Timothy Findley Creates a fictional world through his novels, where readers can relate to the situations and characters. The protagonists that Findley creates are often similar and connected to the hardships that they eventually encounter and defeat or that which they are defeated by. Findley takes his readers back in time to the First World War, displaying his knowledge of history and research, where the hardships of a young soldier’s battles internally and externally are brought to the reader’s attention in his historical-fiction novel The Wars. Findley writes about the reality and absurdity of the First World War, and takes the reader’s on a journey through the active reading process to find what is “sane” and “Insane” throughout the duration of the novel. Following the journey of the protagonist, Robert Ross as he enlists in the Canadian Army after the death of his sister Rowena, and undoubtedly is the turning point of the text and ideally where Findley initiates the active reading process, and where the contents placed in the story by Findley, are analyzed and opinionated based on the reader’s perception and subjectivity of truth. Essayist Anne Reynolds writes “ Findley manages, through technical prowess, to combine Hemingway-like choices of clear moment searing horror and truth at the battlefront with scenes depicting the effects of war on the families and lovers of the soldiers.” (Reynolds, 4) According to Reynolds Findley has been able to display the absurdity and affect that not only the First World War has caused but the ludicrousness war in general has caused the families of soldiers, and society as a whole. Using the literary theory of deconstruction many aspects and scenarios in The Wars can be analyzed, as Fin...
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...d died. Like that.” (Findley, 103-104) Perhaps this scene is where readers are changing their perceptions of death, changing their “truths” and the way death is viewed. Harris’ death proves that death even though it is occasionally fearful; there are moments where death is nothing to fear. Findley deconstructs the aspect of death in this these sections to prove that death is more than just “dying”, also that “death” can be peaceful and valued just as much as life. Thus Findley deconstructs life and death by justifying that death can be just as pleasing and meaningful as life.
In conjunction with deconstructing life and death, Timothy Findley also deconstructs what is “Wrong and right”
Works Cited
HOTTOIS, Gilbert, De la Renaissance à la Postmodernité. Une histoire de la philosophie moderne et contemporaine, Paris and Brussels: De Boeck and Larcier, 1998
In An American Soldier in World War I, David Snead examines account of George Browne, a civil engineer who fought as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I. Snead shares Browne’s account of the war through the letters he wrote to his fiancé Martha Ingersoll Johnson. Through Browne’s letters and research conducted of the AEF, Snead gives a concise, informative, and harrowing narrative of life as a soldier serving in the camps and front lines of the Great War. Snead attempts to give the reader an understanding of Browne’s service by focusing on his division, the 42nd Division, their training and preparation, combat on the front lines, and the effects of war on George and Martha’s relationship. As Snead describes, “Brownie’s letters offer a view of the experiences of an American soldier. He described the difficulties of training, transit to and from France, the dangers and excitement of combat, and the war’s impact on relationships.” (Browne 2006, 2) Furthermore, he describes that despite the war’s effect on their relationship, “their
Many war stories today have happy, romantic, and cliche ending; many authors skip the sad, groosom, and realistic part of the story. W. D. Howell’s story, Editha and Ambrose Bierce’s story, An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge both undercut the romantic plots and unrealistic conclusions brought on by many stories today. Both stories start out leading the reader to believe it is just another tpyical love-war senario, but what makes them different is the one-hundred and eighty degrees plot twist at the end of each story. In the typical love-war story the soldier would go off to war, fighting for his country, to later return safely to his family typically unscaved.
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.
In the history of modern western civilization, there have been few incidents of war, famine, and other calamities that severely affected the modern European society. The First World War was one such incident which served as a reflection of modern European society in its industrial age, altering mankind’s perception of war into catastrophic levels of carnage and violence. As a transition to modern warfare, the experiences of the Great War were entirely new and unfamiliar. In this anomalous environment, a range of first hand accounts have emerged, detailing the events and experiences of the authors. For instance, both the works of Ernst Junger and Erich Maria Remarque emphasize the frightening and inhumane nature of war to some degree – more explicit in Jünger’s than in Remarque’s – but the sense of glorification, heroism, and nationalism in Jünger’s The Storm of Steel is absent in Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Instead, they are replaced by psychological damage caused by the war – the internalization of loss and pain, coupled with a sense of helplessness and disconnectedness with the past and the future. As such, the accounts of Jünger and Remarque reveal the similar experiences of extreme violence and danger of World War I shared by soldiers but draw from their experiences differing ideologies and perception of war.
