Character Analysis of Jack Twist

[Desecra]

I don't think Jack was ever really comfortable with being gay.  I think that shows in his lack of assertiveness about his sexuality with Ennis.  Obviously, the main reason for keeping quiet was to keep Ennis, and he avoided the subject.   But I think it also shows a lack of confidence in himself.   

I think it's quite possible that he wasn't ready to accept the truth about himself, and I've even wondered if that continued - if he married Lureen hoping that he could make himself straight.  But I think he was probably more aware than most.   That childhood story seems to show his attitude to his sexuality, and he sees it as part of himself rather than defined by behaviour. 

Of course he knew that it wasn't OK to be gay, hence his necessary reading of signs and the very extended "courtship" on Brokeback.  I think he was probably reasonably careful outside of his relationship with Ennis too.  After all, he wasn't "out".   He took some risks, but I imagine that they wouldn't have gone as far as propositioning guys without some inkling that they might be up for it.  Sometimes he might read the signs wrong (as he did in the film).  (I think the film did a good job of contrasting Lureen's open, honest courtship of Jack, with the more ambiguous, coded approaches used by Jack and Randall).  I think Jack's approach to Ennis (the hand grab) is quite ambiguous.  Of all the things he could have done, that one doesn't give away his own sexuality at all, and could have been easily explained away.

As I said, I think the evidence for his attitude to his sexuality is the bathroom story.  Was he bothered about labels?  Branding is a sort of labelling.  Sadly, I think Jack was somebody who could have felt OK about his sexuality if he hadn't met Ennis (i.e. if he'd fallen for somebody who accepted it).   

[janjo]

Jack's personality is all a confection built on sand. He doesn't have a solid core to his personality because he never gained the approval of his father, and he never could. He lives on his dreams. His confidence, his achievements,, the rodeo riding, his trophy wife, his hats, the moustache, and even getting his teeth fixed, are all ways he tries to make himself feel better about what he really is.
He can never gain the approval of his father, or of society, or even, openly, of Ennis, for being himself, for being as he really is.
It is very sad, and enormously endearing.

[fofol]

Jack's personality is all a confection built on sand. He doesn't have a solid core to his personality because he never gained the approval of his father, and he never could. He lives on his dreams. His confidence, his achievements,, the rodeo riding, his trophy wife, his hats, the moustache, and even getting his teeth fixed, are all ways he tries to make himself feel better about what he really is.
He can never gain the approval of his father, or of society, or even, openly, of Ennis, for being himself, for being as he really is.
It is very sad, and enormously endearing.

 Beautiful analysis Jess.  Simply beautiful.

[janjo]

Thank you

[Jane-UK]

Jack, even the name given by the author summed him up completely.  A born optimist, who often acted without thinking of the consequences, he fell  headlong into a relationship he tried to build on his terms, without realising the danger to him from the outside world (and also Ennis' reluctance to admit what he felt).  He was firing constantly at a brick wall.  Jake G brought this effervescent character to life so vividly.

Jack was quick to air his views on just about everything, wanting better food, working conditions and ultimately to be number one to Ennis.  He portrayed an idyll of the life they could have (Ennis poured cold water all over that), but best of all his love for Ennis was summed up by his long drive to see him after hearing of the divorce.  The initial pleasure and and joy of the meeting is soon turned sour by Ennis and Jack's dream is over.  Powerful emotions which Ennis may have been able to bury - but Jack was unable to do this. Everything he felt he displayed.  Jake G so wonderfully portrays this with those soulful eyes and tears driving away in that truck.

Ennis was the centre of his life, he fell in love with him early on, long before they had sex, made love or even uttered any term of endearment.  Smiles, concern, laughing and joking about were all added to a mix with which he seduced the repressed Ennis and on the mountain in their bubble it worked. But only in cementing that love in time, and due to the constraints of the outside world and the strict morals in their society, Ennis was unable to live the dream anywhere else and ultimately Jack was powerless to persuade him.  Jack desperately wanted it to work, although finally snapping with frustration at their final camping/fishing trip does he really believe it's over.  Unless he was to go completely against his character I don't believe he would have totally cut Ennis out of his life.  After a few months his optimistic nature would have over ridden any sense or evidence to back reality.

