Part 3: The Two Exiles

[talkstocoyotes]

Chapter 12

Author's Note: This and the next two chapters represent a major transition in Ennis' life. While most of the events seem ordinary, they're the steps leading up to his making a life-altering decision. Part 3 will also occasionally give readers a glimpse of Jack's point of view.

September 1984

It didn’t take long, after his return to Riverton

Comments

Nice Chapter

[jennydcf]

I liked your description of how Ennis sees his life with Jack, before and after death: "Ennis had an odd sense of all these worlds existing side by side, like separate but almost identical rooms in the same motel." I also like your description of his developing feelings for David, though it's a little difficult for me to reconcile his marriage to Jack, however metaphysical, with developing a new intimate relationship with someone else.

Do you know that the link you have on Brokeback slash is incorrect? You put www.http://... instead of just starting with http.

Re: Nice Chapter

[talkstocoyotes]

About the metaphysical marriage: when Jack tells Ennis that the two of them are "forever", that isn't just a romantic metaphor, he means it literally from his perspective. They've been soul mates for a long, long time. But he also makes a distinction between that and relationships in the physical world where one of the partners is on the other side.

Thanks, I always seem to have to post links twice. Will correct that!

[louisev]

the potent image of Jack's quilt being a touchstone for his agreement with Jack to start his new life, and the realization and recognition of his pleasure at his communication with David afterward - letting himself have feelings he had denied previously... the beginning of a change in Ennis's perspective! very subtle, well done.