This essay examines the complexity of the love that develops between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, the protagonists of Brokeback Mountain. We argue that the heterosexist mindset of 1960s-80s American culture and lack of a nurturing and empathetic upbringing from fathers in particular preclude the establishment of a healthy openly public partnership between two men in love. Both Ennis and Jack struggle with emotional repression resulting from childhood abuse and the expectations of hypermasculinity.