Away from the solitude and safety of BBM Jack found himself unable to convince Ennis they had a future.  Each parting seemed to weigh especially heavily on Jack.  Even the first parting driving away he is plainly gutted to be leaving someone he loves.  It is years later when he finally utters words which mean I love you (has to be some of the most poignant lines ever, in any film). 

In the end Jack is a broken man, the years are not kind to him, each year, each meeting takes Ennis further away from him.  His enthusiastic nature and kindness and loving concern shines through despite the knocks to the end,when even with Ennis fighting him away, he still tries to comfort him. 

Agonising to watch and an agony to love an Ennis.  Poor old Jack, in the end he was just worn out with it all.

[Vlad]

So much comments on peronality of Jack Twist, I havent read all of them, only phew but everyone in their comment pointed out on some parts of Jacks personality from another angle. Every man has a different scanner and looks from specific side, from his point of view. I must share with you that J.T is reminding me on my brother, I suppose he is not gay like him but the connection between them is so big. Great visionar, big wishes, optimistic until death, everyting can come true and so on, you get the picture. Lets be honest, those are not bad sides of a man, from some p.o.f they are good but they can bore people around you after some time, you know? Jack was constantly pushing Ennis to do something, to make some change in his life, thats perfectly fine because Ennis needed that push, badly but Ennis had his own life, he couldnt leave his wife and children just like that because of love, and we canot forget how scared he was and what problems did he have.

Back to Jack, someone writed that Jack doesnt have his core, his first flat of personality, I agree 100%, thats the first thing that he is missing, that crusial part. When parents dont look after their children or when they are not pleased with them, they are not showing them a recogniton for things or acts they do its natural that theyre not going to be a complete person when they grow up or get older. Its completely normal that they will be soft, hurted, vulnerable to other people talk or acts, they will have small self confidence. It will lack badly and it would folow them to the end of their lifes. Every man pulls his personality from the house and no one can convince me in other. Jack was in short words, lost, lost person which head was in clouds, in other world and his body in other. Uncomplete person with a big heart, emotions and feelings for the ones he loved. I dont see him as a person which would lead you to the low ice, that would trick you or do you something bad. No, all in all, he is a very good person, he is a bit bad in some things, he cant do a lot of things right, (harmonica part always is most funny to me, when he plays it and Ennis is just giving him that look). I have more to comment on him, ill be back here.

[Ellen (tellyouwhat)]

Vlad you're right there is a lot to the personality of Jack and also Ennis.

Interesting how we can know so much about them, even point out some faults that we see, but also feel affection for them.

As if they are real people.

[Vlad]

Vlad you're right there is a lot to the personality of Jack and also Ennis.

Interesting how we can know so much about them, even point out some faults that we see, but also feel affection for them.

As if they are real people.

Ellen youre right about that, Ennis and Jack have so much of material to talk about, their personality is specious and fullfiled with a lot of things. Their Character personality is not an easy thing to talk about, a lot of it and you dont want to miss something out.
And yes, it is interesting what you said about affection, well that shows how special they are. Two cowboys, who seem like very ordinary people are full of surprises, beneath that mask hides a volcano.

And im most sure that when you can neglect faults and cons of someone who you like, when you can always find a reason why is that person like that, or why he did something and you pass by that and not get frustrated or angry, it shows how much you like that person, how much are you attracted and bounded to Him/Her. Now, thats really something like Ennis and Jack had. How much times was Jack angry and sad and he continued to work on his own and not to give up on his dreams, wishes.
Omg, really what I would want to see, to know or to understand is Jacks hearth. How much has it holded and suffered, how much you need to be strong to hold so much like he did. Im thinking about it a lot, it really intriques me, I understand that its love, people can hold a lot because of love but what has Jack hold I havent seen that in my whole life nor I dont know will I ever again. That is something you dont see every day.

Have you guys thought about that? Jack, who had unstable character could have holded so much pain and suffering? He really did, thats the thing that he is the best in. He maybe  doesnt know to hoard sheep or to play harmonica, dont know to make supper or I dont know, but he knows how to love, care and hold for someone. And thats the thing that goes right into my heart, it just hits me. Thats so special about him. One and only Jack nasty.

[BlueJeanDarlin]

Two cowboys, who seem like very ordinary people are full of surprises, beneath that mask hides a volcano.

Vlad, you're absolutely right. What a great way of putting it.

