The Wars Essay

The earth seems beautiful to the naked eye. Not until the unseen forces of Mother Nature are kicked into full gear and a pounding, life sucking form is created that is able to eat humans alive, is the true nature of the earth revealed. A nice sunny breeze is considered great until a strong gust of wind comes along and tears away anything in its path. A gentle, warm fire is always loved when the weather is cold until this warm fire is transformed into a scorching weapon of mass destruction. The stunning ocean seizes to amaze several of its viewers, but none the less, this so called gorgeous element of mother nature has found its way to be devastating to people all over the world. In The Wars, by Timothy Findley, he demonstrates the elements in their purest form, yet he also shows how they are used as destructive forces caused by the insanity of war. Findley seems to give the novel much more presence by using various elements of nature to show the volatility in humans and how we are able to exploit things that are invaluable. It is human nature to learn and be able to use every asset given to them to the fullest extent. When it comes to the damaging nature of war, it seems that humans explore anything to come out on top of one another. This ongoing battle of superiority is causing these scenic elements of nature to be corrupted by the insanity of war. Earth, air, fire and water are used not only to show the corruptness of human nature, but also how everything we do today revolves in some way shape or form around these elements. The elements act as a double edged sword because in some cases they display what nature has to offer and in others it demonstrates the negative forces of Mother Nature.

At a young age man is taught to reach the brink of any extent that is needed for their own survival. Timothy Findley demonstrates how war is the catalyst for such measures of survival. They're wonderful to fire, and they kill at fifty yards (68). The war has caused humans to create new devices to reign superior to one another. During this particular war a flamethrower was invented. They purposely named this type of gun the fire horse. Human beings are naming their machines after animals, trying to establish dominance over their creation. It is ironic that the element of fire is used as a weapon rather than a way of keeping warm in times when the world is so cold. When Robert learns of the existence of this new type of warfare he calls it crazy because he feels that we are replacing natural creatures with mechanical ones, which he will have to face in war. Man is ingenious at finding new ways to kill one another. It can be said that fire is a symbol of brutality and violence. The combination of this new deadly warfare, and peoples already existing aggression was slowly ruining their country. The affect of war is leaving Robert in a fragile state because his surroundings are filled with violence and death. Findley shows that violence is in human nature and that some stop at no expense to get what they need. He clearly uses examples of technology and the human impulse to devise new machines better than their predecessors, to change a natural element into a new way to kill. I am alive in everything I touch. Touch these pages and you have me in your finger tips. We survive in one another. Everything lives forever. Believe it. Nothing dies. (135) Rodwells words here show that he killed himself because he felt that war was not for a man who believes strongly in the purity of life in its finest elements. He feels this way because man has butchered all of the elements and turned them into a new way of causing harm to one another. It is not worth several hundreds of lives for one man to have superiority over another.

Robert feels one with himself when he runs with animals. It seems when he interacts with animals he treats them as an equal rather than considering himself in a higher class.

One night, Robert ran with a coyote. At first he thought it was a dog until he realized no dog hed ever seen had legs that long. It was running ahead of him when Robert first saw itreally little more than trotting. Its tail was down and its ears were laid back, which meant it had a destinationThe holes in the ground didnt seem to interest it. Perhaps it knew they were dead. Maybe it knew that every hole in the prairie and which ones had already offered up their suppers and breakfasts of gophers and sand owls.(25)

