Topic: The Brokeback Women (and Lashawn)

[wongadonga]

I have far more interest in the personalities of the women, which I think Ang brought out perfectly, but as a non American can someone please help me on this.

we don't have sorority stuff at our universities but I think the sparring between L1 and L2 is important so what does it mean to "pledge" - like sounds like some Masonic deal.

Google tells me tri-del is a real "secret wimmins business" one and kappa chi is all "peace and light", so those suit the gals to a tee.

but does it mean if you pledge you are supposed to follow some creed like Mother Theresa or even Jesus and go out and convert people?

also Ennis wanted to be a sophomore - like what is that? 

[jackster]

A good, thorough explanation of fraternities and sororities in North American can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraternities_and_sororities_in_North_America

Tri-Delt is short for Delta-Delta-Delta, a sorority using three of the Greek letters for its symbol and name. Not so much secret as simply a club for young women, many who have gone away to college and are away from home for the first time. My mother was a Tri-Delt during WW2 and remained friends with her "sisters" the rest of her life.

Sophomore - "felt the word carried a kind of distinction" - A common usage in the US for High School grade 10. Freshman is 9, Sophomore 10, Junior 11, Senior 12. US schools typical have 12 years of education plus Kindergarten. For youths in small-town Wyoming (or many other places) "sophomore" is probably the only Greek word that they've heard or heard in common usage, so this could lend it an air of distinction. Interesting point here, Ennis wasn't able to become a sophomore not through his own failure, but due to failure of the truck.

[wongadonga]

A good, thorough explanation of fraternities and sororities in North American can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraternities_and_sororities_in_North_America

Tri-Delt is short for Delta-Delta-Delta, a sorority using three of the Greek letters for its symbol and name. Not so much secret as simply a club for young women, many who have gone away to college and are away from home for the first time. My mother was a Tri-Delt during WW2 and remained friends with her "sisters" the rest of her life.

Sophomore - "felt the word carried a kind of distinction" - A common usage in the US for High School grade 10. Freshman is 9, Sophomore 10, Junior 11, Senior 12. US schools typical have 12 years of education plus Kindergarten. For youths in small-town Wyoming (or many other places) "sophomore" is probably the only Greek word that they've heard or heard in common usage, so this could lend it an air of distinction. Interesting point here, Ennis wasn't able to become a sophomore not through his own failure, but due to failure of the truck.

Yes it is somewhat Masonic like.

L2 mentions her university as well but L1 just says Kappa Chi, AND Randell simply is touted as "an animal husbandry major" which sure ain't a Frat AFAICS ??

why was that so important to the women [and Ang] to supply such info from the past?

just loved how our boy Jack who was "from school of hard knocks" eclipses them all by asking L2 for a dance  , but notice he asks Randell if OK but NOT Lureen, who we see shake her head

[jackster]

Yes it is somewhat Masonic like.

as are the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Methodists, and the Elks.

why was that so important to the women [and Ang] to supply such info from the past?

I believe that it is not the specific information here that is important, it is the demonstration that these women have a somewhat shared cultural (and class) background, having belonged to a sorority. This is the key. It shows that even though they may have just met, they have some background and life experiences in common. Not particularly important itself, but it certainly sets the stage for Jack and Randall, allowing them to immediately be more comfortable with each other and hence leading to the upcoming invitation of a little fishing trip get-together to get-away from their sorority wives. A subtle indication that they may have more in common than just the choice of wives, to me a brilliant construction by the writers to lead the viewer on to the next logical step that these men are "brothers" as well.

[wongadonga]

as are the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Methodists, and the Elks.
I believe that it is not the specific information here that is important, it is the demonstration that these women have a somewhat shared cultural (and class) background, having belonged to a sorority. This is the key. It shows that even though they may have just met, they have some background and life experiences in common. Not particularly important itself, but it certainly sets the stage for Jack and Randall, allowing them to immediately be more comfortable with each other and hence leading to the upcoming invitation of a little fishing trip get-together to get-away from their sorority wives. A subtle indication that they may have more in common than just the choice of wives, to me a brilliant construction by the writers to lead the viewer on to the next logical step that these men are "brothers" as well.

yes indeed, the invite to Lake Kemp [86 miles away, "down Mexico way"] was very clever of Ang in that Randell does not actually say "just we two" at all but everyone is "induced" to that, if not at the time but after OMT says "bring another fella up here".

it would be totally normal after first meeting a new couple in town to go away as 2 couples, blokes a fishin and a drinkin while the "little ladies" powder their noses inside talkin of THEIR priorities in life.

kinda like a little Hitchcock style "fishin trip" [npi], which then feeds into the SS saying "Ennis now knew it was the tire iron"

as for

"as are the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Methodists, and the Elks"

yes my point entirely, ie this all happened just before Homosexual Affirmative Action circa 1980 but was DEAD IN MIDDLE of Women's Affirmative Action circa 1970 [aka Women's Lib], and IMHO Ang spends half of the movie showing us 6 different types of women [7 if you include Mrs Agirre] in their own personal "relationship" with such monumental changes to society - hence my far greater interest in that aspect than the simple issues of we mere males of the species.