Celestine:Week 2

The film Brokeback Mountain helps to understand the short story a lot better. Being able to visualize the actions of the characters helped the story to evolve and give a sense of clarity to the reader. In the film the emotions and point of view the women were actually presented unlike in the short story. Jack’s wife Laureen did not experience as much hurt as Alma did when it comes to Jack and Ennis’ relationship. The only proof that Laureen knew something was going on is when she questions why Ennis doesn’t visit Texas, at a party she makes the statement “why don’t husbands dance with their wives”, and when she finally speaks to Ennis on the telephone. Hearing Ennis’ voice hurts her because she finally comes into contact with the man her husband drove fourteen hours to see often. While that was traumatic for her, Alma actually dealt with the physical aspect of their secret relationship and was hurt more frequently until she decided she had enough of the neglect and disrespect she was feeling.

In the film scene 86:53 expresses Alma’s point of view because here she tells Ennis to get married because the girls and her are worried about him being alone. She also questions whether he and Jack still go on fishing trips together. Ennis replies not often and this leads her to telling him about the note she attached to the line of his fishing rod. Alma tells Ennis that as soon as she could check his creel box she opened it to see if the note had been removed and she found that it was not. After saying this she confronts him by saying that she knew what he and Jack “nasty” Twist was doing on those fishing trips. Ennis is angered by this and grabs her arm while threatening her. This scene is sympathetic to Alma and allows the viewer to see her point of view because she is finally acknowledging Ennis behavior out aloud. While years ago she saw Ennis and Jack embrace each other and engage in a long lasting kiss she never admitted to him that she was aware of his real reasons for going on fishing trips with Jack. Perhaps Alma had been in denial of Ennis sexuality because she loved him dearly. Alma easily angered Ennis when she began speaking negatively about Jack Twist and lashes out at her because no one is supposed to know about his relationship and she was disrespecting his lover. When Ennis lashed out at Alma for her negative words towards he and Jack’s relationship she really gets upset because he never fought for her or cared about her feelings as much as he did Jack’s. By suggesting that Ennis gets remarried demonstrated that homosexuality in Alma’s eyes is not acceptable. Alma felt as though Ennis was going through a phase and should be over it by now. Society has taught Alma that same sex relationships are not the norm which is why she attempts to discuss marriage. She also knows that what he is doing is wrong and she cannot accept that she lost her husband to another man. When Alma ask about Jack I do not think she actually wants to hear the truth because as soon as he responds she is hurt and disappointed that Jack “nasty” Twist is still a part of his life. The reality that Ennis has not moved on to a new marriage lets her know that Ennis’s relationship with Jack is very important to him.

Alma’s point of view in this scene represents deep hurt because the man she loves and the father of her children is in love with another man. It takes Alma more than half the film to let Ennis know she speculates a relationship between him and Jack. This occurs because she is not ready to face the idea that she married a gay man. In an American society Alma relates to the older generation because many adults have a difficult time accepting or acknowledging homosexual relationships as real. Some older Americans are in denial about homosexuals and have a problem realizing that this is not a phase of life but people of the same gender can have strong feelings for each other. Overall, Alma and society need to accept the way people are and not attempt to make them conform to a norm that does not work for them.