blog




  • Essay / The neglected victim: Alma and her agony

    In the short story Brokeback Mountain, by Annie Proulx, page 11 describes Alma's only meeting with Jack. After seeing her husband kiss another man, she faces them both calmly and uncomfortably, but otherwise conveys no dramatic emotion and remains surprisingly collected. She attempts to stop Ennis once when she gets some money so he can buy her cigarettes and go home, but Ennis shuts her up before she can even ask. In Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana's film version, Alma is always quiet and uncomfortable. However, she also speaks with much more emotion than the story suggests. As she witnesses the kiss, her mouth opens slightly, her eyes widen, and she begins to tremble. Once Jack starts talking about his children, Alma seems just as disbelieving and heartbroken. She nods furiously and can barely force the words out, but once she realizes they're leaving, she quickly walks behind Ennis to grab him and ask him to buy her cigarettes. He cuts her off and she finds herself alone in the doorway, looking after them. Then, after Ennis and Jack's date, the film adds a scene where Ennis returns, only to leave Alma again for a "fishing trip" with Jack. When Ennis arrives, Alma is sitting at a table in her pajamas with disheveled hair while wiping away tears. She sits up when she hears him and follows him into the other room; she then discovers that he and Jack are leaving again. Ennis walks past Alma and immediately begins packing, while Alma tries to convince him to invite Jack inside. She asks Ennis if he could be fired if he leaves, to which he replies that his boss owes him a favor. Then one of their young daughters comes running and asks Ennis to bring her a fish. Ennis kisses the child and hands her to Alma, then turns and kisses Alma briefly before walking out, leaving Alma crying with a child in her arms. The film shows Jack and Ennis leaving with the sound of Alma's tears in the background. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essay McMurtry and Ossana's devastating and sympathetic portrayal of Alma makes Ennis a controversial and reprehensible character once he abandons him with their two daughters. On the other hand, the novella strongly sympathizes with Ennis and his forbidden romance about his family only briefly described. Although Ennis is the victim most commonly recognized as the main character, the film's focus on Alma's sadness and hardship critiques Ennis' ignorance towards her family and interestingly portrays Alma as the obvious victim of the relationship. In the short story, Proulx glosses over many of Alma's reactions with brief, passive descriptions, causing her grief and loss to be overlooked and quickly forgotten. After Alma sees Jack and Ennis kissing, Ennis returns and introduces his lover to his wife. Proulx writes: “'Of course,' said Alma in a low voice. She had seen what she had seen” (SS 11). Not only is Alma able to respond in a calm manner, but "she had seen what she had seen" implies that she must make peace with the kiss and move on, because she can never forget it. Of course, Alma is not happy, but speaking “in a low voice” is not a dramatic reaction. Alma's passivity and subtle suggestion to move on mask her pain and sense of loss and does not victimize her in any way. Then, Ennis and Jack begin to have a conversation; during this time, the only description given of Alma is that his "mouth contracted” (SS 11). The tic suggests discomfort and anger, but due to the brief description of this passive behavior alone, it also doesn't warrant much sympathy. Finally, Alma gets some money and calls him: "'Ennis—' Alma said in his miserable voice, but that didn't slow him down the stairs and he called back, 'Alma you want a cigarette, there's has some in my pocket and my blue shirt in the room'” (SS 11). Alma calls for Ennis, but she does not run after him or make any physical effort to stop him. There is also "misery" in his voice, but a single word is not used to describe his emotion. Alma's submissive sadness and lack of movement show that she recognizes and almost accepts her inability to stop her husband, and the bitter toll that the loss of her husband's presence and care should have on her is therefore overlooked. Once again, Alma is portrayed as pitifully passive and the reader can instead rejoice that Jack and Ennis have found each other again after four years. The film and screenplay include many emotional details such as crying and dramatic facial expressions to express Ennis' suffering. caused Alma to neglect her family and ultimately presented Alma as the victim of marriage. Once Alma witnesses the kiss, “she takes a step or two back from the front door, pale, struggling, trying to comprehend what she has just witnessed” (SP 47). This description includes dramatic movements and emotions, and in large quantities; the words “pale” and “struggling” convey a real sense of shock. Michelle Williams expresses surprise and trauma by widening her eyes and opening her mouth while beginning to tremble slightly. Her breathtaking performance matches the thrilling storyline, but both lead the audience to sympathize more keenly with Alma and her loss, which was not present in the story. This sympathy is linked to a disappointment in Ennis due to his rude treatment of her and their children, portraying Alma as a victim. Alma is also described as "having aged a few years" (SP 47) and "stone-faced" (SP 47). Aging implies a sad and altered condition, while her "stone face" represents anger, which Alma never expressed so openly in the story. The clear expression of emotion makes the audience more emotional on their behalf. Eventually, once she realizes that the two are leaving together, Alma actively goes after Ennis asking him to buy cigarettes so that he will come back to her, but he responds negatively and shuts the door on her instead. nose, leaving Alma alone in the shadows. . The physical action of chasing Ennis demonstrates a much more passionate love and care for him than is on display in the book, and the complete rejection is tragic. Alma's loneliness and unrequited love highlighted by her expressive longing in facial expressions and her attempt to bring Ennis back to her makes her a sympathetic and sympathetic character, while Ennis's harsh treatment of her makes him defiant. more and more hated. Then, Ennis returns to Alma to leave. Alma's pitiful appearance when Ennis arrives deserves sympathy; her disheveled hair and pajamas demonstrate her lack of sleep and her tears demonstrate the terrible grief Ennis has caused her. As Ennis enters, he walks past her without so much as a greeting. Alma states, “Your friend could come in, have a cup of coffee…we’re not poison or nothing” (50). Her attempt to stop Ennis from rushing off to gain more time with him shows her caring and sense of loneliness, especially since she is willing to spend time with Jack if it means Ennis will stay. Its strategic “we” could make.