Ennis. Young Ennis was shown this brutal murder scene and was seemingly exposed to the nature of their relationship even before this ugly scene. “Dad would pass a remark when he seen them” he recalled 15 years later when revealing this scene to Jack (in the SS). So, he learned at a young age about men living together with men, whether good or bad, but he was made aware of it as a phenomena. Do you think that this early knowledge and understanding (as negative as it was) of men living together was critical to his later concept of this as even a possibility?
Like Adam in the Garden, Ennis was shown something, but then forewarned not to touch it. It can make it very tempting. If Ennis had not been shown this “lifestyle” do think he would have been more or less receptive to Jack FNIT? Would he have rebuffed Jacks’ first advance, or more importantly, not sought any type of emotional relationship with Jack as he initiated SNIT?
Ennis certainly was AC/DC but seemed to get more satisfaction (in several ways) from his relationship with Jack than with Alma or Cassie. But many men with similar feelings would’ve punched out Jack’s lights if he’d made a similar move FNIT. Ennis, after thinking it over came to a different conclusion SNIT. Why?
First of all great tpoic Jackster!
On your firsrt points, A definite YES. It shaped his concept of to gay men living together unfotunatly in a negative sense. I think as in a lot of our childhood teachings it is the parents or caregivers who influence most of our thinking and attitudes about society. Childrens minds are empty vessels until they are programmed with powers of reason. The important sense of right and wrong.
As I said in another thread this event of seeing a mutiated Earl in a ditch at this young age, after his father had let his own feelings of negativity towards the couple be known to young Ennis,completed the lesson for him In the process a certain amount of childhood innocence was lost...and something more important, the freedom of thought, the ability to form his own opinion about what these two men may have meant to each other.
Im not sure if he would have been more receptive just from being shown the "lifestyle" , but he would have felt less "bound up" and fearful of it if his freedom of thought had not been disturbed as a kid. . This is the irony of the whole thing. He was taught to hate what he grew up to be. Jack somehow brought to the surface,, feelings buried in Ennis. He no doubt compared he and Jack to Earl and Ray.
Now he finds himself in love with another man at 19. It is now his and Jack's lives at stake. He now understands the possibilities of how Earl and ray came to be.
Sticks his toe into the water in FNIT, found it warm and fine...but they were still to Ennis ,Earl and Ray, two gay ranchers who dared to go against the "norm", so he sets out to do everything he can to ward off the harm in a protective manner BEFORE what he felt would surely happen ,if they were discovered, happened. He decides to hide in plain sight...He marries Alma. A perfect smokescreen already in the works. Did what he had to do. But Jack was never far from his mind.
Why did he come back to Jack in SNIT? Jack was unlike anyone he'd ever met. Jack was his confirmation, if you will that the feelings he had inside were real. Jack was his confidant, teacher and lover.. He was the one responsible for this acceptance of those feelings. He had to put them to the test one more time and this time really feel them. The first kiss, and in those moments he was able to let go the hate, fear and shame. It was a very vulnerable, open , honest asessment of all the things he'd been taught to hate. fro childhood. Discovered that , what was forbidden in this Garden of Eden ,was a natural, human place to be. Forbidden only by society but no longer for himself. Just like Earl and Ray felt. My fav scene Sweet.
My Take, ..my passion, Ennis Del Mar.
