Cul u al Awa eness in he Anglophone Wo ld:
“B okeback Moun ain” and he Cul u al Shi
in Anglophone Li e a u e and Films
S uden : Yaiza González Ramos
Supe iso : Ma a I a ed a López
Deg ee: English S udies
Academic yea : 2023-2024
Depa men : English and Ge man Philology and T ansla ion & In e p e a ion
Acknowledgemen s
Fi s and o emos , I wish o exp ess my deepes g a i ude o my supe iso Ma a
I a ed a López. He excellen supe ision, uncondi ional suppo and guidance ha e been
essen ial o comple ing his disse a ion. I has been an absolu e hono and pleasu e o ha e
he as my di ec o in he inal phase o my academic jou ney.
Thanks should also ex end o my classma es, who ha e become my dea es iends. I
am e y g a e ul o you help and companionship in his long odyssey. Toge he , we ha e
o e come challenges and celeb a ed ou achie emen s, making hese ou yea s an
un o ge able expe ience.
I deeply app ecia e my amily and iends o hei belie in me, which has been a
cons an sou ce o mo i a ion. I especially wan o hank my mum, whose esilience has
inspi ed me o pe se e e e en in ough imes. Finally, I wan o exp ess my mos since e
g a i ude o Aima . His lo e, pa ience, and suppo a e wha ha e kep me s ong du ing he
mos challenging imes. He has been my d i ing o ce, and I dedica e his achie emen o
him.
1
Abs ac
“B okeback Moun ain” is widely ecognized as a deeply in luen ial gay na a i e in
popula cul u e due o i s po ayal o a lo e s o y be ween wo men. Annie P oulx o iginally
published he g oundb eaking sho s o y in 1997, which was la e adap ed in o a c i ically
acclaimed ilm by di ec o Ang Lee in 2005. The na a i e ollows Ennis and Jack, wo
cowboys who all in lo e in a ime when homosexuali y was widely s igma ized in Ame ica.
This disse a ion explo es he p o ound cul u al impac o “B okeback Moun ain” wi hin he
Anglophone wo ld by examining i s social signi icance and how i challenges adi ional
no ions o oman ic ela ionships, masculini y, and he cowboy a che ype. This in es iga ion
is c i ical o unde s anding he b oade cul u al shi s in socie y, pa icula ly hose ela ed o
o en ma ginalized g oups such as he LGBT+ communi y. Despi e ex ensi e discou se on
quee ep esen a ion in li e a u e and ilms, he e is a gap in examining how “B okeback
Moun ain” speci ically encou aged socie al changes and how i con ibu ed o he b eaking o
cul u al no ms. A e ha ing se he cul u al backg ound and he na a i e’s hemes and
cha ac e s, his esea ch aims o demons a e he in luence o “B okeback Moun ain”. This
will be accomplished by analyzing i s decons uc ion o s e eo ypes, as well as by weigh ing
i s cul u al impac , which s ems om i s a ied ecep ions. Findings demons a e how
“B okeback Moun ain” has made a big cul u al impac by os e ing g ea e accep ance and
isibili y o LGBT+ ela ionships and by also ede ining adi ional masculini y and he
cowboy image. In addi ion, he na a i e no only opens doo s o a mo e di e se and
inclusi e s o y elling bu also spa ks con e sa ions abou he complexi ies o human
ela ionships and iden i y. These indings highligh he signi ican ole o “B okeback
Moun ain” in decons uc ing adi ional gende oles and ela ionship no ms, con ibu ing
aluable insigh s o he ields o cul u e, li e a u e and ilms, wi h he ul ima e goal o
building a mo e accep ing socie y.
Keywo ds: “B okeback Moun ain”, LGBT+, cul u al impac , ela ionships, masculini y,
cowboys.
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Table o Con en s
1. In oduc ion...........................................................................................................................4
2. Cul u al Backg ound............................................................................................................5
2.1. Socie al A i udes Towa ds LGBT+ Issues....................................................................5
2.2. P e ious LGBT+ Rep esen a ion in Li e a u e and Films............................................. 7
3. “B okeback Moun ain”, The S o y..................................................................................... 9
3.1. Summa y........................................................................................................................ 9
3.2. Key Themes and Mo i s.................................................................................................9
3.3. Cha ac e Analysis....................................................................................................... 11
3.3.1. Ennis del Ma ......................................................................................................12
3.3.2. Jack Twis ............................................................................................................13
4. B eaking Cul u al No ms: Masculini y, Cowboys and Rela ionships........................... 14
4.1. Decons uc ion o Masculini y.....................................................................................14
4.2. B eaking Cowboy S e eo ypes.....................................................................................17
4.3. Sexuali y and Roman ic Rela ionships........................................................................ 18
5. Cul u al Impac o “B okeback Moun ain”.....................................................................20
5.1. P aise and Recogni ion.................................................................................................20
5.2. Con o e sies and C i icism.........................................................................................21
5.3. Measu ing he Cul u al Impac .................................................................................... 22
6. Conclusions..........................................................................................................................24
Wo ks Ci ed.............................................................................................................................26
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1. In oduc ion
When asked abou an in luen ial gay na a i e, mos people will say “B okeback
Moun ain” wi hou hesi a ing. This is due o he undeniable cul u al impac his s o y has
shown o ha e, which s ems om i s ep esen a ion o a lo e s o y be ween wo men. The
o iginal sho s o y, published by Annie P oulx in 1997, and la e adap ed o cinema by
di ec o Ang Lee in 2005, ells he s o y o Ennis and Jack, wo cowboys who all in lo e in a
ime when being gay was unaccep able. By explo ing a homosexual ela ionship, by going
beyond adi ional no ions o masculini y and cowboys, and by ul ima ely ep esen ing he
LGBT+ communi y, “B okeback Moun ain” is s ill and will con inue o be a cul u ally
meaning ul mas e piece.
