The title of this novel, “The Wars” is illusory. Upon first glance, it makes one expect a protagonist who goes to an actual war, uses physical strength to fight on the battlefield and becomes a war hero.While part of that is true, there are also other significances of the war associated with this title. This novel recounts the journey of the protagonist, Robert Ross as he starts out as a shy, introvert and an inexperienced person before he goes to war; he experiences a change in himself as a result of the people and the battle(s) that he fights with the factors in his surroundings. Therefore, “The Wars” doesn’t necessarily mean the war with the enemy but it includes the wars at home, wars against nature and wars of relationships. Which …show more content…
is why, perhaps, the book is called “The Wars” and not just The War. Firstly, the wars of domestic life are a significant part of shaping Robert’s personality and attitude before war. It pushes Robert to embark on the journey of self-discovery. The recent death of his sister, Rowena, who dies from falling out of her wheelchair, leaves a heavy effect on Robert’s mind. He was supposed to take care of her but he had acted irresponsibly which results in her death. As he is constantly exposed to her sister’s memories and the guilt of not taking care of her, Robert Ross enlists in the army in order to escape it.His mother, Mrs. Ross is not a nurturing mother. She is an alcoholic and appears to be in depression. She lives her own world of perceptions and hallucinations and did not care about anybody else.Robert’s mother is not happy with him going to war. She breaches his privacy when he is in the bathtub one day to let him know that she will not always be there for him. In a way, she disowns him when she says, “I know you’re going to go away and be a soldier. Well—you can go to hell... I’m just another stranger. Birth I can give you—but life I cannot. I can’t keep anyone alive. Not any more” (Findley, 23). This mentally disturbs Robert and his ability to cope with his surroundings at home. This kind of psychological pain was another factor that motivated Robert to join the army. Secondly, the battles fought against the destructive forces of nature play a key role in influencing Robert’s character.
The four elements of nature - fire, water, earth and air - are frequently mentioned in association with Robert. Just like his family life, these destructive forces of nature are responsible for impacting the thoughts and mindsets of not just Robert but many characters throughout this novel. The four elements are portrayed in a positive way or negative way depending on the atmosphere. Fire would be a good example of this because it is a common element which has both positive and negative effects on the characters. This is shown by the quote, “The next thing he knew, he was naked and wrapped in a blanket and seated by a fire” (Findley, 89). Here, fire brings warmth and much-needed respite to all the characters that are seated around it. Even in the chaos of the war, the characters are able to feel comfortable and amuse each other. This way, the author creates a positive image of fire. Conversely, fire is illustrated in a negative way through this quote, “She told him the man (Captain Villiers) had been trapped in a fire and his vocal cords destroyed when he’d swallowed the flames” (Findley, 107). Here, the author emphasizes on the destruction that fire can cause especially during war. The invention of the flamethrower is very reminiscent of this. The mayhem caused by the element “Earth” is noteworthy. The dugouts that Robert resides in have become a “second home” for him. Meeting Poole, Rodwell, Devlin and Bonnycastle here makes Robert feel accepted and secure. When the landmines start to blow up near the dugouts, the author uses strong words to emphasize the demolition as revealed here, “His mouth and nostrils were clogged with Earth” (Findley, 121). Here, Findley’s signifies that Robert’s life is in peril caused by the collapsing dugouts. Robert is deeply disturbed as he has again lost a safe
place. Lastly, as the novel progresses, Robert’s fight to maintain his social and love life is very evident of the development of his character. His social and love life can be considered as one in some ways. Perhaps the most accurate example of this is his friendship with Harris which is often mistakenly perceived as “love” by others. When Robert first meets Harris on the ship, he instantly befriends Harris and the two continue their friendship on good terms. Even when Robert is at war, certain people’s actions remind him of Harris as conveyed through this quote, “Poole’s breathing was harsh and liquid...It reminded Robert of Harris—and that was the last thing he needed reminding of. All he wanted was a dream. Escape.” (Findley, 102). This displays how Robert and Harris have established a strong bond. The two are like “brothers” who share their thoughts, sorrows, struggles and etc. In addition to his friendship with Harris, Robert also has a strong connection with animals. He finds them as innocent and harmless like his sister, Rowena. Throughout the novel, Robert feels sympathy for animals and even in dire situations he cannot stop himself from helping them. Robert is willing to go to the extreme to save these animals when he says, “I am going to break ranks and save these animals.It cannot be called disobedience to save these animals when they’ll be needed, for God’s sake, half an hour after this is over” (Findley, 201-202). Here, cruelty towards