies ahead. When Ennis encounters the bear, it is standing in a stream, and we've noted elsewhere that water=relationship. So I think that the bear symbolizes either the actual dangers involved in a homosexual relationship (Earl's fate, Jack's fate), or Ennis' fears concerning those dangers. Either way, it is fear (the horse's) and/or the actual danger the bear poses that results in Ennis getting thrown and hurt.

[Front-Ranger]

Just to add to what U said about the bear, Katherine, do you remember late in the story when Jack and Ennis came upon a bear and it ran away with the "lumbering gait that made it look like it was falling apart"? Oh, now that I'm writing this I wonder if Proulx meant to allude that the danger Ennis thought they faced was just a facade, or that their relationship was falling apart. Hmmm... I think the first one. Your thoughts, anybody else?

[nic]

When Aguirre's trailer first appears, we hear the cry of an eagle, or at least a bird of prey. Later, we hear it again, echoing in the canyon. There is an eagle above the door of the Black and Blue Eagle Bar. After the reunion, Ennis lies spread-eagled. Other birds appear throughout the movie: the crow flying above the truck, the Thanksgiving turkey. In the story, when Ennis punches Jack, the "ministering angel" lies with wings folded. I'll look for other references, I'm sure there are some. But it wouldn't have worked for Jack to shoot an eagle and brag about it these days, so I surmise that's why it was omitted from the moive.

More birds: there is a bird either seen or heard or both when Ennis is in Jack's room at the Twist ranch. 

Interesting surmisings about the bear = relationship, I'd go with that.  Also Jack = all things to do with the air, sky, etc  I wonder if there is anything in the fireworks scene where this could be brought in.  Ennis is framed in that scene against the night sky with the fireworks going off from the viewpoint of low down on the ground.  It is a very striking image, especially in stills.  Maybe it could signify that Jack is about to explode back into his life. 

[Front-Ranger]

Well, there is a lot of blue in that scene, what with all the blue denim that Ennis is wearing and the red, white, and blue fireworks. If you buy the premise that red stands for the passion they have for each other and white for the death that will eventually part them, it becomes a very symbolic image. Also, the way Ennis is shot, with the camera down low makes him seem like a lonely and monumental figure against the sky, much like shots of the mountain and other iconic things such as the junked pickup truck in one of the first scenes.

[Brown Eyes]

Jack is more free to set himself above the rules on the earth: shoot a sheep

Well, I quite like the idea of Jack being associated with birds.  It certainly does fit with the wind idea and I like the way it links up with the description of Jack right after Ennis's punch-  "Ennis had suddenly swung from the deck and laid the ministering angel out in the wild columbine, wings folded."  The bird association also seems to go quite nicely with Jack's generally sweet personality.

But, I still tend to see Jack as more explicitly linked to sheep.  Get ready... here's my kooky sheep theory... I've posted this before, but now it's on my mind again. 

I don't think Jack was really free to shoot a sheep even though he had the urge to do so (which, yes, I agree was meant to be a demonstration of his willingness to break rules).  Within the "ethics" of the film, he can't really shoot a sheep, and Ennis is right to say that they're supposed to "guard the sheep not eat 'em".  I think this is because sheep- in the form of 'sacrificial lambs'- are equated with not only Jack but gay men in general in the film.  The only images of bloody and violent death that we see are the sheep that Ennis finds and the scenes we see in Ennis's head of Earl's murder and his deep suspicion that Jack was also murdered in a violent way.  (Yes, we see the elk die, but it's not bloodied or mutilated in the same way). And, both the sheep and the gay men were victims of "predator loss" since murderous homophobes really can be thought of as predators.  So the idea of being on guard against predators becomes very interesting.  The idea of protecting sheep is very, very important to Ennis.  And, I think he almost immediately develops an urge to take on the role of protector in regards to Jack.  My favorite visual indication of this comes early when they're taking the sheep up the mountain for the first time.  There's that wonderful shot of Jack sitting in the grass with a lamb lounging in his lap as he seems to be tending to its foot and Ennis is just sitting there smoking and looking out over the flock (which sort of includes Jack here).  I think there's a lot of anger inside Ennis at himself for not being there to protect Jack at the time of his death... whether he was murdered of died in the accident.  In the book it's pretty explicit that he's angry that no one was there to roll Jack over so that he wouldn't drown in his blood (and this anger probably also reflects back on himself). 

Another way that Jack is related to sheep, I think comes in the metaphor of the "black sheep."  This fits nicely with his black hat and whenever we do see him amongst a big group of sheep he does stand out due to the black hat.  My favorite shot of this is Jack's first night up alone with the sheep while he watches Ennis's fire way in the distance. The sheep seem quite bright in the moonlight, while from a distance Jack is cast in pretty dark silhouette. Jack really is quite the rebel and the non-conformist in many ways.

