The Wars Timothy Findley Analysis
The novel by Timothy Findley called “The Wars” follows 19 year old Robert Ross as he spirals down a path of the rages and confusions of World War 1. Robert commits many violent and immoral acts. He is rude and aggressive throughout the book, and murders follow soldiers. Even with these character flaws, the reader still feels empathetic towards Robert. The reader is able to relate to him and understand the reasons for his actions. The author shows the inner battles going on in Roberts head while he's facing the real war. Robert’s actions can be seen as immoral and wrong, but the they don’t break the connection the reader has made with the character. Roberts character flaws are embedded into him and maintain consistent throughout the story.
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At the beginning of the book his mother ordered him to kill Rowena’s rabbits, but he couldn't do it. His impulsiveness came out as he followed the coyote instead of finishing his training for the night. This also foreshadows his disregard for military authority, and his habit of running from his responsibilities. Horses are the most common animal in the story around Robert. Even while Robert is obsessed with killing a man, he had a lot of trouble bringing himself to kill a horse. When he finally killed the horse, it remained with him and haunted him. The section of the story where Robert kills the German soldier is surrounded by the sound of a bird singing. The boy looking at the bird is the reason Robert shot, and the sound of the singing haunts Robert until he dies. Roberts character flaws parallel those of a wild animal. Blind rage, impulsiveness, and a strong survival instinct drive his actions. He is a soldier in a war zone, always alert, on both the battle field and his everyday life. Robert had urged Captain Leather to let him release the horses from the barn in a battle field, so that they wouldn't go with the barn if it was hit. He refused and when another soldier, Devlin tried to help, Leather shot him. The barn got destroyed and Robert was surrounded by dead and dying horses. He arose to put all the dying out of their misery, but saw Captain Leather, and killed him. “He stood where the
At the beginning of the book his mother ordered him to kill Rowena’s rabbits, but he couldn't do it. His impulsiveness came out as he followed the coyote instead of finishing his training for the night. This also foreshadows his disregard for military authority, and his habit of running from his responsibilities. Horses are the most common animal in the story around Robert. Even while Robert is obsessed with killing a man, he had a lot of trouble bringing himself to kill a horse. When he finally killed the horse, it remained with him and haunted him. The section of the story where Robert kills the German soldier is surrounded by the sound of a bird singing. The boy looking at the bird is the reason Robert shot, and the sound of the singing haunts Robert until he dies. Roberts character flaws parallel those of a wild animal. Blind rage, impulsiveness, and a strong survival instinct drive his actions. He is a soldier in a war zone, always alert, on both the battle field and his everyday life. Robert had urged Captain Leather to let him release the horses from the barn in a battle field, so that they wouldn't go with the barn if it was hit. He refused and when another soldier, Devlin tried to help, Leather shot him. The barn got destroyed and Robert was surrounded by dead and dying horses. He arose to put all the dying out of their misery, but saw Captain Leather, and killed him. “He stood where the