When in oduced o my disse a ion opic “Cul u al Awa eness in he Anglophone
Wo ld”, I was de e mined o selec a opic ha would bo h ep esen and help people in a
powe ul way. I had been a ew yea s since I had seen B okeback Moun ain (2005) o he
i s ime, bu I s ill dis inc ly emembe ed he p o ound emo ional impac i had on me. The
agic ale o Ennis and Jack, a eali y aced by many in socie y, seemed a sui able opic o
my disse a ion. By choosing “B okeback Moun ain” I could explo e i s impac on socie y and
also gi e a oice o he quee communi y. This pape aims a analyzing he cul u al impac
“B okeback Moun ain” has had on socie y, as well as a shedding ligh in o i s decons uc ion
o adi ional no ions o oman ic ela ionships, masculini y and cowboys.
To ully unde s and he impac o “B okeback Moun ain”, i is essen ial o i s
unde s and he socie al con ex in which he s o y and he ilm we e eleased, as well as he
li e a y and cinema ic landscape ha p eceded hem. The cul u al backg ound will p o ide a
ounda ion o explo ing he s o y on “B okeback Moun ain”. The na a i e, which deals wi h
hemes such as o bidden lo e, masculini y and homophobia, p esen s he lo e s o y be ween
he cowboys Ennis and Jack, cha ac e s ha will be analyzed in de ail. Once he s o y is se ,
he ocus will shi o how “B okeback Moun ain” challenges cul u al no ms. This analysis
will del e in o he decons uc ion o masculini y, he sub e sion o cowboy s e eo ypes, and
he depa u e om adi ional no ions o sexuali y and oman ic ela ionships. Las ly, by
examining he di e se eac ions he na a i e ecei ed, i will become e iden ha “B okeback
Moun ain” uly made a signi ican impac on socie y.
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2. Cul u al Backg ound
The mos app op ia e way o begin is by shaping bo h he socie y o he ime in which
he s o y was eleased and he con ibu ions o quee li e a u e and cinema p io o i s coming
ou . Ha ing a cul u al con ex will la e help us o be e unde s and he cul u al impac he
wo ks ha e had.
Ne e heless, be o e mo ing on o he cul u al backg ound, he de ini ion o wo e ms
ha will epea edly be used h oughou he pape will be p o ided. The i s one is “LGBT+”,
desc ibed as he “abb e ia ion o lesbian, gay, bisexual, ansgende , and o he iden i ies:
ela ing o o cha ac e is ic o people whose sexual o ien a ion is no he e osexual” by he
Camb idge Dic iona y (“LGBT+”). The la e is “quee ”, de ined as “ha ing o ela ing o a
gende iden i y o a sexuali y ha does no i socie y's adi ional ideas abou gende o
sexuali y” (“Quee ”). Gi en hei simila conno a ions, bo h will be used in e changeably.
2.1. Socie al A i udes Towa ds LGBT+ Issues
In 1997, when he s o y was i s published, socie al a i udes owa ds he quee
communi y we e unde going ce ain ans o ma ion in he USA. To unde s and he con ex in
which P oulx’s “B okeback Moun ain” was bo n, B ewe ’s s udy on “The Shi ing
Founda ions o Public Opinion abou Gay Righ s” will be help ul.
His wo k sugges s ha du ing he 1990s, he e we e no able changes in Ame icans’
inclina ions, including a i udes owa d equali y and mo al adi ionalism. While some
indi iduals opened hei minds o mo e accep ing iews, o he s main ained adi ional
pe spec i es (B ewe ). No wi hs anding, hese shi s signi ican ly in luenced he o ma ion o
public opinion on issues ela ed o he quee communi y. Acco dingly, he la e 1990s
wi nessed inc eased awa eness and discussions su ounding LGBT+ igh s (B ewe ).
In B ewe ’s wo ds, he opening o minds and he accep ance o mo e libe al a i udes
owa ds quee people was caused by changing socie al dynamics and e ol ing cul u al no ms.
Acco ding o he au ho , ac o s such as exposu e o di e se pe spec i es, ac i ism, and media
ep esen a ion likely played a ole in shaping mo e accep ing opinions. In con as , hose who
main ained adi ional iews migh ha e been in luenced by ac o s such as eligious belie s,
conse a i e social alues, and esis ance o change (B ewe ).
In essence, B ewe ’s wo k e eals ha he 1990’s we e a pe iod o change, wi h some
emb acing accep ance and o he s s uck o adi ional iews. These changes played a c ucial
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ole in inc easing awa eness and discussions su ounding LGBT+ igh s by he ime when
“B okeback Moun ain” was published.
The 2000s, he pe iod when he ilm was eleased, came wi h mo e legal and policy
changes a o ing he LGBT+ communi y. The s udy by Tina Fe ne i led “U.S. A i udes
Towa d Lesbian and Gay People a e Be e han E e ” explo es how he changing pe cep ions
o he quee communi y in he Uni ed S a es, pa icula ly du ing he 2000s, ga e ise o a
mo e ole an and accep ing socie y.
Fe ne poin s ou some legal ad ancemen s such as he legaliza ion o same-sex
ma iage in a ious s a es and he Sup eme Cou decision o suppo ma iage equali y,
decla ing ha “in a coun y ha has been e icen o gua an ee equal igh s o lesbian and gay
people, his ma ks an impo an s ep o wa d in he slow, ha d- ough ba le o ull
ci izenship” (21).