an animal impacts Robert’s sense of innocence as it reminded him of Rowena and Harris. It breaks his heart that harmless animals are in jeopardy during the war for no reason. Perhaps, in the process of saving animals he wants to save himself. But as we see in the end, his benevolence ends up putting him in danger. Furthermore, a specific excerpt from the quote noted in the paragraph above can be related to Frye’s lecture on Vocation of Eloquence. “All he wanted was a dream. Escape.” In this case, Robert thinks that he is deprived of dreams. He compares dreams to distance and himself to a long distance runner by the name of Longboat. He imagines a utopian world in which he desires to be like Longboat and he wishes to run constantly. Frye’s definition of the “second” world is extremely relevant in this scenario. In conclusion, Robert’s character finally develops a sense of accomplishment as he struggles through the external and internal wars. Looking at the broader picture, connections and parallels can be drawn between Robert’s journey and the chapter “Every Trip Is a Quest” presented in the book “How To Read Literature Like a Professor” by Thomas C. Foster. Foster states that, “The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason. … The real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge” (Foster, 13). This theme proves to be relevant in Findley’s novel. Robert, being indecisive and immature, joins army only to escape the guilt of Rowena’s death and the dark atmosphere at home but the brutality of war changes him completely.On the quest for self-discovery, Robert is forced to face his fears and make decisions for himself. Findley effectively portrays the physical and mental effects of war on him, but Robert emerges out as a hero because he did not let the wars kill his sense of purity in the world. An ordinary person would choose to save his own life given the difficult circumstances of war. Robert, too, could have lived a long life if he did not care to save the horses but even within the chaos of the war, he chooses to release the horses as an expression of his own freedom. Robert learns to retain the hope for that utopian world of love, innocence and harmony.
Throughout The Wars, there are many characters introduced that have their own personal internal or even external battles that they face during their time being represented in the novel. Two such characters are Robert Ross who is depicted as the main character of the book and his mother Mrs. Ross who also plays a large part in the story. These two face similar and different wars that they lose and win at different turns. The mother must face her internal struggle with sending her son off to war to most likely die in the name of king and country. She may not have sent him, but he did choose to go and she couldn’t make him change his mind this led to many scenes of her coming to grips with losing her second child in only a few years after her eldest daughter Rowena, who was very sickly and delicate, had a bad fall and passed away.
Is it true Americans are rightfully notorious for creating inaccurate paradigms of what really happened in historical events Americans are tied to? Has America ever censored historical events in order to protect Americans innocent democratic reputation? After reading, “The Best War Ever” by Michael C.C Adams, I have found the answers to these questions to be yes. Some of the myths that Adams addresses in his book include: 1. America was innocent in world war two and was an ever acting protagonist in the war; 2. World war two or any war for that matter can be, or is a “good war” and bring prosperity to America; 3. War world two brought unity to Americans.
Robert leaves from London to Waterloo where he rides by train and reaches a town called Magdalene Wood. It is here when he realizes that he has been separated with his bag. Robert is now left without rations, clean clothing, and his gun. Magdalene Wood lies about 12 miles from Bailleul. Robert decides he wants to make it before sunrise so he must walk the remainder of the way. Soon Robert joined two horsemen and rode the remainder of the way.
“Every war is everyone’s war”... war will bring out the worst in even the strongest and kindest people. The book tells about how ones greed for something can destroy everything for both people and animals leaving them broken beyond repair, leaving them only with questions… Will they ever see their family again? Will they ever experience what it’s like to
Throughout Timothy Findley’s The Wars novel, Robert Ross has a special connection to nature and wildlife. He is happiest when connected to the animal world, especially horses. By the end of the novel, Robert realizes he has no regard for human life, instead he feels peace and belonging when he is with animals and will do anything to protect them even if it costs him his life. The animals Robert has a special connection to the most and contribute to his ties to nature getting stronger are the coyote, the horses, and the dog.
Robert Ross is a sensitive, private boy; last person you would expect to sign up to fight in World War One. In The Wars by Timothy Findley, symbols are used in conjunction with Ross’ story to cause readers to reflect on symbols in their own lives, and to allow then to dive deeper into the world of an innocent boy who is placed into a cruel war. The various symbols in The Wars provide for a graphic and reflective reading experience by emphasizing Robert’s connection with nature, his past, and his experiences during the war.
