Theme Of Innocence In The Wars By Timothy Findley

Can this individual adapt to an area like everyone else or become mentally unstable from the events that are happening? In the novel, this is what happens. Findley has taken a sensitive caring individual and sent him to go and fight in a war, that eventually leads Robert unable to cope with all of the events that were taking place around him. He eventually going insane who he tried his very best to be sane and value life and morals but the war gets the better of him. This can be seen when Robert kills the German sniper. However, he wants to protect himself from all the horrors of war but as a result, he is also protecting his troops. He has adjusted to the role of a leader, as well as, does what he needs to save lives. Giving orders to save the other soldiers when the chlorine gas came, told them to pee on a torn piece of clothing and put it over their mouths, to save their lives. Later, he tells them to exit safely as he watches the German sniper. During their encounter with the sniper, Robert without conscience did not think twice about killing the German

     Many times throughout Robert’s life, all those whom he thought were close to him, while he tried stick to his ideals, had betrayed him. When Robert lost Rowena, he felt that he had failed at his duty and he feels he must make up for it by joining the army.

In “War and Massacre” by Thomas Nagel, Nagel argues that there are limits on what can be done to an enemy even its for the sake of overall good. He believes that such an idea is grounded on the principles of Absolutism, where morality is determined by the action itself (deontology). This is contrary to the view of Utilitarianism, which relies on the premise that Morality is determined by its consequences (Consequentialism). Although could one in fact generate such a moral structure around war? Do the ends justify the means in War? Through identifying with a real-life example, I will look to expand on Nagel’s account where an action taken by a country in war would be prohibited even if it were for the overall good.

As most Canadians may know, the land we know now as Canada was once the property of Britain and France- the countries that originally colonized Canada. After Canada was officially formed in 1867 and even prior to that event, there was much division among the Anglophone and Francophone populations, though a strong desire for freedom from the British Empire ran on both sides.

This act occurred on July 1st, 1867 the law The British North America Act is important in Canadian history because it is the 1867 Act which officially created the new country of Canada by joining together the four provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia legal in Confederation. This legislation, passed by the British Parliament, created Canada as a new making it its own today. Therefore Canada is an independent country that must not listen to anyone but themselves.

Canada was rushed into Confederation way too soon and has had problems due to this. Although through these past hundred fifty years, Canada has survived and is still going strong. Confederation started on July 1st, 1867 when three British Colonies came together to become four provinces. Although Canada went through Confederation, it is not a confederate association; it is a federal state which is not the supposed meaning of Confederation. Canada has evolved majorly since Confederation back in 1867.

Undertones of War; was written by Edmund Blunden. Edmund Blunden (1896-1974) Edmund was conceived on 1 November 1896 in London, brought up in Kent and taught first at Christ's Hospital, where he found an ability for calligraphy, and after that at The Queen's College. In August 1915, in the midst of World War I (1914– 1918), Blunden was charged as a minute lieutenant into the British Army's Royal Sussex Regiment. He was exhibited on the eleventh Battalion , Royal Sussex Regiment, a Kitchener's Army unit that surrounded bit of the 116th Brigade of the 39th Division in May 1916, two months after the power's entrance in France. He gave the power on the Western Front straight up to the complete of the war, sharing in the exercises at Ypres and the Somme, followed in 1917 by the Battle of Passchendaele, and getting the Military Cross all the while. Blunden survived almost two years in the forefront without physical damage (in spite of being gassed in October 1917), in any case, for whatever is left of his life, he bore mental scars from his experiences. With trademark self-censure he ascribed his survival to his small size, which made "a subtle target". His own record of his as often as possible horrible encounters was distributed in 1928, as Undertones of War. Undertones of War' is a 1928 diary by Edmund Blunden, in light of his encounters in France and Belgium from late 1915 to mid 1918; the target group is for those to comprehend his experience through the war and after. It

THE INNER “WAR” BETWEEN PERSONAL MORALS AND SOCIETAL EXPECTATIONS In the novel The Wars by Timothy Findley, the protagonist Robert Ross is thrown into a world of violence and chaos in which he is faced with multiple situations that significantly challenge his personal outlooks on what he perceives as right and wrong. The expectations of those close to him often contradict the views Robert holds, forcing him to act in line with his morals in order to avoid conforming to the views of those he is surrounded by. While Robert’s decisions to emphasize the value of his beliefs and morals represent an obvious attempt to develop a unique personal identity, his defiance sets him apart from the conduct expected of him by his family and friends. Thus

