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Different perceptions of war
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Recommended: Different perceptions of war
ichael Zovak
Mrs. Fox-Comery
ENG 4U1
June 5, 2015
A Battle for Innocence in Timothy Findley’s The Wars
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.
In the beginning of the novel, Robert Ross is revealed to be a virgin, virginity being a timeless
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Robert lashes out because his mind “was challenged by something it could not accept” (40), a reaction Robert has later in the novel as well. In the early twentieth century, homosexuals were looked down upon by society and the thought of gay sex was appalling to most people, so Robert’s reaction when initially exposed to it is understandable. In this event, Robert is exposed to new ideas and feelings and realizes that with his profession he can no longer live the sheltered life he is accustomed to. Much later in the story, Robert is far more mature and is finally comfortable around women. Having already witnessed the horrors of the war, Robert is a different man. One of the final steps towards his maturity is his successful sexual encounter with Barbara d’Orsey. The encounter is described by the young Juliet d’Orsey who, like Robert had once thought, believes the two are hurting one another. Juliet believes “that Robert must be trying to kill her” (160). While Robert has lost most of his childhood innocence and become a man, Juliet is affected in the same way Robert was upon seeing Taffler in the brothel. Despite his successful encounter, Robert has one final sexual experience that ultimately pushes him to the edge of his sanity. …show more content…
Very early in the novel, Robert’s sister Rowena dies from a fall. Robert takes this accident personally, believing “It was Robert’s fault. Robert was her guardian” (16). Although Robert could have done nothing to prevent Rowena’s death, he takes it very personally and isolates himself from his family. The situation is made worse when his mother demands Robert kill his sister’s pet rabbits simply “Because a girl had died – and her rabbits had outlived her” (21). Although Robert does not kill the rabbits personally, they are killed regardless. Rowena’s rabbits rely on Robert to protect them, much like she relied on him, enhancing Robert’s sense of failure. This initial experience with death causes Robert to escape his previous life by joining the war, an unwise decision considering his initial reaction to death and violence. A similar event occurs while Robert is travelling across the Atlantic Ocean when he is told “one of them horses of yours has gone and broke its leg” (57). Robert is told that he must shoot the horse because “an officer had to do it. They were the only ones with guns” (57). Unlike the killing of the rabbits, Robert is required to kill the horse by himself. Robert displays a strong connection with animals throughout the novel and is appalled at the thought of killing
Robert does not agree with Harris' idea that humans evolved from animals, "he believe[s] that everything [is] as it [is]" and that "we were always men" (116). It is somewhat of a paradox that he takes this point of view considering that his link with animals is unusually strong. The notion that all living creatures are connected by the sea explains the close relationship between humans and animals in this novel.
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.
Sigmund Freud once argued that "our species has a volcanic potential to erupt in aggression . . . [and] that we harbour not only positive survival instincts but also a self-destructive 'death instinct', which we usually displace towards others in aggression" (Myers 666). Timothy Findley, born in 1930 in Toronto, Canada, explores our human predilection towards violence in his third novel, The Wars. It is human brutality that initiates the horrors of World War I, the war that takes place in this narrative. Findley dedicated this novel to the memory of his uncle, Thomas Irving Findley, who 'died at home of injuries inflicted in the First World War" (Cude 75) and may have propelled him to feel so strongly about "what people really do to one another" (Inside Memory 19). Findley feels a great fondness for animals, and this affection surfaces faithfully in many of his literary works. The Wars is a novel wrought with imagery, and the most often recurring pattern is that of animals. Throughout the novel, young Robert Ross' strong connection with animals is continually depicted in his encounters with the creatures. Findley uses Robert to reveal the many similarities between humans and animals. The only quality, which we humans do not appear to share with our animal counterparts, is our inexplicable predisposition to needless savagery.