[Ellen (tellyouwhat)]

Have you guys thought about that? Jack, who had unstable character could have holded so much pain and suffering? He really did, thats the thing that he is the best in. He maybe  doesnt know to hoard sheep or to play harmonica, dont know to make supper or I dont know, but he knows how to love, care and hold for someone. And thats the thing that goes right into my heart, it just hits me. Thats so special about him. One and only Jack nasty.

Yes I believe Jack is a loving person, he can show love, very different from Ennis. Jack is close to his mother but his father is a very hard-hearted person (in the story it is even more pronounced than the film) and despite that, in both the story and the film Jack visits his parents every year after his meetings with Ennis.

So much of BBM is about what both Ennis and Jack had to keep hidden. One person mentioned this to me-- that the entire story, this whole adventure that gives us so much to think about, is really a secret that Ennis keeps to himself. That is what it means to be secretly gay, to be in the closet.

And it is the same for Jack. So when you write that he seems not to have a core, I'm not so sure. He has had to hide his core from his father since childhood. And as an adult he is in the closet, trying to look like something he really isn't. But in a way he did succeed in his life-- he got out of Lightning Flat and didn't have to worry about money after he married Lureen. That isn't exactly admirable, but compared to Ennis, it is a kind of success.

[kittykat]

Ennis and Jack aren't perfect, we know that. But their flaws make them human, and we love them for it

[Vlad]

Yes I believe Jack is a loving person, he can show love, very different from Ennis. Jack is close to his mother but his father is a very hard-hearted person (in the story it is even more pronounced than the film) and despite that, in both the story and the film Jack visits his parents every year after his meetings with Ennis.

So much of BBM is about what both Ennis and Jack had to keep hidden. One person mentioned this to me-- that the entire story, this whole adventure that gives us so much to think about, is really a secret that Ennis keeps to himself. That is what it means to be secretly gay, to be in the closet.

And it is the same for Jack. So when you write that he seems not to have a core, I'm not so sure. He has had to hide his core from his father since childhood. And as an adult he is in the closet, trying to look like something he really isn't. But in a way he did succeed in his life-- he got out of Lightning Flat and didn't have to worry about money after he married Lureen. That isn't exactly admirable, but compared to Ennis, it is a kind of success.

Jack is a very loving person, no doubt in that, and I agree that he is completely other part of the story than Ennis. And that admitment to his parents, even though his father was cruel and hard willed person he was still coming back to his home every year to see and help them out. That shows a lot about who was Jack and what was he like.

That part about his core we talked about is very interesting. You said that he had his core of personality but only it was hidden, not seen by ordirany people around him, he had to hide it because he was in the closet obviosly, no one knewed about him. Thats very interesting theory He just couldnt to show his true self, only place where he could do it was on BBM. Touching and wonderfull forever...

And about succes in life, well... Neither Jack or Ennis accomplished or finished majority things that they wanted to but somehow we can say Jack had a bit better luck to meet Laureen. He was living nicely, he was money secured. Money cant buy everything on the world but it makes a difference in a lot of things in life. Its easier.

[Vlad]

Ennis and Jack aren't perfect, we know that. But their flaws make them human, and we love them for it

Yea kitty, their flaws make them humans... Thats it, and we like them, completely agree with you...

[BlueJeanDarlin]

I'm still reading through some old (archived) threads... boy, Brokeback got me good!
I found this post on Jack, which is exactly how I feel. It is part of a much larger post, but this paragraph is totally appropriate here:

Jack can't hurt Ennis.. [during their last argument] ..and turns to hold him, tell him he's sorry and it'll be all right.

Even during the fight on Brokeback, when Jack punches Ennis and gives him a bloody nose, it is Jack who goes to console Ennis. When Ennis punches Jack back, he just walks away.

When I think of things like that, and of Jack's lonely upbringing in that house in the middle of nowhere, I think of what a wonderful, positive person Jack turned out to be. All he wanted was to be with Ennis and be happy, and yet that was denied him. In some ways I feel more sorry for Jack than for Ennis.

I do too. To me, Jack was the shining light in this film. A shining light of love and hope, who was ready to risk everything in his life to be with the one he loves. I love him for that.

[janjo]

Me too.
His personality was built on sand, but he stayed true to his dreams, and did his very best.
I like that.