The time sequence in this novel varies in that it tends to jump from one person's opinion of

Robert's situation to another. Otherwise the novel would be much too depressing to read. The
author switches from a war scene to a lighter subject in order to grasp the reader's attention and
keep the novel interesting. It is not a story of orderly sequenced events but a story of action. It
discusses what is happening as it happens.

The pieces of the "puzzle" come from the different characters' opinions of a particular situation.
The story is continuous but each character explains the particular event from his/her point of
view.

The novel begins in the same manner as it ends. However, the ending is more detailed. As the
characters give their personal view of Robert, more is learned about him. For example Juliette
explains her feelings towards Robert's temper: "His temper, you know, was terrible. Once when
he thought he was alone and unobserved I saw him firing his gun in the woods at a young tree. It
was a sight I'd rather not have seen. He destroyed it absolutely." We feel the author does this in
order to keep the novel interesting to the reader. His technique works well in keeping the novel
pleasing to the reader.

The theme of fire in the novel The Wars, by Timothy Findley, conveys a feeling of pain and
emotional distress. Here are several examples which support this theory (quotations are from the
Penguin edition of The Wars [1983]):

1. Page 18..."Robert looked to one side from under the peak of his cap, hoping that no one had
seen him flinch from the steam or stepping back from the fire. He was wishing that they would
leave. His shoulders hurt. His arm was sore. There were bruises on his back. He ached. He
wanted all the others who had got off the train to depart the station before him." This simply
conveys the physical and mental pain which Robert experiences.

2. Page 26..."For a moment she stood there, holding her hands in tight against her body as if for
some reason Robert might take these possessions away from her. The glass and the cigarette
were perhaps some sort of tangible evidence she was alive." Of course, the reference to fire was
in the form of the cigarette. This emotional distress shown by Robert's mother is a result of her
finding out that Rowena was dead, and that she did not know how to cope effectively with the
situation.

3. Page 46..."and he stood and he stared as he passed the fires of his father's factories, every
furnace blasting red in the night...What were all these fires - and where did his father and his
mother sleep beneath the pall of smoke reflecting orange and yellow flames?" This reflects
Robert's distress about the immense destruction that occurred during World War I..

4. Page 65..."The air in front of him was filled with little fires but the horse was not dead." This
shows the intense emotional distress that Robert experienced when he had to slaughter the horse
but did not want to.

5. Page 66..."Shall I light us a lantern, sir? Said Regis. 'No,' said Robert. 'Not for a moment
anyway.'" This exchange over the lantern occurs just after Robert kills the horse, and he does not
want to observe the deed that he has just committed.

6) 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 page 132 - "Fire storms raged along the front. Men were exploded where they stood - blown
apart by the combustion." As well, page 173 - "There was so much screaming and so much
roaring of fires that Robert couldn't hear the planes when they returned or the next string of
bombs when they fell." Finally, 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
realised 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 symbolises 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.

--------------------------------------…

The following additional material was submitted by Candace Robicheau who was unable to
attend all of the group meetings. In the class discussion of this topic, it emerged that Ms
Robicheau had views that were somewhat different from those of others in the group. For this
reason, some of her suggestions are recorded separately below

in my opinion, the theme of fire has to do with devastation , both mental and physical. There are
numerous examples of this in the novel (Candace Robicheau).
THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF DEVASTATION FOUND WITHIN THE
NOVEL WITH REASONS TO SUPPORT MY BELIEF:

pg. 28- After a long silence Mrs. Ross dropped the cigarette and used her toe to squash it out-
grinding and twisting it until it was just a mess of juice and paper, torn beyond recognition.

In this quotation the cigarette that Robert's mother is butting out seems to represent the tragedy
of death that will occur later on in the novel when Robert joins the army and witnesses the
dismembered bodies of his fellow troops that were blown up in the battle field.
pg. 45-6- ..., frozen fingers of nameless rivers, heralded by steam and whirling snow, the train
returned him to his heritage of farms...

The steam from the train could signify the anger that was built up inside of the soldiers after
witnessing the death of some of their fellow troops and then having to leave their corpses
unburied, while they moved on in hopes of winning the war.

pg. 46- ...- and he (Robert) stood and he stared as he passed the fires of his father's factories,
every furnace blasting red in the night...- and where did his father and his mother sleep beneath
the pall of smoke reflecting orange and yellow flames?

