Would Ennis Commit Suicide?

[Front-Ranger]

Katie, what a sad story about your Dad!! Thank you for sharing that with us and also your epiphany after seeing BBM. Some of us who have settled into a comfortable long-term relationship can forget that "only love can break your heart" as Neil Young sings. David, I think your scenario is right for today but not for those times. My answer to the question is a sadder one. I think Ennis would have committed suicide either literally, by taking his own life, or figuratively, by just wasting away. As Jack said, "All we got is Brokeback Mountain."

[ednbarby]

I have seen this passive form of suicide, too.  My mother never got over my father leaving her.  He was the love of her life.  After he left for good, she descended into clinical depression from which she never fully recovered.  She smoked three packs of cigarettes a day.  Drank way too much.  Went into rehab twice - the second time, it took.  But she ultimately replaced alcohol with prescription painkillers.  She really gave up the day, to shamelessly echo Jake, she knew she could never be with my father again.  She never dated again, even when she was still young and gorgeous and not yet out of her prime and had several men interested and asking her out.  Do you know - my parents married and divorced each other twice.  They were married for two years before they had any of us kids - got married at 20.  Their passion for each other was insatiable.  But they would also have knock-down, drag-out (not literally, thank goodness) fights.  They divorced, then crossed paths a couple years later, couldn't get enough of each other and married again.  (You'd think you'd learn, right?)  Had the three of us, and for the first ten years, it was a sweet life.  But they grew apart.  I won't go into all the reasons why, but it happens.  Dad had an affair.  Mom found out and asked him to leave.  He did.  She ultimately died at 60 alone and in her apartment from a heart attack most likely brought on by years of smoking and just not caring a lick about her health in general.  There was no heart disease in her family - it was all self-inflicted.

I see Ennis as dying alone, too, much like you've envisioned it, Jeff.  I like to think he does that on Brokeback Mountain and is reunited in the afterlife with Jack for all eternity.  But I do see him living a very lonely life for the rest of his days.  I think he would descend into depression - really I see it as something he's been fighting his whole life since A.E. did what he did to him (and to Earl).  And I see him as refusing treatment for it when Alma Jr. suggests it in the 80s and 90s when SSRIs come into the fold - just self-medicating with cigarettes and beer/whiskey - drinking himself, ultimately, into oblivion every night.  And I agree that yes, it is a form of suicide.  He gave up the day he knew Jack was gone forever and at the same time realized how much he loved him.  As much as I mourn for Jack, it's Ennis my heart just aches for.  Jack is gone and not in pain any longer.  In a way, he is finally free.  It's who's left behind that suffers.  And the thought of how much suffering Ennis must do before he dies, if I dwell on it for too long, nearly chokes me.

[dly64]

First of all, I really appreciate hearing from all of you on your perceptions regarding if  Ennis would/would not commit suicide.

Katie – your story is so sad. It sheds another light on the outcome of suicide …. the anger and heartbreak of loved ones left behind

Well, it is difficult to know what a fictional character was meant to do.   Only Anne Proulx can answer that.   But we can speculate about his future.  

But first. Look where it left off.   Ennis is a ranch hand who now lives pretty much near where ever the work is.  It is at the end of the book where it says the ranch was sold and he had to move on, perhaps with his daughter.   So are we to assume that he can't afford to rent the apartment in Riverton or a small farm house like before?  Probably not.

Suicide would be a horrible end to the story, but as pointed out a possible scenario.   We can think of other options.   He gets a regular blue collar job that pays better and settles into a regular work week.  Spending time with his girls and future grandchildren.    Would he go back to Cassie?   I doubt it.   He now knows how unhappy he was with alma and what a mess the situation made of their marriage.  I think he'd stay single unless some young buck came along and caught his eye.  And that has always been my hope for him.   That one day at the General Store he'd bump into a late 30's handsome (and single) black haired Cowboy that would make Ennis gulp hard and take his breath away.   And just maybe this new young man would have a thing for the strong silent type.

You are right that suicide would be a devastating and tragic end to this story (a la Romeo and Juliet). IMO, Ennis would never go back to Cassie. Cassie represented Ennis’ continual denial and attempts to have a “normal” relationship with a woman. After Ennis and Jack’s row, Ennis realized that it was Jack he loved. He could not continue the façade of a “straight” relationship with Cassie (or any other woman, for that matter).

After Jack dies, Ennis is left with a lot of questions and angst. He has fettered his life away. “If you don’t have nothin’, you don’t need nothin’.” The one thing Ennis did  have was the love of a man who would have given up everything to have a relationship with him. Ennis’ passiveness and his inability to freely give of himself (as he did on BBM) is a regret that Ennis will have to live with. The “if only …” scenarios will be plaguing Ennis for the rest of his life.

Although Ennis, by the end of the film, knows he is gay, he is still not accepting of that fact. So, the possibility of him having a relationship with another man is extremely remote to nonexistent. IMO, he becomes more homophobic than before as he is left with an image of Jack being killed with a tire iron (even though there is no proof, Ennis is still left with that possibility).  Because of Ennis’ “hatred” of his sexual orientation (i.e. hatred towards himself), he would be an extremely high risk for suicide.

