Reference no: EM133540042

Assignment:

Annie Proulx's stunning short story, "Brokeback Mountain," was originally published in The New Yorker in 1998. Proulx's tale of two cowboys caught in a decades-long love affair came to mainstream prominence in 2005 with the release of Ang Lee's cinematic version of the story. "Brokeback Mountain" is significant, for me at least, because it depicts the homosexual relationship of two men who defy traditional stereotypes of the gay male. Traditionally, gay men in literature and popular media are understood to be cosmopolitan, cultured, fashionable, feminine in nature, and physically not as imposing or threatening as their straight counterparts. In contrast, both Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist are rugged outdoorsmen who do not possess any visible gay indicators - they walk, talk, and act like straight men, and both of them carry on heterosexual relationships with women. What is important to remember is that this story was published a little more than twenty years ago at a time when gay men were seldom represented in the media in any form, let alone in thoughtful, carefully rendered characterizations that not only affirm the value of love between homosexual men, but challenges are understanding of who gay men are.

For this discussion post, answer each of the following questions in the numbered format show below. .

1. How does this story show the detrimental effects of society's repression of gay men on women? Both Alma and Lureen are also victims of this tragic story. In what ways are their lives shifted by the extramarital affairs of their husbands? And how do you explain Alma ignoring the sight of her husband passionately kissing a man?

2. How would you describe the sexuality of Ennis Del Mar? Is he a straight man who only loves Jack? Is he a gay man who is closeted? Is he bisexual? These are important questions to consider. From the story, we know that Jack eventually has multiple sexual encounters with other men. But Ennis only becomes involved with Jack. Why is that? Remember to support your thoughts with evidence from the text.

3. How do Ennis and Jack change or solidify your understanding of gay men? Even though we have come a long way in seeing more representation of LGBTQ characters in mainstream media, they are still very much few and far between. How do Ennis and Jack differ from your own experience with gay men? How are they similar?