Mo eo e , Fe ne uses a poll o iginally om GALLUP o illus a e how socie al
a i udes owa ds LGBT+ ma e s unde wen a posi i e ans o ma ion du ing he 2000s, wi h
an inc ease in he app o al o homosexual ela ionships (see ig. 1).
Fig. 1. Poll da a on same-sex ma iages; GALLUP,
h p://www.gallup.com/poll/1651/Gay-Lesbian-Righ s.aspx.
The esea che also highligh s he in luence o pe sonal connec ions when o ming
posi i e a i udes owa ds quee people. Indeed, people who ha e pe sonal ela ionships wi h
LGBT+ people, whe he in amily, wo k, o iendship, end o be mo e open abou hese
issues han hose who do no (Fe ne ).
In sho , he 2000s saw a signi ican ans o ma ion in Ame icans’ a i udes owa ds
quee people, p eceded by he p og ess al eady achie ed in he la e 1990s (Fe ne ). Al hough
nega i e a i udes did no disappea , he ac ha he new cen u y came wi h mo e accep ance
and openness su ely mean ha he a i al o Ang Lee’s ilm was no so c i ically ecei ed.
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2.2. P e ious LGBT+ Rep esen a ion in Li e a u e and Films
Julie Beaulieu’s chap e on “LGBT Li e a u e” helps c ea e a heo e ical amewo k on
he e olu ion o LGBT+ li e a u e, since she analyzes i s depic ion om ancien imes un il
he end o he 20 h cen u y, when P oulx’s “B okeback Moun ain” was published.
Beaulieu begins by placing Sappho “among he ea lies icons o LGBT li e a u e”
(305), u he commen ing on he ongoing deba es su ounding he sexual iden i y.1The
au ho hen del es in o he b oade his o ical con ex s o homosexuali y in ancien G eece and
Rome, highligh ing he endency in li e a u e o censu e lesbian exis ence. Fu he mo e, she
discusses he his o ical ans o ma ions o Pla onic lo e and same-sex desi e in Renaissance
li e a u e. Ul ima ely, “LGBT Li e a u e” places he his o ical con ex as key when shaping
pe cep ions o sexual iden i y, emphasizing he complex ela ionship be ween li e a u e,
sexuali y, and cul u al no ms.
Mo ing on o he wen ie h cen u y, Beaulieu a i ms how “ he in ellec ual and
poli ical p ojec o coun e ing he dominan na a i es o he e o‐hegemonic cul u e”
became “one o he hallma ks o he wen ie h cen u y LGBT mo emen ” (308).
Despi e he p e ailing socie al aboos and es ic ions, w i e s sough o gi e a oice o he
expe iences and s uggles o indi iduals whose iden i ies and desi es de ia ed om he
no ma i e expec a ions o he pe iod (Beaulieu). The au ho con inues by labeling Osca
Wilde as one o he mos “in amous o LGBT w i e s o in luence wen ie h‐cen u y hinking
on sexuali y” (309), desc ibing his wo k as a showcase o “a s iking and iconic encoun e ”
be ween “ he quee a is and he c i ique o socie y” (309).2
As he wen ie h cen u y un olded, quee li e a u e p og essed on he accoun o he
shi ing socio-poli ical landscape (Beaulieu). The mid- wen ie h cen u y was cha ac e ized by
pulp ic ions,3which we e seen as “a his o ically speci ic example o how ime and loca ion
shape he ep esen a ion o LGBT li es in li e a u e” (312). Fu he mo e, his pe iod “b ough
a new spi i o sexual e olu ion in US LGBT li e a u e” (312), pa ing he way o g ea e
isibili y and accep ance wi hin he li e a y discou se. E en ually, he 1980s and 1990s saw
he eme gence o li e a u e g appling wi h he impac o he AIDS c isis, u he unde sco ing
he complexi ies su e ed by he quee communi y (Beaulieu).
3Pulp ic ions a e “books abou imagina y cha ac e s and e en s p oduced in la ge quan i ies and in ended o be
ead by many people bu no conside ed o be o e y good quali y” (“Pulp Fic ion”).
2Fo u he in o ma ion on Osca Wilde see Ba le , Who Was Tha Man? A P esen o M Osca Wilde.
1Fo u he in o ma ion on Sappho see Halle , Sappho and He Social Con ex : Sense and Sensuali y.
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Shi ing om li e a u e o ilm, Rudy Rudy’s “The Depic ion o Homosexuali y in
Ame ican Mo ies” will be used as a heo e ical backg ound, since i ocuses on Ame ican
gay- hemed ilms.
In i s ea ly depic ions, gay cha ac e s we e o en po ayed acco ding o s e eo ypes,
wi h humo and idicule (Rudy). As a ac , Bensho and G i in poin ou how “by he 1920s,
a s e eo ypical image o male homosexuali y was p e alen bo h in he cinema and in eal li e:
he pansy” (as quo ed in Rudy 62).4The au ho goes on o say ha gay hemes and cha ac e s
we e p esen in cinema bu o en ma ginalized, e lec ing he socie al a i udes owa ds
homosexuali y o he pe iod.
