Annie Proulx Assignment
In your initial post, consider the ideas of words, power, and identity. Also, consider the conflicted ideas about the ending of “Brokeback Mountain.” Is the story empowering for gay men? The GLBTQ* community, generally? Point to specific passages from the text and analyze them to support your claims. You should consider the various ways we interpret fiction and recall from our first unit How to Analyze Novels & Short Stories.
ANSWER
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
Brokeback Mountain’s significance is on the overwhelming natural force of desire and love. Like most of Shakespeare’s writing, love is the ultimate goal of life and is described in words that weigh heavily on an uncontrollable passion for two lovers. However, again, just like Shakespeare, love leads to loss of the identity that ties the characters to their societies, and without the backing of their kin, the characters are powerless, and their ends are tragic. Love on Brokeback Mountain between Ennis and Jack is described by the author as a prison that takes away proper judgment that eventually leads to crossing dictums designed by society. There is no rationality or logic to falling and being in love but instead is irresistible and overwhelming. Worse is that the two are seeking to start a gay relationship that is hugely against the standards of the society they live in.
The ending of the story is not empowering of the GLBTQ* community. A postcard is returned to Ennis with a stamp on it that said “DECEASED.” According to Lureen, Jack had died from an accident while changing a tire, and immediately Ennis can already relate that he was killed by men with the tire iron for being in an unconventional love affair. This ending proposes that the result of any relationship that is not heterosexual is tragedy and death, and there is nothing that can be done about it. It is a huge blow to the GLBTQ* community at a period when the idea is to have their human rights equal to any other person in a civil and modern society.
Reference
Proulx Annie. 1997. Brokeback Mountain. Retrieved on 4th December from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1997/10/13/brokeback-mountain