This quotation refers to the destruction of buildings and homes while the Great War was
happening and how thousands of innocent lives were taken by the opposition. It is also in
reference to the worries that the soldiers had, such as whether or not they would return home
alive and whether or not their families and friends were safe and well.

pg. 54- She (Robert's mother) treated the cigarette like something she'd found and looked at it
much to day: whatever made me think that this was mine?- and threw it away.

This quote seems to illustrate the emotional problems that Mrs. Ross faced when Robert left for
the army- she feared for his safety and well-being and so, she seemed to be ill-at-ease because
instead of losing one child, the future may hold that she would in fact lose two- Rowena and
Robert, whose chances for surviving the war are slim.

pg. 55- She treated the cigarette like something she'd found and looked at it much to say:
whatever made me think that this was mine?- and threw it away.

The cigarette refers to Rowena who is now dead and Robert who is fighting in the war and may
not return home safely. It also refers to Mrs. Ross's sadness towards the death of her daughter
and the fact that she dislikes Robert being in the army.

pg. 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.
pg. 82- On the far side he could see that the men and the wagons and the rest of the convoy were
drawn up near fires and he just kept thinking: warm, I am going to be warm.

This seems to refer to the desperation that Robert and the rest of the troops have in order to
remain alive.

pg. 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....

Robert Ross relationship with his mother, Mrs. Ross:

To best understand Robert's relationship with his mother Mrs. Ross, one must look at their
relationship from the perspective of Mrs. Ross. It is her interpretations and ensuing reactions to
the tragic events of the novel that reveal the most to the reader about Robert's relationship with
her.

Mrs. Ross is portrayed as an adamant women in the beginning of Timothy Findley's The Wars,
yet as the story progresses, her firmness is broken by various tragedies. Robert's relationship
with his mother prior to the death of his sister Rowena seems normal in the sense that Mrs. Ross
shows her motherly concern for Robert when needed (fainting after running around the block 25
times), and Robert shows his mother her due respect. It is in the face of unforeseen
circumstances that Mrs. Ross' relationship with her son turns into a desperate struggle on her
behalf for what was once a predictable and enlivening relationship.

After the death of Robert's sister Rowena, the Ross family seems to be broken. Family members
question whose fault it was that she fell and who should ultimately be held responsible. Robert
had been closest to Rowena, and for this reason Mrs. Ross decided that he was to be the one who
would take responsibility of killing her rabbits. Mrs Ross' decision to burden Robert with this
inhuman act, and his failure to do so lead to the most revealing monologue relevant to their
relationship:

You think that Rowena belonged to you. Well I'm here to tell you, Robert, no one belongs to
anyone. We're all strangers. You here that? Strangers. I know what you want to do. I know that
you're going to go away and be a soldier. Well - you can go to hell. I'm not responsible. I'm just
another stranger. Birth I can give you - but life I cannot. I can't keep anyone alive. Not any more.
(pg. 28)

The pessimistic tone of Mrs. Ross' monologue can be attributed to the fact that Rowena just died
and that Robert has chosen to condemn himself to death, however it reveals much about her and
Robert's relationship. Robert decision to enlist is not met with approval by Mrs. Ross. Her
reaction is one of denial and failure as a parent. Her words, "..you can go to hell..", in reality
show her true love and care for Robert, yet in a vulgar way. She cares so much for him that she
can't bear the thought of him leaving (can't physically say goodbye), hence she directs her anger
at him. Mrs. Ross' poor management of anger occurs throughout the novel, and each instance
reflects directly on Robert's decision to enlist in the war.

The relationship between Robert and Mrs. Ross reaches it climax when Robert is reported
'missing in action'. The news of Ross being missing sends Mrs. Ross into hysteria show by her
"... a final agonizing cry.." (pg.179) followed by her ensuing emotional blindness. Mrs. Ross can
no longer face elements of life without her son and this concludes their relationship.

Robert Ross' relationship with his father, Thomas Ross:

Then Robert fainted. Just at the end of the 25th lap. Fainted and was down with jauntice.

His father got him through it.