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.
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
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.
Many people say that the metal of a man is found in his ability to keep his ideals in spite of anything that life can through at you. If a man is found to have done these things he can be called a hero. Through a lifelong need to accept responsibility for all living things, Robert Ross defines his heroism by keeping faith with his ideals despite the betrayal, despair and tragedy he suffers throughout the course of The Wars by Timothy Findley.
...r Addie it is torture, for Anse it is a way to profit, and for Dewey Dell it is a solution. By crafting such intricate dealings with death, Faulkner also challenges the reader to assess what death means to them, and how death can fulfill multiple roles in life. Through new criticism which examines the relationships between a text's ideas and its form, and just doing a close reading of the text the reader is forced to look at As I lay Dying in a whole new meaning. The reader is also confronted with how the most dire and tragic events can produce the greatest humor, forcing us to question not only the thin line between tragedy and comedy but also what the individual perceives to be entertaining. This mixture of death and humor is intoxicating to the reader, and effectively entraps them within the world of the characters, their pain, and what it means to be human.
Irena Sendlerowa proved herself as a hero when she saved 2,500 jewish children from the holocaust. During an interview she stated “I was taught by my father that when someone is drowning you don't ask if they can swim, you just jump in and help” ( www.yadvashem.org ). This shows she believe that if a person needs help you don't look at their race or ask what they believe in you just help them. She smuggled the Jewish children out of the ghetto in boxes and bags in the back of delivery trucks and ambulances. Hopeful that the children could reunite with their families after the war was over, she kept records of the children’s
War has been a constant part of human history. It has greatly affected the lives of people around the world. These effects, however, are extremely detrimental. Soldiers must shoulder extreme stress on the battlefield. Those that cannot mentally overcome these challenges may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sadly, some resort to suicide to escape their insecurities. Soldiers, however, are not the only ones affected by wars; family members also experience mental hardships when their loved ones are sent to war. Timothy Findley accurately portrays the detrimental effects wars have on individuals in his masterpiece The Wars.
Animals come to represent, both purity and the relationship human beings have with the world. Animals play a key role in Timothy Findley’s novel, The Wars, whether it's for the interference, necessity, affection or compassion towards the characters. In The Wars, several characters share this close bond with the animals, that serve to emphasize the different qualities of each character’s personality. The animals connect with the main character, Robert Ross, in ways that reflect his uncommon character and the obstacles that he faces throughout the war. Robert enlists into the army as a Canadian soldier, shortly after the tragic death of his younger sister, Rowena. Throughout the novel, Robert grows a connection with the soldiers in the dugout and to several animals he meets along his journey. Many of the characters highlighted by Timothy Findley, have a deep respect and admiration for the natural world, despite having the setting taken place during the war. Yet it is between all, Robert Ross feels the greatest reverence and appreciation for the animals. The link between Robert Ross and the animals such as, rabbits, horses, coyotes and birds, shows the reader that human nature is not much different from animal’s nature.
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.
Throughout the history of literature, history itself has influenced countless pieces of script. Many social norms changed and thus, gave birth to the dawn of new stories. Stories from past battles or past conflicts seeped into the writings of authors all over the world. Having being set continents apart, Nadine Gordimer’s “Comrades,” and Honore de Balzac’s “The Conscript,” are an iridescent example of histories mark on stories. The two authors exemplify the dangers and struggles by using their own voice as they further the plot. The historical background of a text can influence the types of character, the central conflict and the overall setting as shown in Gordimer’s and Balzac’s short stories.
Most contemporary historians define the European early modern period from around the beginning of the sixteenth century, up until the commencements of the French Revolution of 1789. The ambiguity inherent in this apparent catch-all period is problematic, and invokes much debate and disagreement among historians. For the purpose of expediency, this paper will have its modernizing genesis in the thoughts of Mitchell Greenberg writing in the Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies. Greenberg states there was a common modernizing compulsion right across Europe during this time period ‘…marked by both a gen...