Author Topic: Why did Ennis send the post card about the divorce?  (Read 28087 times)

Offline lancecowboy

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Re: Why did Ennis send the post card about the divorce?
« Reply #30 on: Jun 16, 2012, 12:47 PM »
Time to re-read the short story. That conversation with Thresher sounds like Annie foreshadowing Ennis's own trapped life later with Alma, when he felt suffocating, with no place to go, being nothing, only looking forward to the occasional visit with Jack, and then later, the dreams when they come.

Oh my, all this talk of Ennis with potential, Vis Tacita, and Heath knowing Ennis deeply, Heath WAS Ennis and all, is putting me into PBS.  :( :_(
Heath, you are loved, like this, always.

Offline chowhound

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Re: Why did Ennis send the post card about the divorce?
« Reply #31 on: Jun 16, 2012, 02:13 PM »
Golly CH:

Forgot all about that submarine Thresher line in the SS.  O0

I'd say that pretty well seals it, huh?
Interestingly, the motto of the Thresher: "Vis Tacita" - Silent Strength.
Remind you of anybody?

"Vis Tacita - Silent Strength". What a splendid discovery, jackster! I wonder if AP knew? I wouldn't be in the least surprised.

Offline chowhound

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Re: Why did Ennis send the post card about the divorce?
« Reply #32 on: Jun 16, 2012, 02:28 PM »
One more vote for a June start. I remember in the ss, when Ennis got the post card from Jack in June 1967, it says "The fourth summer since Brokeback Mountain came on and in June Ennis had a general delivery letter from Jack Twist, the first sign of life in all that time"? Annie did specifically said it was June that Ennis received the post card, right? It seems to me, to Annie, who lived in Wyoming at the time, June is the beginning of summer.

Coming from the same cultural background (I grew up in Taiwan as well) and having read many of Ang's Chinese interviews, I am convinced the full moon is not a convenience or coincident. I am pretty sure Ang did that on purpose. If not for dating purpose, like you all deciphered, it might have something to do with Chinese tradition (full moon is a symbol of "coming together", "lovers' reunion", etc). In fact, Chinese Valentine's day is set to be the day of full moon in August according to western calendar...and there is a tragic love story between a cowherd and a princess behind this traditional holiday that share many similarities with E&J's story (http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/77a.htm)...

By the way, you guys are all genius! Some of the discussions on this forum should get put into a Brokeback study book, and get published!

yuddy

You're quite right, Juddy, the ss. says that the postcard arrived in June but in the movie it comes in September:

                     http://www.stripedwall.com/gallery.php?image=/movies/Brokeback/brokebackmtn_1930.jpg&mode=fullsize

Why such differences, I've no idea. But it illustrates the difficulty - indeed, the impossibility - of creating a timeline which respects both the dates found in the ss. and the dates either found in the movie itself or the movie's script. Any attempt to do so can drive you slightly mad.

Offline jackster

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Re: Why did Ennis send the post card about the divorce?
« Reply #33 on: Jun 17, 2012, 02:57 AM »
. . . if Ennis could have overcome his own homophobia and determined to have a sweet life with Jack, I am sure he will be the one that keeps it going until the end of the world.  
yup, I think you an' I see this aspect of the story exactly the same yuddy  O0  Vis Tacita

. . . . Was Annie trying to sneaking in a prophecy?
this is a remarkable insight and question here yuddy. As we know, AP is an incredible stickler for detail as well as being really intelligent. So it sure seems possible that she could be doin' this, and as LC says, foreshadowing all kinds of events in the story. On the other hand, if she's just tryin' to "lock-in" a specific time an' place, June '63. This is certainly something two young (military age) men would be talking about. I vaguely remember it myself as a really big deal, even though I was 'only' eleven. Yet another of those serendipitous events or connections that shine down on this entire story and movie, that bring potential meaning and mystery to even the smallest corner of the tale.

Boy yuddy, this poor 'topic' of yours is goin' all over the place, huh? ???


I remember in Charlie Rose's interview, Heath said, "Ennis is someone with potential. The problem is what he does not allow himself to do." It's amazing how deep Heath got into Ennis psyche and knew exactly the root of the Brokeback tragedy.
No need to point out the remarkable potential and tragedy of Heath Ledger. Talk about foreshadowing . . . :_(  :_(
« Last Edit: Jun 17, 2012, 03:11 AM by jackster »
we get to drinkin' and talkin' an all

Offline yuddy

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Re: Why did Ennis send the post card about the divorce?
« Reply #34 on: Jun 18, 2012, 08:54 AM »

Boy yuddy, this poor 'topic' of yours is goin' all over the place, huh? ???


Don't mean for this to happen but what can I say, you guys are just so full of insights that I didn't even notice how  *o) this thread has become... ;)

I do have one thing to say that is related to  my original question, which is something I realized as I was reading all these off-topic discussions about Ennis. For the longest time I couldn't understand him (and kind of blame everything on him), including sending the post card about his divorce. I kept thinking, why is Ennis doing all these things that bring Jack's hopes up (need I mention the "what if we work for Aquire again" comment? the reunion kiss?) just to deny him time and again? But now, I feel that I can finally understand Ennis. All these things that are so out of his character / against his principles really happened to show that Ennis indeed has potential, great potential! Like the song at the end of the movie, the Maker Makes:

One more chain I break
To get me closer to you
One more chain does the maker make
To keep me from bustin' through


Ennis did these things perhaps because he was trying (subconsciously) to break the chains. Unfortunately, the maker always manages to keep him from busting through.... :_( Now I know why Jack could forgive Ennis...

 

Offline yuddy

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Re: Why did Ennis send the post card about the divorce?
« Reply #35 on: Jun 18, 2012, 09:07 AM »
Time to re-read the short story. That conversation with Thresher sounds like Annie foreshadowing Ennis's own trapped life later with Alma, when he felt suffocating, with no place to go, being nothing, only looking forward to the occasional visit with Jack, and then later, the dreams when they come.

Oh my, all this talk of Ennis with potential, Vis Tacita, and Heath knowing Ennis deeply, Heath WAS Ennis and all, is putting me into PBS.  :( :_(


Oh, this reminds me of another beautiful yet extremely sad sentence in the ss: "As they descended the slope Ennis felt he was in a slow-motion, but headlong, irreversible fall." The submarine is sinking, and the life-long test on Ennis' silent strength begins... :_(

Offline jackster

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Re: Why did Ennis send the post card about the divorce?
« Reply #36 on: Jun 18, 2012, 09:27 AM »
. . .  All these things that are so out of his character / against his principles really happened to show that Ennis indeed has potential, great potential!

Yuddy: This has always been my view of Ennis. It's not he didn't want it, he just didn't see how to make it work. Like movin' to Texas, or Denver, or speaking Chinese for that matter, it was impossible to Ennis. Remember this is a guy whose idea of travel was going around the coffeepot.

"Hell, for all I know he done the job. If he was alive and was to put his head in that door right now you bet he'd go get his tire iron. Two guys livin' together? No. All I can see is we get together once in a while way the hell out in the back a nowhere."

He just didn't get it, couldn't "see" it or the possibility of it, wasn't an option. As good as a death sentence, Earl an' Rich had tried and look whut happened. Once he realized how it could happen, then I think it would a' been "full throttle" all the way. JMHO.
Yet more  *o)
we get to drinkin' and talkin' an all