[alec716]

Amanda -- I love your self-described "kooky sheep theory" and the predator metaphor.  I had not thought much about this.  thanks for giving me something new about which to obsess next time I watch the film... 

[Brown Eyes]

Heya,
Thanks Alec.  So, I just finished my nightly dose of the first half of BBM and started thinking that Jack's woolly collar on his coat is rather sheep-like too.  Another interesting element of the sheep situation is, I think, that when Ennis discovers that dead sheep he realizes that he's now become a "sheep" too... and all of his fears (going back to the Earl memory, etc.) are really brought to life.  On my first viewing of BBM I initially thought that the dead sheep was sort of an over-determined symbol of "loss of innocence/ virginity."  I guess it's still that too, but I feel like there's a lot more to it than something so straight forward.

I'm afraid we've gone off the mule topic.  It is interesting that Ennis is always the one responsible for dealing with the mules when they move camp, etc.  When Jack and Ennis are moving about on the mountain (bringing the herd up initially, switching camps and bringing them down) Ennis always seems so much more burdened than Jack because of those mules.  Jack is always out in front while Ennis comes along behind eventually.  Cute.
 

[serious crayons]

On my first viewing of BBM I initially thought that the dead sheep was sort of an over-determined symbol of "loss of innocence/ virginity."  I guess it's still that too, but I feel like there's a lot more to it than something so straight forward.

That's exactly what I thought on MY first viewing. That is, I instantly knew the sheep meant something and, given the timing, assumed it was something about lost innocence. But you're right, I have come to believe that the dead sheep is much more a foreshadowing of murder. Given that, on first viewing, we didn't know about the other killings at that point in the movie, it makes sense we would react that way. And it's reinforced by the expression on Ennis' face, which looks like guilt -- he left the sheep alone, had sex with a man, and now look what happened. Though now I think his expression is more complicated than that.

But what I especially love about that symbol in retrospect is that it was a tipoff that there was more going on in the movie than meets the eye. That and Lureen's "husbands don't never want to dance with their wives" were just about the only nuances I picked up on that first time, but they at least opened my mind to the possibility that there were others.

If only I knew then that I'd eventually be analyzing the hidden meanings of fans and coffee pots and bears and snow ... and, oh yeah, mules!

[Penthesilea]

Heya,
Thanks Alec.  So, I just finished my nightly dose of the first half of BBM and started thinking that Jack's woolly collar on his coat is rather sheep-like too.  Another interesting element of the sheep situation is, I think, that when Ennis discovers that dead sheep he realizes that he's now become a "sheep" too... and all of his fears (going back to the Earl memory, etc.) are really brought to life.  On my first viewing of BBM I initially thought that the dead sheep was sort of an over-determined symbol of "loss of innocence/ virginity."  I guess it's still that too, but I feel like there's a lot more to it than something so straight forward.

I'm afraid we've gone off the mule topic.  It is interesting that Ennis is always the one responsible for dealing with the mules when they move camp, etc.  When Jack and Ennis are moving about on the mountain (bringing the herd up initially, switching camps and bringing them down) Ennis always seems so much more burdened than Jack because of those mules.  Jack is always out in front while Ennis comes along behind eventually.  Cute.
 

The mules:
Yeah, it's always Ennis shown to be responsible for dealing with the mules. Though after their job switch, Jack is dealing with the mules at least every Friday for food supply. But it's not shown to us.

Jack and the sheep/birds:

On my first viewing of BBM I initially thought that the dead sheep was sort of an over-determined symbol of "loss of innocence/ virginity." 

Yes, that's what I noticed too at my first viewing.

Your not-at-all-kooky theory about the sheep as a symbol for Jackis just as valid as the theory of Jack as a being with wings. Esp. the image of Jack as the "black sheep" is self-evident.

The only images of bloody and violent death that we see are the sheep that Ennis finds and the scenes we see in Ennis's head of Earl's murder and his deep suspicion that Jack was also murdered in a violent way.

This is a good point. And like Katherine, I see the dead sheep as a foreshadowing for Jack's cruel fate. Indepentent from the accident vs. murder debate, because either eventualities are a cruel way to die. "Drowned in his own blood" makes me cringe of horror and choke out of compassion for Jack.

Ennis being protective towards the sheep as well as towards Jack is another evidence for your theory.
Hey, I'm halfway argued into your Jack=sheep camp 

But the sheep image doesn't fit so good with Jack=wind as the bird image does. Though you have some very good points to which I can't disagree, my gut-feeling still says Jack=bird.