Howe e , as socie al a i udes owa ds quee people e ol ed, so did he depic ion o
gay indi iduals in ilms (Rudy). Acco ding o he au ho , a mo e ealis ic po ayal in which
he cha ac e s decla ed hei sexual iden i ies a ose, pa ly due o he ac ha “ he e a e also
people who de ini ely suppo gay igh s” (63). Ha ing a mo e accep ing en i onmen mean
ha ilms such as Philadelphia (1993), which “is a e lec ion o how gay people li e in he
socie y and he obs uc ions hey ha e o ace” (63) a ose, leading o mo e ealis ic s o ies and
lea ing s e eo ypes aside.
Fu he o his, a no able de elopmen was he ep esen a ion o gay cha ac e s wi h
mo e masculine ai s in ilms (Rudy). This was seen as “a shi om he con en ional
pe cep ion o homosexuali y o a mode n pic u e o gay men” (64), u ning masculine gays
“ he cen al o a ac ion in many gay mo ies” (64). The au ho goes on o gi e examples o
ilms in which he gay cha ac e s a e masculine, among which B okeback Moun ain (2005) is
included.
Conside ing he cul u al con ex in which he sho s o y “B okeback Moun ain” and
i s cinema ic adap a ion we e in oduced, he e migh be an inclina ion o specula e ha he
ecep ion o hese was, on he whole, posi i e. Howe e , i is oo ea ly o make inal
judgmen s, so a mo e ho ough examina ion o how i was ecei ed by audiences will be done
subsequen ly.
4“Pansy was a e m used colloquially o desc ibe a ce ain ype o quee man- a lowe y, ussy, e emina e soul
gi en o limp w is s and mincing s eps” (Rudy 62).
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in ol es he di ision and social alua ion o masculini y and eminini y” (as quo ed in
Blacks one 225). In o he wo ds, gende is a social cons uc ion shaped by human
in e ac ions, al hough i is s ongly in luenced by biological di e ences be ween males and
emales (Blacks one). In conclusion, gende oles “a e he oles ha men and women a e
expec ed o occupy based on hei sex” (336).
Mo ing on o adi ional gende s e eo ypes, he dis inc ion Allan and Kinney make
be ween masculine and eminine a ibu es will be o use (see able 1). This con as , which is
based on Sand a Lipsi z Bem’s sex- ole in en o y, de e mines how “wha e e ai s a e
unde s ood o cha ac e ize he eminine, also conno e he an i hesis o masculine and ice
e sa” (103). In simple e ms, masculini y and eminini y a e supposed o be pola opposi es
in he gende con inuum, wi h “masculini y” being depic ed as s ong, logical and b a e while
“ eminini y” is po ayed as gen le, emo ional and agile (Allan and Kinney).
Table 1. T adi ional a ibu es o Feminini y and Masculini y.
Sou ce: Allan, Elizabe h J., and Mo gan B Kinney. “Hazing and Gende .”
Hazing: Des oying Young Li es, edi ed by Hank Nuwe , Indiana UP, 2018,
pp. 100–15. h ps://doi.o g/10.2307/j.c 20d87 z.13.
Ha ing exposed which he ai s gene ally linked o manhood a e, i is now ime o
show how “B okeback Moun ain” decons uc s masculini y. As men ioned in sec ion 3.2.,
Ennis and Jack a e cha ac e s who s uggle be ween con o ming o he adi ional no ions o
masculini y and wha hey eally eel.
One o he s e eo ypes he p o agonis s decons uc has o do wi h emo ional
ulne abili y. Acco ding o Allan and Kinney, adi ional masculini y is o en associa ed wi h
s eng h and emo ional s oicism, while being weak and emo ional a e cha ac e is ics mo e
commonly associa ed wi h eminini y. Ne e heless, “B okeback Moun ain” po ays i s male
15
cha ac e s as deeply emo ional and ulne able. Bo h Ennis and Jack s uggle wi h hei
eelings o each o he , g appling wi h shame, ea , and wande ing in a socie y ha expec s
hem o con o m o adi ional gende oles. Conside ing he wo p o agonis s, Ennis is he
one who has mo e ouble acknowledging his emo ions and exp essing how he eally eels,
wi h Jack being mo e open and accep ing o his eali y.
Ano he quali y ela ed o adi ional masculini y is con ol, an a ibu e ha bo h
Ennis and Jack su e om when hey become emb oiled in a homosexual ela ionship in
which hey do no know how o ac . In sho , bo h Jack and Ennis help in he decons uc ion
o masculini y wi hin he emo ional dimension, since hey show ha male cha ac e s can
u he be emo ional and ulne able.
Table 1 also shows ha men a e expec ed o be he s ong, b a e, dominan gende .
No wi hs anding, in “B okeback Moun ain”, hese quali ies do no s and ou on he male
p o agonis s. While Ennis and Jack wo k in physically demanding jobs as cowboys, he
na a i e does no wo ship adi ional no ions o physical s eng h and dominance as ma ke s
o masculini y. Ins ead, i ocuses on he emo ional complexi y o hei ela ionship and how
social expec a ions and homophobia impac hei li es. Ul ima ely, se ing aside he s eng h
and dominance o he male p o agonis s o ocus on hei emo ions, he na a i e wo ks as
ano he example o he decons uc ion o masculini y.
Rega ding communica ion and in imacy, sel - eluc ance is ano he a ibu e ypically
associa ed wi h adi ional masculini y (see able 1). Despi e his, “B okeback Moun ain”
highligh s he impo ance o emo ional in imacy and communica ion in ela ionships,
challenging he s e eo ype ha men should be emo ionally dis an and sel - elian . Al hough
Ennis and Jack’s inabili y o openly exp ess hei eelings o each o he leads o agedy, he
na a i e unde sco es he consequences o oxic masculini y, which adds ano he laye o he
b eaking o adi ional cul u al no ms ela ed o manhood.