He came up every evening after work and sat in Robert's darkened room and talked to him and
told him stories. None of the stories had to do with running. These were tales of voyages and
ships and how to ride a horse. This was the binding of the father to the son. When the ordeal was
over - Tom Ross took his boy upstairs and watched while Robert stood in front of the old dark
mirror, slipping out of his pyjamas and seeing that his skin was different now (a sort of ochre
yellow). Robert smiled and was silent. He went downstairs in his dark skin and stayed that way
for another day. Tom Ross understood, it seemed. He too smiled and was silent. (pg 48-49,The
Wars)

From the very beginning of the story, Findley demonstrates the strong father-son bond between
Robert and his father, Tom. Robert loved and respected his father very much, '..his father got him
through it..'(pg.16).

Tom played an extremely important role in the life of his son. All the knowledge Robert had
taken with him to war had come from his father. We realise how much Robert had missed his
father during the War when his father shows up in Montreal to 'pass from hand to hand' a
revolver and a hamper of food to him , "....the sight of his father had lifted his spirits
immeasurably"(pg. 69).

Thomas Ross was both a mentor and a role model to Robert as he grew from boy to man. Robert
trusted his father's good judgement many times throughout the story, he chose to do as he
thought his father would have done. Likewise, Tom loved and respected his son a great deal. It
was Tom who had taken the initiative to find out when Robert would be in Montreal so he could
see his son, as fate would have it, one last time. It was also Tom who had taken the time to tell
Robert how to ride a horse, a skill that proved very necessary to Robert during the time of war.

In the end, it is only Tom who comes to see his son's burial, "Mister Ross was the only member
of his family who came to see him buried" (pg. 190). It is only Tom who cares enough to see a
loved one laid to rest. Without the influence of his father, perhaps Robert would not have been
such a great leader of his squadron and such a human and dedicated individual.

Robert Ross' relationship with his sister, Rowena:

In developing the relationship between Robert and Rowena, Timothy Findley introduces Robert's
humane and sensitive characteristics. When Robert was young, he mistook Rowena for his
mother because he often saw her smiling face peering down into his crib. To Robert, Rowena
was a guardian, but eventually he considered himself her guardian. After Rowena's death, Robert
was lost within himself. He no longer knew how to behave or what to feel anymore. It was as
though he could no longer handle or deal with serious matters or think clearly. Timothy Findley
puts this forward as one of the main factors that push Robert to join the army because he could
never forgive himself for his sister's death. He felt as if it was his fault because he had not been
there that day looking out for her as he usually did. He felt this guilt eating him inside for the rest
of his life from that day forward. Robert reflects on specific moments they spent together
throughout The Wars.

Robert?

Yes , Rowena?

Will you stay with me forever?

Yes Rowena.

Can the rabbits stay forever, too?

Yes Rowena.

This was forever. Now the rabbits had to be killed. (pg.22)

Robert is never able to forget this conversation and the fact that he broke this promise by not
being there to catch her when she fell. This changed Robert's whole perspective on life and his
assigned role. He no longer appeared to have feelings anymore but no one knew how much
remorse he felt inside. This could have been another reason for joining the war that he could just
go away and everyone would either forget about what he did and be proud of in the end for being
so brave. In a sense, a large part of Robert died that day along with his sister.

While attending Rowena's funeral, Robert saw a soldier standing there and he envied this man so
much because after this day he could just walk away and leave all of this behind. This is what
Robert wanted to do and it turned out to be the worst way to run away from all his problems.

Rowena's death constantly put stress on Robert, as we can see it hits him the hardest in the
trenches or when he is on the battle field. Everything reminded him of his sister. One example
was when Robert looked under Rodwell's bunk, "Robert looked. There was a whole row of
cages. Rowena" (pg.87). As you can see Rowena was the first and only thing on his mind. Even
the colour white would remind him of her because he could associate so many things since she
was always dressed in white, her rabbits were white and her coffin was white. All of these
memories haunted Robert more and more each day of his life.

Findley suggests in the latter part of The Wars that Robert is becoming mentally unstable. At
times he can no longer function as a dedicated soldier or as a average human being. It is quite
ironic that after Rowena's death, Robert wanted to join the army where death loomed on every
horizon . If Rowena had still been alive Robert probably would have never enlisted in the army
and his life would of been quite good but he can not go back and change things or live in the past
and this is what made his life even worse off.