In the end, both may be right. It's often said, but worth repeating: this is another reason why we love this movie. In many aspects, Ang Lee doesn't force us to his interpretation of the story, but leaves enough open space to find our own.

I'm afraid we've gone off the mule topic.

Doesn't matter, does it? Maybe I should rename the thread "Ennis and the mules and other animal symbols" or something on this note.

[Ellemeno]

I don't have anything big to add to this great thread.  Just little bits:

I think that (spokenly or unspokenly) Ennis and Jack agreed that Jack simply didn't have the skill to handle the mules.  And my guess is that Ennis continued to go down on Fridays so that no one would know they had switched jobs between them.  After all Aguirre hadn't given them a choice - he had assigned the jobs.

I like the bear=danger standing in the water=relationship idea.

And the knots idea - Before they even go up the mountain, Jack recognizes Ennis's potential to "stand around tying knots all day."

I love this thread, and all the knots you wonderful people are tying in it!

Clarissa

[Brown Eyes]

Heya,

I was just enjoying one of my favorite activities... which is to go look at really old threads that have ended up way down the line in the page count.  Some of those good old threads are amazingly nostalgic!  And sometimes I get inspired to bump a few old good ones.

So!
Bump
 

[jpwagoneer1964]

I don't have anything big to add to this great thread.  Just little bits:

I think that (spokenly or unspokenly) Ennis and Jack agreed that Jack simply didn't have the skill to handle the mules.  And my guess is that Ennis continued to go down on Fridays so that no one would know they had switched jobs between them.  After all Aguirre hadn't given them a choice - he had assigned the jobs.

 

Clarissa

I think Jack and Ennis were about equally experienced in handling horses and mules both having growm up in ranches. Jack would have had to hitch up the mules when he went to see Ennis after FNIT.

 After Agguire had seen Ennis up with  the sheep with can came to tell Jack news of his uncle it didn't matter who came to get supplies of Fridays, but most likely it was Jack since the switch.

[Brown Eyes]

Heya JP,

Yes, I think Jack certainly could have done the job of getting the groceries and dealing with the mules, etc.  And, especially at that early stage, he was certainly comfortable around animals and had to be skilled at horseback riding.  But,  I think Clarissa has a good point too.  Jake (in one of those interviews on the DVD) talks about playing Jack as if he's really trying to be a good cowboy... that Jack is always trying (trying hard at everything) becomes a feature of his persona and character especially as the movie goes on.  The fact that he often doesn't reach is goals is also part of this... His awkwardness and fumbling attempts at things take on a kind of grace of their own.  Jack really isn't as good at riding horses as Ennis (which seems to be one of the reasons they chose Heath to play Ennis... since he had very good horseback riding skills already.  Jake said he had very little experience with horsed before BBM, which fit well with Jack anyway).  Jack also isn't a good shot with his rifle, etc., etc.

Whether or not the characters of Ennis and Jack would have recognized such a difference in skill level or whether that was a primary motivation for the job switch, etc. is hard to say.

[Ellemeno]

Whether or not the characters of Ennis and Jack would have recognized such a difference in skill level

Amanda, I love that you go around resurrecting precious threads. 

They may not have had much education in other things, but I am pretty sure they would have been very good at telling skill levels in handling horses and other critical talents. 

I always see Ennis as very proficient at what he does - with an economy of motion he gets the job done.  He keeps himself compacted and efficient.  Jack does things in a sloppier fashion, but with a stronger desire to be appreciated.  I am thinking of that look Ennis gives Jack, when jack splashes himself with the contents of the can he is opening.  That look (to me) says, "I can't believe you can't even open a simple can."  Even when just sitting down, Jack makes a big production of it, moving his legs all around, taking his gloves off with a flourish, tinking his belt buckle.  Ennis checks the knot on his pack, mounts up and is gone. 

I have a friend who grew up in a Mennonite farming community in Manitoba.  He says that when he was a child, a passtime was to load the family in the car and go examine and critique whether their neighbor farmers got their rows nice and straight when plowing, drilling, cutting hay, etc.  Ennis would have noticed Jack's strengths and weaknesses in vital skills.

[Penthesilea]

Hey Amanda, thanks for bumping old threads  . Good to re-read them.

I agree with Mark and Amanda that Jack was sure able to deal with the mules. Did he do it the summer before? We don't know whether he was alone his first summer or not.
I think he didn't like it, dealing with this dumbass mules, carefully storing everything. I can hear him bitching. But I think it was his job after the job switch.
And Mark is right, Aguirre knew anyway after coming by. Both about the job switch and our boys. Yet he let it pass. He isn't the most lovable character, but he is far from being the greatest bastard in the story.