“In those things toward which we exerted our best endeavors we succeeded” (Classon). Everyone goes through hardships, however they are experienced disparately. In a narrative, an author chooses a point of view specific to emphasize certain aspects of their narrative. The two types of point of views employed in “The Wars,” “Mrs. Akbar,” and “Fronteras Americanas” are first person and third person omniscient, respectively. Third person omniscient point of view is an “all-knowing kind of narrator” (“Omniscient Narrator”) that has “full knowledge of the story’s events and of the motives and unspoken thoughts of various characters” (“Omniscient Narrator”). First person point of view is a type of narrative where the “protagonist relates their story” (“First Person”), using the pronoun ‘I’. Timothy Findley’s “The Wars” follows the life of a young man after the death of his sister. Remorseful that it occurred on his watch, he enlists in World War I in attempt to escape his grief. Written in third person omniscient point of view, the author not only confers with Robert Ross the protagonist, but many other characters and their inner turmoil all focused around the journey of war. Mariam Pirbhai’s “Mrs. Akbar” depicts the difficulties faced by an immigrant woman in keeping her family tied to their native roots. Also written in third person omniscient point of view, the author shows both the mothers and daughters outlooks. Guillermo Verdecchia’s “Fronteras Americanas” translating in

"Canada entered World War I as a colony and came out a nation..." a quote from Canadian journalist Bruce Hutchison. The First World War, or more commonly known as World War I or WWI, was a war centred in Europe, which in time became global, considering all the colonized nations of Europe were expected to fight, as well. WWI gave many of these colonized nations, and their people a chance to prove their worth, by fighting for the countries that “owned” them. Thenceforth, they could finally create an identity for themselves that was separate from the rest of Europe, they were longer another colony of places such as the British Empire. Following along with that idea, Canada is one of the best examples of a country that used the war as a way to

"His assailants, who he'd thought were crazies, had been his fellow soldiers. Maybe even his brother officers. He'd never know. He never saw their faces." (Findley, P 193) This is just one of the many examples which make the reader feel sorry for Robert Ross. Because the reader feels sorrow, there is more chance that the reader believes everything that is being said by or about him, although there is more that one perspective to the whole of World War I.

Joseph Conrad once observed that “a belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” As a result of the violence that is necessary during wartime, soldiers are permitted to engage in savage behavior that is normally forbidden in society. In The Wars by Timothy Findley, however, soldiers act in violent ways even when they are not actively engaged in battle. The inherently savage nature of humankind is evident when Robert Ross kills the German soldier after the gas attack, when Robert is raped in the baths, and when Robert kills Captain Leather. These violent events that occur outside the direct action of the war demonstrate the evil inherent in

During the 1920’s and 30’s, Canada gained political, economic, and social autonomy through several crucial events. To begin with, Autonomy is defined as a nation's independence from another countries obstruction in its domestic affairs, which could simply mean having the power to govern oneself and make one’s own decisions. During the Interwar period, Canada was involved in several events. However, this time around Canada was not just around as Britain’s puppet, but there as a conscious being aware of its own actions. The one similar aspect is that Canada was still quite influenced by Britain and now even America. Otherwise, Canada had started to build up its own autonomy throughout these events in the political, social, and economical properties,

Robert was once a timid individual who valued his privacy. And as noted with the encounter with Heather Lawson, we see that Robert is awkward around women. However, after thrusting himself into war he can no longer hide himself or his capacity for sexuality and violence. With the experience with Ella at the brothel he feels ashamed and now has been exposed, at such a young age, to a morally corrupting way of life. He has leaped so far, from ‘making love to his pillows’ to encounters with a prostitute. His morals are disintegrating; his childlike innocence is fading. His character is altering dramatically. When he sees his ‘role –model’ Taffler engaging in homosexual actions he is shocked, enticed and disturbed. This reaction gives way to anger and violence. The world as he knew it, one in which he could hide, no longer exists.

Throughout the book, Robert Ross was dependent on his sister, Rowena, and the animals he felt so connected to. Robert more than anything becomes a person who relies more on animals, than he does people. Robert’s reliance on animals starts because of his sister’s love for her rabbits: “ ‘Can the rabbits stay forever, too?’ ‘Yes, Rowena.’ ”(18) His dependence on animals only strengthens as the book goes on, and when Rowena dies, he turns to the animals for guidance and as a replacement for Rowena. On many different occasions, Robert displays his love for animals and disconnection from the real world: “Robert soon became completely disengaged from the other life on the upper decks. He even went below off duty.” (56) Robert shows his lack of connection with the other soldiers on board, and demonstrates his relationship he developed with the animals in the army. Robert’s connection strengthens with animals so much, that towards the end of the book he is willing to break military rules and attempt to save them: “I’m going to break ranks and save these animals.” (183) The heroes, we are custom to today, would not go against the rules to save a bunch of horses. Even though, most would not see Robert as being heroic, because he broke the rules, it was his intentions behind his actions. As