Throughout history mankind has been ravaged by war. From ancient Egypt to the Greeks and even the Romans to the modern ages with wars like World War I and World War II and even the war in Iraq. War I something that humans are bound to do and will continue to do throughout history. In Timothy Findleys novel The Wars Findley tries to portray the ideas of the brutality of war and the devastation that it causes. Also both the emotional and physical pain that war causes as well. Another thing that Findley tries to portray in this novel is the fragility of innocence and how easily that innocence can be corrupted. War is mankind at their worst. The effects and instincts that war gives human, turns us into monsters. Throughout the novel Findley tries uses animals to portray innocence and uses the animals actions or how they die to portray innocence and how easily it can be corrupted.
War can be devastating. Timothy Findley shows us the devastation of was war through his third novel The Wars. Here is a good quotation I found on page 72. Houses, trees and fields of flax once flourished here. Summers had been blue with flowers. Now it was a shallow sea of stinking gray from end to end. And this is where you fought the war. This symbolizes, again, how thousands of innocent lives were taken, and how areas were forced to meet the fate of destruction, due to the war, and had as yet been unable to fix things back to what they were. The destruction of the buildings seems also to be in reference to the sadness and disturbed thoughts that people have when family and friends are in battle for the rights of their homeland. Another quote I found was on page 178. The barns were a heap of burning rubble. So was the Signals Office. In the center of the yard, there was just a smoking hole. The smoking hole may be a symbol of the thousands of people that were killed during the war. This quotation also refers to the destruction which occurred and how the enemy was ruthless enough to destroy any of its opposition, let alone anything that stood in its path, so that they could take over the country. This is also illustrated on pg. 180- The earth had baked beneath their feet.... War ruins the earth and causes great emotional and physical pain to man. Findley portrays that through the above quotations.
Not only does war create great devastation but it can create pain as well, mental and physical. In Timothy Findleys The Wars he shows us how this pain occurs. I found many quotes to prove this. The first one was on page 108. "At exactly 4 am on the morning of the 28th, the Germans set off a string of land mines ranged along the St. Eloi Salient. One of these blew up the trenches five hundred yards directly in front of the stained glass dugout. The blowing of the mines was a signal for the artillery to start firing and the whole countryside seemed to jump into flames...In it, 30,000 men would die and not an inch of ground would be won." This quotation illustrates the power that the opposition had, and how it would try anything to win the war, even if it meant taking the lives of those they were fighting and those that they were not actually in combat with. It also illustrates the desperation to win the war, even if it meant inch by inch, little by little. This is also illustrated on pages 185-186: "The roof...went up in seconds like a tinder box. Within less than a minute of the fire being set, the rear portion of the roof fell into the barn...onto the backs of horses...Robert began shouting 'I can't! I can't! I can't!' and by the time Mickle realized that this meant "I can't open the doors," it was too late....There were flames all around them and his (Robert's) clothes were on fire....The dog was never found." This symbolizes that Robert was more interested in life than death and would help someone/something if he could, but he had to learn this by serving in the war, living in a life with deadly risks and few second chances. In my opinion, the theme of fire has to do with devastation, both mental and physical.
Innocence is fragile and it can be corrupted very easily. In Timothy Findleys The Wars he demonstrates this through the use of animals; he uses animals to portray this countless times in the novel. However the most meaningful one I was able to take away from after reading the book was at the very beginning. It is a scene where Roberts sister (Rowena), who is severely handicapped is playing with her rabbits when she suddenly passes out and dies. Robert was left in charge of watching over his sister and intern his parents blame her death on him. Mrs. Ross (Roberts mom) forces Robert to kill Rowenas rabbits. This in my opinion shows how easily innocence can be corrupted in two ways. One, an innocent helpless human has died and now her rabbits that are just as innocent are going to be killed. Rowenas only campaignans have to die when they could just as easily be given away to someone willing to watch over them. Also I think Findley wants us to think that Rowenas spirit has kind of lived on through her rabbits and their death will completely kill any hope of her spirit living on. Secondly, that an innocent Robert, because of all these incidents, has become reckless and doesnt care about live anymore and joins the army. This also hurts his mom because his son is going to war and may not return home safely. That is how Findley shows us how easily innocence can be corrupted in his novel.
In conclusion, after reading Timothy Findleys novel The Wars I have learned that throughout the history of mankind we will be ravaged by war and conflict. Also that war cause not only causes great devastation to peoples lives, family, agriculture, and the earth itself, but it causes great emotional and physical to men as well. Findley also shows us how easily and fragile innocence can be and it doesnt take much to corrupt it. War is mankind at their worst. The effects and instincts that war gives human, turns us into monsters.
Already have an account? Log In Now
2625