Fu he o his, in “Maleness and Masculini y”, Ma k Blechne poin s ou how “One o
he mos common ways o de ining masculini y is h ough sexual ac i i y. In he e osexual
Ame ican socie y, masculini y is de ined sexually by he e osexual in e cou se. The e o e, any
sexual ac i i y by men wi h o he men is seen as a comp omise o masculini y” (601). I is
ele an o keep his in mind since Ennis and Jack a e cha ac e s who ha e sex wi h each
o he and he e o e mo e away om he social belie ha masculini y is de ined by
he e osexual coi ion.
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In conclusion, “B okeback Moun ain” e ec i ely decons uc s adi ional gende
s e eo ypes by po aying Ennis and Jack as complex indi iduals who challenge social
expec a ions. The na a i e sub e s he idea ha s eng h, sel - eluc ance and dominance a e
essen ial quali ies o masculini y by p io i izing he emo ional dep h o he p o agonis s’
ela ionship. In addi ion, he s o y de ia es om he he e osexual in e cou se ideal, showing a
ela ionship be ween wo men. Ul ima ely, “B okeback Moun ain” con ibu es o a mo e
inclusi e unde s anding o masculini y in con empo a y socie y.
4.2. B eaking Cowboy S e eo ypes
“B okeback Moun ain” combines he decons uc ion o adi ional masculini y and he
b eaking o cowboy s e eo ypes as a c i ique o social no ms and cul u al expec a ions. The
na a i e challenges no only adi ional no ions o masculini y as seen abo e, bu also
p e ailing s e eo ypes associa ed wi h cowboys.
Be o e mo ing on o he b eaking o cowboy s e eo ypes, i is use ul o i s de e mine
wha hese indi iduals ep esen bo h socially and cha ac e is ically. In The Cowboy He o:
His Image in Ame ican His o y and Cul u e, William Sa age asse s ha cowboys a e
“popula ly accep ed by Ame icans as a symbol, indica i e o his s a u e as my h” (3). Wha
his sugges s is ha wi hin Ame ican cul u e he cowboy is widely emb aced and ecognized.
The au ho u he explains how he cowboy “ ep esen s ugged indi idualism in bee
comme cials, unado ned masculini y in ciga e e ad e ising, and ul ima e he oism in ic ion
and ilm” (4). In sho , a cowboy is a man ull o sel - eliance, s oicism, manhood and b a e y
(Sa age).
I is no coincidence ha he same ea u es o masculini y ha e been epea ed when
desc ibing cowboys. As a ac , he la e and masculini y can be in e wined, since “among he
s e eo ypes wi h which Ame ican popula cul u e abounds, he cowboy is he embodimen o
masculini y” (95). This de ini ion o cowboys does no hing bu ein o ce he gende oles
p e iously men ioned. On op o ha , Sa age s a es how o masculini y, wo ds such as
“masculine”, “b a e”, “undaun ed”, “ wo is ed” and “cou ageous” a e conside ed
synonymous (95). Simila ly, o eminini y, wo ds like “womanish”, “sissy”, “un i ile”,
“ ende ”, “so ” and “namby-pamby” a e used in e changeably (95). O e all, his con as
highligh s how language shapes and pe pe ua es gende s e eo ypes. Sa age concludes by
implying ha “ o say ha he cowboy is he embodimen o masculini y is o acknowledge
simul aneously he in la iona y he o ic o image y (as i applies o men) and he
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subo dina ing he o ic o image y (as i applies o women)” (95). Wi h his, one can conclude
ha since masculini y and cowboys go hand in hand, he same s e eo ypes ha “B okeback
Moun ain” decons uc s o he o me a e applicable o he la e .
Howe e , le us add a li le bi mo e o he b eaking o cowboy s e eo ypes. As seen a
he beginning o his sec ion, cowboys apa om masculine ha e been his o ically po ayed
as he oic and ugged indi iduals. Ne e heless, “B okeback Moun ain” depa s om said
po ayals.
The na a i e p esen s Ennis and Jack as cowboys g appling wi h hei iden i ies and
social expec a ions. Thei s uggle wi h in e nalized homophobia and he ea o being
socially condemned a e cen al o he s o y, which emphasizes he human weakness and
ulne abili y behind he cowboy a che ype. Wha he na a i e migh y o demons a e wi h
his is ha he oism is no jus de ined by physical s eng h o b a e y, bu also by he cou age
o accep one’s own u h and iden i y.
Rega ding ugged indi idualism, “B okeback Moun ain” challenges his no ion by
p esen ing momen s o ende ness and in imacy be ween Ennis and Jack. Al hough he s o y
s a s wi h he p o agonis s wo king in he ugged wilde ness, he se ing hen changes o a
mo e domes ic en i onmen , sub e ing he idea ha cowboys a e de ined solely by hei
connec ion o he land and hei abili y o endu e ha sh condi ions. F om his, i can be
deduced ha ue s eng h lies no only in physical oughness bu also in emo ional esilience
and he capaci y o lo e.
To sum up, in “B okeback Moun ain”, adi ional s e eo ypes associa ed wi h cowboys
a e challenged, o e ing a mo e complex and human iew o hese cha ac e s. Th ough he
ela ionship be ween Ennis and Jack, he na a i e shows how cowboys a e no simply he oic,
ugged igu es, bu ulne able indi iduals s uggling wi h hei iden i ies and social
expec a ions. Ul ima ely, “B okeback Moun ain” in i es eade s and iewe s o ques ion
s e eo ypes and ecognize he complexi y and di e si y wi hin he cowboy iden i y.
