Rita Mae Brown once said “I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself,” defining that society should not define you, and explaining that you’re often driven to despair if you conform to the societal norms. The novel “Brokeback Mountain” by Annie Proulx and “The Fat Girl’ by Andre Dubus proves this concept by portraying the Protagonists as characters who are despondent throughout their journey while trying to battle with themselves and avoiding the thing they love for an acceptance in society. In Brokeback Mountain, Ennis is portrayed as a perplexed character not sure of his love for Jack because society characterizes it as an iniquitous deed. Whereas, in “Fat Girl” Louise, constantly fights an inner battle while…show more content… Friends and family can have a huge impact on how you view yourself. In both Brokeback Mountain and Fat Girl, the protagonists are affected by how their family members and friends view them. Both had parents who caused Ennis, and Louise to not accept who they were. In “Fat Girl” Louise’s mother constantly nagged her about her weight and expressed how no man would ever love her because of how overweight she was, her mother not even knowing her secret hated her daughter’s body and constantly brought Louise down, lowering her self-esteem. “In five years, you’ll be in high school and if you’re fat the boys won’t like you or ask you out.” (Page 125) Louise’s mother thought by commenting on her food intake, she was helping Louise however, she did not know about the secret closet, or bathroom where Louise ate what she desired. Louise could not fully accept herself and tried to diet many times because her own mother could not accept Louise how she was. However, she had her father who supported her, and wanted her to be happy and eat anything she wanted. “She should have both, her father would say.” (Page 126) In college after leaving her parents, Louise had Carrie who accepted her. “One night last week I woke up and smelled chocolate. You were eating chocolate in your bed, I wish you would eat it in front of me, Louise, whenever you like it.” (Page 129) After Louise heard Carrie’s comforting words, she started being less ashamed of her love for food, and started to accept herself more. Even though had a disappointed mother accepted her and her dad who still showed that he loved her, which made her be accept herself more than Ennis accepted himself. In Brokeback Mountain, Ennis could never accept his love for Jack, because he could never accept himself for being gay. Unlike Louise, Ennis had nobody who accepted his way of life, “I can’t be like them guys you see around
