Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Homophobia and Fear

Alma and Ennis are antagonistic toward one another. And Jack makes an enemy with Aguirre, who won't rehire him. But the root of both these antagonistic relationships is homophobia and fear. Although, to be fair, Alma would probably be as angry with Ennis if he were cheating on her with a woman.

Ennis's main antagonist is homophobia. Both the homophobia that ran rampant in 20th Century Wyoming, and his own internalized homophobia and fear, which is reinforced by a traumatic childhood incident in which he witnessed the mutilated corpse of an older gay cowboy. He's afraid that something similar would happen to him, and that fear is a wall between him and Ennis that eventually drives them apart.