4.3. Sexuali y and Roman ic Rela ionships
To unde s and why he s o y b eaks down s e eo ypes ega ding sexuali y and
oman ic ela ionships, i is impo an o emembe how socie y ea ed homosexuals in he
pe iod when he na a i e akes place. As seen in Ennis’ cha ac e analysis, one o his
neighbo s was killed me ely o being gay, which clea ly shows how socie y condemned
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homosexuali y in he 60s. This unde sco es he exclusion su e ed by hose who de ia ed
om wha was accep ed by socie y in he pe iod when he na a i e is se . Bea ing his in
mind, “B okeback Moun ain” e ec i ely decons uc s adi ional no ions o oman ic
ela ionships and sexuali y h ough i s po ayal o a homosexual ela ionship and he
e ol ing emo ional connec ion be ween Ennis and Jack.
Bo h he sho s o y and he ilm openly discuss he gay ela ionship be ween he wo
p o agonis s, wi h a aw and ealis ic depic ion o sex scenes be ween hem. The i s sexual
encoun e be ween he wo cowboys is e y in ense, showcasing no only hei desi es bu
also hei con usion and ea abou hese eelings. The a o emen ioned is desc ibed as ollows:
Ennis (...) wan ed none o i when Jack seized his le hand and b ough i o his e ec cock. Ennis je ked
his hand away as hough he’d ouched i e, go o his knees, unbuckled his bel , sho ed his pan s down,
hauled Jack on o all ou s, and, wi h he help o he clea slick and a li le spi , en e ed him (...) Ennis
woke in ed dawn wi h his pan s a ound his knees, a op-g ade headache, and Jack bu ed agains him;
wi hou saying any hing abou i , bo h knew how i would go o he es o he summe , sheep be damned
(...) They ne e alked abou he sex, le i happen, a i s only in he en a nigh , hen in he ull dayligh
wi h he ho sun s iking down, and a e ening in he i e glow, quick, ough, laughing and sno ing, no
lack o noises, bu saying no a goddam wo d excep once Ennis said, “I’m no no quee ,” and Jack
jumped in wi h “Me nei he . A one-sho hing. Nobody’s business bu ou s. (P oulx)
This sequence is c ucial when dealing wi h he decons uc ion o sexuali y since i
desc ibes in de ail he sexual ac be ween wo men. Simila ly, he ilm is qui e explici when
ep esen ing Ennis and Jack’s sexual encoun e s, displaying he desi e hey ha e o each
o he bu also he ea hey ha e o doing some hing ha socie y o bids (see ig. 4).
Fig. 4. “Jack and Ennis in ima e”, Ang Lee, B okeback Moun ain, 2005.
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The s o y is no jus a simple ep esen a ion o sex be ween men, bu also an
explo a ion o hei emo ional in imacy. Jack and Ennis’ ela ionship, which expands o e wo
decades, su i es despi e hei pe sonal s uggles and he social cons ain s o hei pe iod.
The way in which hey y o balance hei ex e nal li es wi h hei lo e s o y does no hing
bu expose he impac socie y has on hem and on hei ela ionship.
Mo eo e , he p o agonis s’ ela ionships wi h hei wi es and wi h each o he a e
highly con as ing. Thei ma iages, ca ied o wa d because o social expec a ions, a e
ma ked by he lack o passion and in imacy ha de ines hei ela ionship wi h each o he .
This dispa i y no only highligh s he au hen ici y o Ennis and Jack’s eelings o each o he ,
bu also c i icizes he social no ms ha o ce indi iduals o li e a li e a om he one hey
wan o li e.
By combining he explici po ayal o sex scenes wi h Enni and Jack’s deep emo ional
connec ion, “B okeback Moun ain” e ec i ely decons uc s adi ional s e eo ypes on
oman ic ela ionships and sexuali y. By depic ing a homosexual lo e s o y wi h complexi y
and since i y, he na a i e no only c i icizes conse a i e social no ms, bu also challenges
adi ional iews on ela ionships.
5. Cul u al Impac o “B okeback Moun ain”
This sec ion a emp s o analyze he cul u al impac o “B okeback Moun ain” by
conside ing bo h posi i e and nega i e e iews. Fi s ly, he na a i e’s and ilm’s c i ical
success and widesp ead accep ance will be explo ed. Secondly, he nega i e eedback and
socie al esis ance he ilm aced, including censo ship and bans will be examined. Finally, he
posi i e and nega i e aspec s will be combined o demons a e he s o y’s signi ican impac
on cul u e.
5.1. P aise and Recogni ion
S a ing o by he c i ical acclaim, Pe e B adshaw’s e iew in The Gua dian se es
as an example o he widesp ead ecogni ion bo h he sho s o y and he ilm o “B okeback
Moun ain” ecei ed. B adshaw p aises P oulx’s na a i e, which he desc ibes as “al eady
bea ing he bu densome epu a ion o being he bes sho s o y e e o be published in The
New Yo ke magazine”. His e iew unde lines he signi ican impac and con ibu ion o
Ame ican li e a u e he sho s o y has had.
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Rega ding he ilm, B adshaw con inues in a simila pa h. He p aises he ilm o i s
“ ich, spacious, passiona e way o showing, no elling, eelings ha da e no speak hei name
- and doing so wi h supe b in elligence and magni icen candou ”. This e iew unde sco es
he ilm’s success ul adap a ion o he o iginal na a i e’s deep and emo ional hemes,
ga he ing acclaim o i s a is ic exp ession and nuanced s o y elling.
