Sunday, July 31, 2011
Annie Proulx, Brokeback Mountain, Aguirre and Cato
Annie Proulx in her short story "Brokeback Mountain" chose as a last name for the ranch boss the Irish surname "Aguirre." I searched and found the Aguirre coat-of-arms which has for its motto one of Cato's sayings (paraphrased) - "If you must give up ALL ELSE at least be certain to retain your honor." That motto fits into the grand scheme of the story. I would love to know if Annie Proulx was conscious of this motto and deliberately chose the surname Aguirre.