From Amanda:
Jake [...] talks about playing Jack as if he's really trying to be a good cowboy
...
His awkwardness and fumbling attempts
...
Jack also isn't a good shot with his rifle, etc., etc.

Maybe we should give Jack a little more credit about his skills in general. I've often read similar things: tossing the keys, not the best bull-rider, not a good shot, etc. This is all correct. But somehow we sound a little bit like OMT: Jack never being good enough in those practical things. He may not be as good as Ennis, but hey, he grew up on a ranch, was used to hard ranch work and I'm sure he coped with it. You don't have to be the best to be good.

From Clarissa:
I always see Ennis as very proficient at what he does - with an economy of motion he gets the job done.  He keeps himself compacted and efficient.  Jack does things in a sloppier fashion, but with a stronger desire to be appreciated.  I am thinking of that look Ennis gives Jack, when jack splashes himself with the contents of the can he is opening.  That look (to me) says, "I can't believe you can't even open a simple can."  Even when just sitting down, Jack makes a big production of it, moving his legs all around, taking his gloves off with a flourish, tinking his belt buckle.  Ennis checks the knot on his pack, mounts up and is gone. 

I absolutely love this paragraph. Well observed and so well put.

[Penthesilea]

The idea of Jack as birds/angels sounds right to me. And I agree with Front-Ranger that Annie made the Jack-eagle association more explicit, but it would have been politically dicey to do so in a movie these days, so they chose not to play that up.

Emphasis mine

Off-topic, but I'm curious:
I missed this remark the first time the thread was around. Why should the Jack/eagle association be politically dicey?

[nakymaton]

It's illegal to shoot bald eagles, and the rules around keeping eagle feathers are complicated. (Bald eagles are an endangered species, though they're doing a lot better now that DDT isn't used any more. Eagle feathers are sacred to at least some American Indian tribes, but getting them for ritual purposes is complicated. If Jack, an Anglo kid, had an eagle feather, he would have been breaking the law, among other things.)

[Penthesilea]

Thanks Mel! 

[Front-Ranger]

A nice photo of Ennis with subject mules.

[Front-Ranger]

And another, also with sheep since we're talking about them too.

[Brown Eyes]

Maybe we should give Jack a little more credit about his skills in general. I've often read similar things: tossing the keys, not the best bull-rider, not a good shot, etc. This is all correct. But somehow we sound a little bit like OMT: Jack never being good enough in those practical things. He may not be as good as Ennis, but hey, he grew up on a ranch, was used to hard ranch work and I'm sure he coped with it. You don't have to be the best to be good.

Thanks (everyone!) for revitalizing this thread!

About this topic of Jack being a little awkward...  I just wanted to clarify that I do agree that Jack is capable of doing all of these things, just not as "efficient" as Ennis.  I think the word "efficient" here is very good.    But, like Clarissa and maybe even Jake, imply maybe Jack's restlessness, etc. cause him to sometimes be too casual or "sloppy" about certain tasks.  Maybe the best visualization of this is the shot where we see Jack and Ennis working to chop up a big tree towards the very beginning of their time up on Brokeback.  Ennis diligently saws away at the wood while Jack swings an ax at it in a more hap-hazard way.  Both methods will get the job done eventually, but one gets the sense that Ennis's method would win the race.  I think the idea of Jack always "trying" is endearing and not meant to be a slight against him in anyway.  In fact, by the end of the film/ story, this constant sense of "trying" has important implications about the continuation of the boys' relationship.  It's Jack who sends the first postcard, who comes back after the post-divorce slight, etc.

Mel thanks for the info about the eagle feather.  I've always been curious about its absence from the film since Proulx mentions it twice.  I didn't realize that simply having a feather in one's possession was against the law or something likely to cause offense.  I can understand why killing an eagle would be an upsetting thing of course.

[nakymaton]

I should probably add that there was no Endangered Species Act in 1962, and that a white Wyoming ranch kid probably would not have been concerned about offending Indians (or about shooting any kind of potential predator). So AP's inclusion of the eagle feather in the story is probably in character with the place and the time. (Though I found the detail a bit jarring in 2005, because killing eagles is just so politically incorrect. And AP probably meant to shock people like me when she chose that detail.)

[jpwagoneer1964]

I kinda think when Jack was alone, he had very little trouble with the horses or mules, was able to work a can opener without any spillage, never triped, etc.

Mark

[Front-Ranger]

FOr anyone who is interested, there is a topic called "On buckets, eagles, impatience, etc" on this forum that discusses the association of Ennis with hooved animals and that of Jack with birds and fish. IMO, we haven't really delived too deeply into the topic, and it could use some more thought, because it is a very rich area that would add to our understanding of the story.