I don't think Ennis would commit suicide--not actively, anyway. That is, I don't think he would have directly killed himself. I just don't think that would be in character for the "can't fix it/got to stand it" kind of guy we know Ennis to be.

On the other hand, Ennis does not lead a particularly healthy lifestyle, despite being an outdoorsman. He smokes too much and drinks too much, undoubtedly has a lousy diet (probably lots of starch and fat and very few fresh fruits and vegetables), and probably has little, no, or poor medical care. I can easily imagine that he wouldn't live much past age 60 (yes, this is the scenario I incorporated in my fanfic, "Some Sweet Life").

I don't believe Ennis would eat his 30.06, but I suppose it's possible to see the smoking and drinking as almost a "passive" form of suicide.

(In reality, a friend of mine chose that route--in addition, adding drugs to the mix.   )

This, too, is an interesting POV and a realistic one that, honestly, I had not previously considered.

Here are some other things to ponder …

Going for Ennis:
•   The love of his daughters
•   The potential for grandchildren
•   An innate sense of survival in desperate situations
•   Having loved and been loved

Going against Ennis:
•   His own self loathing, “homohatred”
•   Living an isolative existence
•   Living in rural Wyoming
•   Fear
•   The memories of what he did/didn’t do, what he lost and what he’ll never have

I am sure that all of you can add points to both of those lists.

At this moment, I am not prepared to say where I come out on this issue. Ennis is a very complex character that, honestly, I have troubles understanding. (Jack is much easier for me to relate to. My personality and life experiences are more like Jack’s versus Ennis’).  Is it in Ennis’ psyche to have the ability to kill himself?  

[serious crayons]

Is it in Ennis’ psyche to have the ability to kill himself?

I think not.

Will he ever be very happy? No. Jack is the only person he ever loved or will love. Personally, I can't see him going out and meeting some new guy. Less because of homophobia than because anyone else would seem a pale substitute for Jack. Still, he's used to standing what he can't fix, to accepting a life of pain. He's used to being alone for long periods. He's used to rural Wyoming. And the tiny glimmer of hope at the end of the movie is his relationship with his daughter(s), which would offer some happiness.

So, in my view, no suicide.

Diane, as we have discussed before, you and I have very different ideas of how Ennis feels about homosexuality, including his own, by the end of the movie (and for that matter, in earlier parts of the movie, too). So I'm happy to agree to disagree.

Still, there's one thing you say that I don't understand: why would he be MORE homophobic because of the image of Jack being killed with a tire iron? I would think, if anything, it would make him LESS so, because he would have sympathy for Jack and be repulsed by the prejudices that led to his death. Why would that make him more inclined to side with the homophobes? Or maybe you are simply saying he would be more afraid to reveal his own homosexuality?

 

[moremojo]

We can infer from the italicized prologue in the short story that Ennis certainly didn't commit suicide (if he ever would or did) in the relatively immediate aftermath (months? years?) of Jack's death. The scenario of Ennis awakening in his trailer, knowing he'll have to move off the sold ranch that day, but finding warmth and strength through his dream about Jack, suggests that he's been dreaming of Jack for a while. Ennis even muses on having to live with his married daughter until he finds new work--hardly the kind of speculation an actively suicidal person is likely to have. So in Proulx's world, I see Ennis as the "standing it while not fixing it" kind of guy.

There is still the element of passive suicide (via alcohol, poor diet, and inattention to medical care) that others have cited. There is a lot of evidence (in the movie especially) that Ennis is indeed following this path. He would not recognize his behavior as suicidal, but the eventual results would be the same. In a way it makes sense--Ennis is probably just biding his time until death releases him, and perhaps hoping that he may possibly be joined with Jack in another existence. It's the only kind of fulfillment he would likely be able to imagine for himself.

I still hope myself that Ennis found it in himself to use his love for Jack as a touchstone for cultivating his love of others. In the movie, this is very much in evidence regarding his decision to attend his daughter's wedding. He has learned an invaluable lesson from Jack's sweet spirit, and is actively incorporating it into his behavior. Perhaps he could even use this wonderful gift as a means of forgiving himself and loving his own wounded heart. We know that Jack would wish nothing less for his beloved Brokeback buddy.

[dly64]

IStill, there's one thing you say that I don't understand: why would he be MORE homophobic because of the image of Jack being killed with a tire iron? I would think, if anything, it would make him LESS so, because he would have sympathy for Jack and be repulsed by the prejudices that led to his death. Why would that make him more inclined to side with the homophobes? Or maybe you are simply saying he would be more afraid to reveal his own homosexuality?

 

I am not saying that Ennis would side with the homophobic bigots … no way, shape or form. Whew! I hope I didn’t imply that! What I am saying is that he would become not only fearful of revealing his own sexual orientation, but also more hateful towards it. In Ennis’ mind, when he realizes that Jack has been having sexual relations with another man, Jack was “found out” and was ultimately killed because of it. His perception of how Jack died only reinforced Ennis’ belief that being gay meant death.