Fu he mo e, F ank Rich’s e iew adds ano he laye o he acclaim o B okeback
Moun ain. W i ing o The New Yo k Times, Rich con ex ualizes he ilm wi hin a b oade
cul u al amewo k. In his wo ds, “Whe he i p o es a mo ie o he ages o as ansien as
‘Lo e S o y,’ i is a landma k in he oubled his o y o Ame ica’s ela ionship o
homosexuali y. I b ings some hing di e en o he pop cul u e ma ke place a jus he pi o al
momen o ca ch a wa e”. Wi h his e iew, Rich highligh s he ilm’s impac on socie y and
i s powe o shape public opinions abou homosexuali y and LGBT+ issues.
In addi ion o ecei ing c i ical acclaim, he ilm adap a ion o “B okeback Moun ain”
did e y well in he box o ice. As Box O ice Mojo ecoun s, he ilm was a comme cial
success and g ossed mo e han $178 million wo ldwide, a exceeding he ini ial budge o
$14 million. The ilm’s box o ice pe o mance u he s eng hened i s s a us no only as a
c i ical success bu also as a inancial iumph.
The ilm ecei ed plen y o nomina ions and awa ds as well. IMDb de ails how he
mo ie go up o 141 wins and 133 nomina ions, he mos ema kable ones being he Osca s,
he BAFTAs and he SAG Awa ds. A he 2006 Academy Awa ds, he ilm ecei ed eigh
nomina ions and won h ee Osca s, including Bes Di ec o o Ang Lee and Bes Adap ed
Sc eenplay. I s success con inued a he Golden Globe Awa ds, whe e he ilm ea ned se en
nomina ions and ou wins, including Bes Mo ion Pic u e – D ama. The ilm also c ushed he
BAFTAs wi h nine nomina ions and ou wins, u he solidi ying i s success. Addi ionally,
B okeback Moun ain ecei ed ecogni ion a he SAG Awa ds. As a esul o all he
nomina ions and wins he ilm ecei ed, B okeback Moun ain became a cinema ic
mas e piece celeb a ed o i s emo ional s o y elling and ou s anding pe o mances.
5.2. Con o e sies and C i icism
E en hough he ilm was highly acclaimed, nega i e e iews and a i udes su aced
amids i s ecogni ion. B okeback Moun ain aced backlash and censo ship in ce ain egions,
e lec ing social ensions and esis ance agains i s con o e sial subjec ma e .
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Rega ding he nega i e esponses i ecei ed, he ilm was mos ly c i icized o i s
challenging po ayal o aboo opics and i s explo a ion o an LGBT+ ela ionship. In hei
s udy, B enda Coope and Edwa d Pease collec nume ous e iews o he ilm, including one
by S ephen Benne , who exp essed his discon en wi h B okeback Moun ain by u e ing:
“Wha a sad day in Ame ica when a mo ie ha glo i ies homosexuali y, adul e y, dange ous
and deadly unp o ec ed anal sex and decep ion is up o Bes Pic u e o he Yea ” (250). This
e iew implies s ong disapp o al and condemna ion o he ilm o i s po ayal o hemes
ela ed o homosexuali y, adul e y, and isky sexual beha io .
Apa om his, he ilm was also seen as a lack o espec o cowboys. In Da id
Kupelian’s wo ds, “Hollywood has now aped he Ma lbo o Man. I has aken a e e ed
symbol o Ame ica— he cowboy—wi h all he powe ul emo ions and associa ions ha a e
oo ed deep down in he pionee ing Ame ican soul, and g a ed on o i a sel -des uc i e
li es yle i wan s o o ce down Ame icans’ h oa s” (as quo ed in Coope and Pease 250).
This e iew sugges s a eeling o cul u al be ayal and ange owa ds B okeback Moun ain.
Kupelian sees he ilm as a dis o ion o he conse a i e image o he cowboy, which is
deeply oo ed in Ame ican iden i y. By depic ing cowboys in a homosexual ela ionship, he
iews he ilm as a h ea o his adi ional symbol.
Con inuing wi h he nega i e esponses ha he ilm ecei ed, B okeback Moun ain
u he deal wi h censo ship issues in a ious egions a ound he wo ld, p ima ily in coun ies
and a eas wi h conse a i e ideologies. The ilm was banned in China because o i s
“sensi i e opic” and because “conse a i e censo s ejec discussion o gay li es yle on
ele ision and in he mains eam media” (“China P aises Lee Despi e Moun ain Ban”).
Simila ly, in he Bahamas, he Film Con ol Boa d “chose o ban i because i shows ex eme
homosexuali y, nudi y and p o ani y” (“Bahamas ‘B okeback Moun ain’ Ban D aws I e”).
The ilm also su e ed es ic ions in i s own coun y. La y Mille , a cinema owne in Sandy,
canceled showings o he ilm because, in his wo ds, “ge ing away om he adi ional
amilies, which I look a as he undamen al building block o ou socie y, is a e y dange ous
hing” (“U ah Thea e Owne Speaks Ou on Canceling B okeback Moun ain”).
5.3. Measu ing he Cul u al Impac
The a ied ecep ions “B okeback Moun ain” ecei ed unde sco e i s cul u al impac .
As a ac , bo h i s acclaim and c i icism se e o demons a e how Ennis and Jack’s lo e s o y
challenges cul u al no ms. The c i ical acclaim o “B okeback Moun ain” p aises i s po ayal
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o a o bidden lo e and i s emo ional dep h. The s o y’s posi i e ecep ion and ecogni ion in
di e en awa d shows demons a e ha “B okeback Moun ain” can go beyond adi ional
na a i es and ha e a p o ound emo ional impac on audiences.
