Mother and Son in The Wars by Timothy Findley

World War One or “The War To End All Wars” was one of the most devastating events in the history of humankind. When looking back at such a gruesome war it is understandable that we might dwell on the key battles and tactics, which are often summarized by statistics on death tolls. However, we often forget that statistics create an illusion that warps our perception of death. As Stalin put it “One death is a tragedy, a million deaths is just a statistic”. In the novel “The Wars” by Timothy Findley, the author draws away from traditional war stories by showing a true appreciation for life that truly touches the reader on a human and emotional level. Timothy Findley narrows in something anyone can relate to: a loving mother worried about her son risking his life in a war. This mother in the “The Wars” is Mrs. Ross, who represents the home front while her son, Robert Ross, fights for the British in World War One. As the book progresses and Robert gets further into the death trap known as the “Great War”, Mrs. Ross becomes increasingly obsessive and connected to her son as his fate becomes more clear.

Throughout this novel, the reader is left with the task of putting the pieces together to a highly complex puzzle. While solving this puzzle, the reader learns valuable information about Mrs. Ross’s harsh past, which greatly influences her entire life. The root of Mrs. Ross’s troubles ultimately lies within the shocking death of “Mrs. Ross’s only brother, a boy called Monty Miles who had been killed while walking home…A wayward trolley left the tracks to strike him down” ( ). According to the narrator “The mourning had gone on for years”() and this event truly traumatized Mrs. Ross as “the world was full of trolley cars and Mrs. Ross ...

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...the novel Mrs. Ross and Robert are both left blind representing a physical embodiment of their discontent with the world. The tragic misfortunes they have witnessed throughout the novel culminated into an overwhelming darkness they have welcomed. Timothy Findley teaches the reader through Mrs. Ross, that the repercussions of the death of just one person, like Monty Miles, can traumatize a person forever. Mrs. Ross further emphasizes the holistic effect of war, especially on the families watching the doors for their sons return. Hence, Mrs. Ross’s relationship with her son throughout the course of the book, teaches us what it means to truly appreciate life. We sometimes look at war with a scope that does not allow us to comprehend what the loss of life truly means. However, in this novel we learn that life is truly sacred, especially in the eyes of a loving mother.