[serious crayons]

What I am saying is that he would become not only fearful of revealing his own sexual orientation, but also more hateful towards it. In Ennis’ mind, when he realizes that Jack has been having sexual relations with another man, Jack was “found out” and was ultimately killed because of it. His perception of how Jack died only reinforced Ennis’ belief that being gay meant death.

Oh. Well, I guess I see fearful and hateful as two separate things. There's 1) being afraid to reveal one's own homosexuality for fear of being killed, and 2) hating homosexuality because you see it as shameful or immoral or whatever. Seems to me you could be both, or you could be one but not the other.

Ennis is certainly both at the beginning of the film, and is arguably still both at the end (I think he's less so, but it's debatable). And I can see the tire-iron image making Ennis more fearful than ever. But I have a hard time seeing it as making him more hateful -- to me, that connotes agreement with the bigots.

[dly64]

I still hope myself that Ennis found it in himself to use his love for Jack as a touchstone for cultivating his love of others. In the movie, this is very much in evidence regarding his decision to attend his daughter's wedding. He has learned an invaluable lesson from Jack's sweet spirit, and is actively incorporating it into his behavior. Perhaps he could even use this wonderful gift as a means of forgiving himself and loving his own wounded heart. We know that Jack would wish nothing less for his beloved Brokeback buddy.

I like your romantic spirit …. I usually fall on that side. For some reason, in this case, I am not as optimistic. Ennis is a wounded soul. He was bred out of heartbreak and tragedy. We, the audience, know very little about Ennis’ father. What we do  know is that his father had a heavily mortgaged ranch; the family lived in adjunct poverty; he was a “fine roper” and hated homosexuals. Can we also surmise that his father was violent? IMO, yes … certainly Ennis believed that his “daddy” was capable of killing and dismembering another human being. Even though Ennis’ dad was by no means an ideal father, Ennis still looked up to and loved him. This was Ennis’ frame of reference.

As an adult, Ennis was unable to express his love towards others. He was relatively unavailable to his daughters (I am not saying he didn’t love them. I am just saying that he didn’t make them a priority). He also had an explosive temper. The one person who could understand Ennis was Jack …. even though Ennis frustrated and disappointed Jack all of the time. After Jack died, Ennis realized for the first time the potential consequences of his actions. Ennis does take a baby step in accepting his daughter’s invitation to her wedding. IMHO, however, I think Ennis became embittered as time went on. He knew what he could have had … he had a glimpse of that life in the summer of ’63. Instead, Ennis was left with only a memory of BBM and a symbol of their love (the two shirts).

[moremojo]

Oh. Well, I guess I see fearful and hateful as two separate things. There's 1) being afraid to reveal one's own homosexuality for fear of being killed, and 2) hating homosexuality because you see it as shameful or immoral or whatever. Seems to me you could be both, or you could be one but not the other.

Ennis is certainly both at the beginning of the film, and is arguably still both at the end (I think he's less so, but it's debatable). And I can see the tire-iron image making Ennis more fearful than ever. But I have a hard time seeing it as making him more hateful -- to me, that connotes agreement with the bigots.

As a gay man, I can vouch that being fearful and hateful are two different things, and do not necessarily cohabitate in the same person. I came to terms with my sexual identity in my early adolescence, and found much joy and beauty in it, but remained terrified of being found out, and of what that might mean to my well-being and comfort. At the age of thirty-nine, I still worry about the negative attention of homophobes--I am not out to everyone and in every situation (coming out is a lifelong process).

For the record, I read that Larry McMurtry saw Ennis as possibly becoming more homophobic after Jack's death due to bitterness. I have a hard time seeing this--Ennis loves Jack, and recognizes that Jack was a homosexual. He may even acknowledge  himself as a  homosexual and be accepting of this, though he may still fear his society's disapproval. But Ennis, in my eyes, cannot, by story's end,  love Jack and hate Jack's sexual identity. These two things seem incompatible to my mind.

[dly64]

Oh. Well, I guess I see fearful and hateful as two separate things. There's 1) being afraid to reveal one's own homosexuality for fear of being killed, and 2) hating homosexuality because you see it as shameful or immoral or whatever. Seems to me you could be both, or you could be one but not the other.

Ennis is certainly both at the beginning of the film, and is arguably still both at the end (I think he's less so, but it's debatable). And I can see the tire-iron image making Ennis more fearful than ever. But I have a hard time seeing it as making him more hateful -- to me, that connotes agreement with the bigots.

I see your POV, and I don’t completely disagree. I am not sure if I am communicating this well. Certainly Ennis’ increased fear is a given. I am not saying that Ennis would want to see homosexuals murdered and strung up by their dicks until they pulled off. What I am saying is, despite his love for Jack and his attraction to men, he does not see homosexuality as being “normal.” In this regard, he hates his feelings. IMO, he never comes to terms with or accepts his homosexuality. That’s a matter of debate … but that is my opinion.