Con e sely, c i icism and censo ship o i s ilm adap a ion demons a e he social
bounda ies i unde wen . The nega i e e iews condemn he ilm o i s po ayal o aboo
opics such as homosexuali y and adul e y. Fu he mo e, he ilm’s censo ship and bans in
conse a i e egions showcase he cul u al esis ance i aced. These a i udes unde line he
s o y’s powe o con on social no ms and challenge p e ailing a i udes owa d LGBT+
issues. In essence, he posi i e and nega i e a i udes on “B okeback Moun ain” con ibu e o
a b oade dialogue on ep esen a ion and social change.
Ha ing seen his, we could say ha “B okeback Moun ain” spa ked dialogues on
LGBT+ igh s, masculini y and cowboys, and oman ic ela ionships beyond adi ional
no ms, con ibu ing o a b oade social discou se on hese issues. I s po ayal o a
homosexual ela ionship be ween wo cowboys seems o ha e challenged p e ailing
s e eo ypes and igge ed con e sa ions abou LGBT+ ep esen a ion. Fu he mo e, i is clea
ha he na a i e p omp ed discussions abou he cowboy a che ype and adi ional
masculini y. As a ac , Ennis’ and Jack’s emo ional dep h and in e nal s uggles de ied
con en ional no ions o masculini y and cowboys, challenging he idea ha men canno be
ulne able. By challenging social no ms and spa king meaning ul con e sa ions, he na a i e
con ibu ed o a b oade social discou se on di e si y and accep ance.
B inging i o he p esen day, “B okeback Moun ain” con inues o main ain i s legacy
and in luence in he con empo a y wo ld. Indeed, he ilm adap a ion was added o he US
Na ional Film Regis y by he Lib a y o Cong ess in 2018, which celeb a es in luen ial ilms
ha ha e been “cul u ally, his o ically o aes he ically signi ican ” (S oude). Fu he o his,
Jacob Sa kisian places he s o y as he “go- o gay mo ie”, which emphasizes i s endu ing
legacy as a seminal LGBT+ na a i e. He also s a es how “since he elease o Ang Lee’s
mo ie, quee ep esen a ion onsc een and behind he came a has inc eased subs an ially”,
acknowledging he signi ican in luence o he ilm on he inc ease o quee ep esen a ion in
he ilm indus y. He inishes by saying ha B okeback Moun ain will “always be a
game-changing mo ie, and i will always be emembe ed as a mo ie ha was, a he ime,
e olu iona y and bold and powe ul”. This quo e pe ec ly summa izes he endu ing
signi icance o “B okeback Moun ain” as a g oundb eaking LGBT+ s o y.
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6. Conclusions
This disse a ion se ou o analyze he cul u al impac o “B okeback Moun ain” and
o explo e i s decons uc ion o adi ional no ions o oman ic ela ionships, masculini y, and
cowboys. In o de o p o ide a socie al amewo k, he cul u al backg ound has been he i s
hing o be de ined. By analyzing he socie y o he ime in which he s o y and he ilm we e
published, as well as by looking a he wo ks p io o “B okeback Moun ain”, sec ion 2 has
been help ul in p o iding a cul u al con ex .
Sec ion 3 has del ed in o he s o y i sel , p o iding a nuanced explo a ion o i s
hemes and p o agonis s. The key hemes o o bidden lo e, homophobia, sexual iden i y, and
masculini y ha e eme ged as cen al o his disse a ion. The cha ac e analyses o Ennis and
Jack ha e u he con ex ualized he ea s and s uggles o wo men who wan ed o li e hei
lo e s o y in a ime when ha was no accep ed.
Going back o he pu pose o his disse a ion, sec ions 4 and 5 a e he ones which
ha e add essed he disse a ion’s aims, by p o ing “B okeback Moun ain” as bo h a
challenge o adi ional s e eo ypes and also a cul u ally impac ul wo k. Sec ion 4, which
has del ed in o he decons uc ion o masculini y, cowboys, sexuali y and ela ionships, has
placed “B okeback Moun ain” as a g oundb eaking wo k a emo ed om conse a i e
con en ions. Fi s ly, i has been demons a ed how men can be emo ional and ulne able,
challenging he idea ha men ha e o always be s ong and b a e. Secondly, Ennis and Jack
ha e been mo ed away om he adi ional cowboy a che ype, since hey a e ha dly depic ed
as ugged o he oic. Finally, he na a i e has been a sa e space o po ay he sexual
encoun e s and he ela ionship be ween wo men. Ul ima ely, sec ion 4 has achie ed one o
he aims o his disse a ion, which was o show ha “B okeback Moun ain” does indeed
b eak cul u al no ms.
Sec ion 5 has been in cha ge o labeling “B okeback Moun ain” as socially signi ican .
In ac , bo h i s posi i e and nega i e e iews unde line he s o y’s powe o con on social
no ms and challenge p e ailing adi ional iews on ela ionships, masculini y and cowboys.
I s nomina ions and awa ds on he one hand and i s censo ship and bans on he o he u he
demons a e he cul u al impac o “B okeback Moun ain”. Addi ionally, he s o y con inues
o be a g oundb eaking wo k in he p esen day, ea i ming i s endu ing in luence and legacy.
In sho , sec ion 5 has demons a ed he cul u al signi icance o “B okeback Moun ain”,
which was ano he o he aims o his disse a ion.
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