"A picture is worth a thousand words," we say. From the eyes and mind of the archivist studying the pictures of Robert Ross' experience with war, they are worth a lot more. The photographs in the epilogue of Timothy Findley's "The Wars" play an important role in Findley establishing both a trust with the reader, and a sense of realism to his war story. This satisfies the need for realism in his tale. The result of this image that is brought forth through the medium of the photograph, is that we are forced to see the "before" and "after" of Roberts "experience" and figure out our way through what is deposited in between: the cause and effect.
The Wars by Timothy Findley is an anti-war novel set during the First World War. The novel follows Robert Ross, a Canadian military officer, as he suffers through the horrors of the war both on and off the battlefield. As the novel progresses, Robert evolves from an innocent young man to a deeply troubled and broken individual. This loss of innocence plays a great role in Robert’s development as a character and is highlighted by his experiences with sex and death, experiences that eventually leads to his downfall.
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
The Wars written by Timothy Findley shares a great relation to many of the ideas surrounding postmodern society, thus implementing many of the prominent ideas of the time around politics and societal norms into the plot of the story itself. Findley successfully depicts the plot of the novel taking place in the early 1900's; a time in which the western world was emerging from an industrial revolution, bringing radically foreign ideas on politics in the world, including the materialization of the Marxist political theory. The seemingly negative reception of the Marxist theory has denied it the right as a valid political view. One thing that cannot be denied is that a majority of the foundational ideas of the theory, describe basic human society and nature very accurately, which is something Findley explores in depth. The ideologies of power, class, and struggle are key factors in Marxism. These are the ideas that usually dictate; many of the actions that we make as people and in the journey's that we encounter in our lives. "Marxism attempts to reveal the ways in which our socioeconomic system is the ultimate source of our experience" (Tyson 277). The protagonist in The Wars ,Robert Ross, is an example of this experience. He is a young man from an elitist family that encounters these ideologies throughout his journey. The archetypal journey of Robert Ross in The Wars contains many elements of political theory from Marxism, showcased through the class system, the distinction between the oppressors and the oppressed, and the revolutionary actions that occur.
The Struggles in life is something everyone is faced with whether it is physical, emotional mental or personal struggles. These struggles are capable of shaping an individual’s personality and outlook on life. Timothy Findley’s novel The Wars, shows that struggles lead to the character’s ultimate inner struggles, outer struggles and self-discovery. War exists in a person’s physical and psychological aspects. In The Wars, Robert Ross goes to war and fights a personal and physical battle.
War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, written by the talented author Chris Hedges, gives us provoking thoughts that are somewhat painful to read but at the same time are quite personal confessions. Chris Hedges, a talented journalist to say the least, brings nearly 15 years of being a foreign correspondent to this book and subjectively concludes how all of his world experiences tie together. Throughout his book, he unifies themes present in all wars he experienced first hand. The most important themes I was able to draw from this book were, war skews reality, dominates culture, seduces society with its heroic attributes, distorts memory, and supports a cause, and allures us by a constant battle between death and love.
stress and fear by the men at the front in the First World War. In
The simple definition of war is a state of armed competition, conflict, or hostility between different nations or groups; however war differs drastically in the eyes of naive children or experienced soldiers. Whether one is a young boy or a soldier, war is never as easy to understand as the definition. comprehend. There will inevitably be an event or circumstance where one is befuddled by the horror of war. For a young boy, it may occur when war first breaks out in his country, such as in “Song of Becoming.” Yet, in “Dulce et Decorum Est” it took a man dying in front of a soldier's face for the soldier to realize how awful war truly is. Both “Song of Becoming” and “Dulce et Decorum Est” are poems about people experiencing the monstrosity of war for the first time. One is told from the perspective of young boys who were stripped of their joyful innocence and forced to experience war first hand. The other is from the perspective of a soldier, reflecting on the death of one of his fellow soldiers and realizing that there is nothing he can do to save him. While “Song of Becoming” and “Dulce et Decorum Est” both focus on the theme of the loss of innocence, “Song of Becoming” illustrates how war affects the lives of young boys, whereas “Dulce et Decorum Est” depicts the affect on an experienced soldier.
The abundant animal imagery in Timothy Findley's book The Wars is used to develop characterization and theme. The protagonist, Robert Ross, has a deep connection with animals that reflects his personality and the situations that he faces. This link between Robert and the animals shows the reader that human nature is not much different than animal nature.