While his connection with animals gets stronger; his bond with humans happens to fade away. He goes on a ship with other soldiers to go fight in the war. After Harris is taken ill, Robert then has to be the one responsible for taking care of the horses on the ship. Even though having to stay with the horses is a horrible duty of a soldier because of the smell, the insects, and the rats, “[Robert] found it was a marvelous cure for seasickness” (Findley 63). He enjoyed staying with the horses to the point where he “became completely disengaged from the other life on the upper deck. He even went below off duty” (Findley 63). Robert found himself a place where he belongs and is most comfortable in on that ship; not with humans but with the horses. After Robert spends a decent time with the horses, one of them has broken its leg, and Robert is called to shoot it since he is an officer with a gun. Robert hesitates and becomes nervous, “he has never squeezed a trigger against a living creature in the whole of his life” (Findley 64). Robert starts desperately thinking of ways to avoid what he had been asked to do. He thought to himself “why couldn’t Battery Sergeant-Major Joyce do this? Hadn’t he been in the army all his life?” (Findley 64). This demonstrates that Robert strongly does not want to be the one causing
Throughout the book, it is shown that Robert has a special connection with animals and the environment. The many animals he encounters throughout the story are symbols which reflect on him and his actions. After Robert accidentally kills the German sniper who spared the life of him and his men, he feels guilty for taking an innocent life. This is reflected in nature by the bird which “sang and sang and sang, till Robert rose and walked away. The sound of it would haunt him to the day he died.” (Findley 131) This scene uses the readers’ knowledge of Robert’s deep emotional connections with animals to emphasize the sadness and guilt that he felt after shooting the German. Robert is often shown as innocent and caring, traits he shares with animals. Rodwell realizes this and draws a picture of Robert in his sketchbook (otherwise full of animal sketches), although “the shading was not quite human” (Findley 138). In the sketch, Rodwell is able to show both the human and non-human side of Robert. Finally, Robert’s strong love for Rowena, his sister, is mainly because of her innocence. As a result of her disability, she is innocent and naïve like a child or animal; she relies on Robert to be “her guardian” (Findley 10)....
The appearance of a character is not always a good reflection of one’s true personality. In The Wars, Robert attempts to change how he appears to people; he tries to become what he believes a soldier should be. When Robert kills the horse on the ship, he is traumatized; he “began to squeeze the trigger and he squeezed again and again and again” (Findley 68) which indicates he is going insane, having to do an act he did not want to commit in the first place. Robert tries to act like nothing from the shooting has affected him; he exceeds his emotions and acts exactly like an officer by saying “if this damn ship would sell us one I’d buy us both a drink” (Findley 69), by changing the subject, Robert indicates that he is not affected nor cares about the killing of the horse, even though internally, he is. Likewise in King Lear, Goneril and Regan both intentionally appear to be something they are not. When Lear
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.
Bub’s misconceptions are now completely flipped as Robert is helping Bub with something Bub does not understand at all. It is as if Bub is the incapable one and Robert is his guide. By the time Bub and Robert are holding hands and drawing a picture together, Bub has released all his previous misconceptions and some of his insecurities. This is when Bub really begins to see the side of Robert that perhaps is why his wife loves him so much.
during the war. This novel is able to portray the overwhelming effects and power war has
With the overwhelming detail, the readers are able to imagine the perfect replication of what Robert is seeing in the story and this allows for the detachment from reality. At the verge of the climax of the story, Robert sees a doe: “he was alone with the [it] in a green world that seemed to cru for rich red, and he did not have time to think; it was enough that he sensed the doe’s quick decision to leave him” and at that moment, “the arrow sliced through the deer” (1670)
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.
Robert Ross’ whole life he grew up in a household where they did what was expected of them, rather than what was right. The type of people that Findley place in Robert’s life is what molds him into the type of character he becomes. Timothy Findley manipulates what a hero is supposed to be, by making Robert Ross a distorted kind of hero. Robert Ross exemplifies anti-heroism throughout the text because of his need to be a savior but inability to do so, his morals and his connection with animals.
In the novel The Wars, Robert Ross is a sensitive nineteen year old boy who experiences first-hand the horrors of battle as a Canadian Soldier in the First World War in hopes of trying to find who he is. Being named a Lieutenant shortly after arriving in Europe, Robert is thrust into combat. 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. Timothy Findley shows the effects wars have on individuals in his novel The Wars. Findley suggests that war can change a persons behaviour in many different ways, however it is seen to be negatively more often then not. Robert Ross, the main character of The Wars, shows symptoms of what is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in today’s society.
But perhaps Robert’s most enduring quality is his artful pillory of those about him. When on form, his wisecracks at the expense of others can be as withering to the subject as they are amusing to everyone else. Take the incident earlier today when he asked the vicar (preacher), ‘Do you charge for taking a church service?’ ‘Not a penny’ he replied. ‘From what I saw this morning, you’ve got it spot on!’ I am convinced Robert’s personality and sense of fun resulted from the games his dad played with him as a kid. He used to throw him in the air – and walk away. Needless to say, another good thing about Robert is that he can take a joke as well as. Mind you, so can Pamela, because she's taken Robert.