Here Robert demonstrates his knowledge and respect for animals. When he was running with the coyote he gave it respect and stayed a fair distance behind so he would not disturb it. Robert understood by the stance of the coyote that it had a destination. Most people take animals for granted and do not understand that they are living, breathing creatures just as humans are. In this particular excerpt the elements of earth, air, and water are shown pervasively yet indirectly noticed. Robert describes the holes in the ground as habitats for gophers showing that the ground that he is walking on is much more than dirt, but it is homes to several different animals and a way of creating vegetation. The elements are around everyone, everyday of their lives whether they notice it or not. Much the same thing occurs with air in the novel. Findley clearly demonstrates the significance of air as it is desperately needed when in times of war. During the everyday life of oneself, one would not realize what a precious commodity air was, but when robbed of it, it is impossible to live without it. As Robert prepares to leave for the war, he senses all of his childhood and his past in the air around him. ... the mist was filled with rabbits and Rowena and his father and his mother and the whole of his past life, birth and death and childhood. He could breathe them in and breathe them out (20). In the war sections of the novel, air becomes a concerning issue and a problem that starts to bring upon death. Like the earth itself, the air has become polluted with the battle of chemical warfare. Slithering over the crater's rim, a pale blue fog appeared. Like a veil his mother might've worn.(123) When a new born baby comes into this earth through his mothers womb the first thing he does is take a breath of air. It is ironic that this once fresh air is being used not to bring life but death. This is the insanity of war and how it can transform any human being into a savage creature only looking for his own betterment.

Timothy Findley introduces the reader to the unnatural and horrifying experience of the wars by describing the natural element of mud. He obsessively describes it to further intrigue the viewer of the impacts of the natural elements and how they have been corrupted by war. The mud. There are no good similes. Mud must be a Flemish word. Mud was invented here. Mudland might have been its name. The ground is the colour of steel. Over most of the plain there isn't a trace of topsoil: only sand and clay (69). It seems strange that an unspectacular compound such as mud should have such a detailed description. Findley suggests that the mud goes beyond depiction by saying there are no good similes. Mud is a re-occurring symbol which Robert describes elaborately as it takes a large role in the development of his character. Mud is a compound that is taken for granted and that most people over look but in this novel it is a terrifying, deadly surface that can cause terror on the battle field. Findleys use of natural imagery shows that ordinary substances can become treacherous when in certain conditions. When Findley portrays the mud as the colour of steel. He is hinting at a pattern that is later revealed in the story; what was natural, the ground for vegetation, suddenly becomes affiliated to technology and new tactics to reign over one another. Topsoil is beneficial to the environment for seeds and plants to grow but Findley seems to make it clear that this substance is absent here. This relates to the idea that the war battlefield will rather kill than nurture the young men (seeds) being brought into it. Mud is now turning from a nurturer rather to a heartless murderer as Robert nearly drowns in it. Robert's struggle to free himself from the mud is also important because it foreshadows his act at the end of the novel when he attempts to free the horses. In both situations Robert is faced with deadly consequences that he has to overcome. The description of his physical actions while trying to free himself of the drowning mud show us that he is trying to do anything he can for survival which is another strong theme in the novel. This inversion of the properties of natural elements happens constantly in The Wars. Captain Harris, swam into a patch of kelp and was struggling to untangle himself underwater, while nearly escaping death. In the air. With this thing around my neck. In the air.... (96) In The Wars, what has nurtured life in the past show immense amounts of destruction. Everyone who's born has come from the sea. Your mother's womb is just the sea in small.... The placenta is the sea. And your blood is the sea continued in your veins. We are the ocean -- walking on the land (105-106). The water demonstrates another place where life is given with the nurturing of babies but Findley again perverts the readers natural image of water with one that is devastating. We see the force of Mother Nature once again taking its toll when the men's dugout collapses under heavy fire. Again, the earth is described negatively as it is said to have a, stank of sulphur and chlorine (113). Similarly the mud is compared to steel as here the battlefield has become artificial and stained by the idea of war. The true nature of earth past the enemy lines exists only as a possibility if the humans were able to overcome their battles and solve their disputes. On the front lines the earth remains an instrument that has been corrupted by war.

Are the elements natures gifts to man or mans weapon? Well in fact there is a direct correlation between the two statements. The elements were supposed to be a central point in the world in which everything revolved around. Although this phrase is more true than most would want it to be. Man has found and will continue to find a numerous amount of ways to exploit natures elements and turn them into new ways, to become superior over one another. War is one of the main reasons why man has been corrupted into doing so and this self caused war was initialized for senseless reasons of territory, race, religion, and beliefs. The destructive forces of the elements are unleashed due to the insanity of war and how many have fallen into its trap of violence.