PEMDAS

"Another head aches, another heart breaks
I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes
I need direction to perfection, no no no no"

- All these things that I have done, The Killers

Violence, could we live without it? Timothy Findley presents violence as a necessary part of the life of Robert Ross. But what does the presentation of violence accomplish? In Owen Sound, parents petitioned for, "The Wars" to be taken out of the curriculum because of it's violent nature. The presentation of violence goes beyond the physicality of the scenes but rather is used to show the development of Robert Ross. Ultimately Robert enters adulthood through being exposed to violence. Robert sought out violence with the intention to forget Rowena, he seeks war as a way to distance himself from the pain he feels. The band the Killers unintentionally yet accurately describe the effect of violence on Robert. Robert is unable to execute or witness any acts of violence in the beginning of the novel for example, he can't stand to see Rowena's rabbits be killed, he greatly struggles with killing a horse. Even though he begins to become more comfortable with the idea of violence he still innately rejects it, ultimately leading to his death. Findley uses the concept of violence to reveal the human nature of men which then demonstrates the brave nature of Robert Ross. If anything, "The Wars" is a literary masterpiece that can be used as a lesson in morality.

All these things that I have done - The Killers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZTpLvsYYHw&ob=av3e

Oh my Rabbit!

'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" (Findley 17). Findley uses rabbits to represent Rowena, Robert's pure and unadulterated sister. The rabbits and Rowena are alike, like the rabbits, Rowena was vulnerable. Rowena had a close relationship with the rabbits and when she passed away,the rabbits were all that Robert had left of her. And then he had to kill them. Ten beautiful creatures that held the memory of his sister, and he has to kill them because, "he loved her" (19). Robert's father called Teddy Budge, a, "large and mindless man" (19)to kill the rabbits. To this Robert screams, "what are soldiers for?" (20). In the future, what do you know, Robert becomes a soldier. It can thus be assumed that Robert enlisted as a result of Rowena's death. "All these actors were obeying some kind of fate we call 'revenge'. Because a girl had died and her rabbits had survived her" (20).Robert loved Rowena. Rowena loved her rabbits. Rowena died. Rowena's rabbits were killed. Robert lost Rowena through her death and the death of her rabbits. Robert wanted to maintain at least one of the promises he had made to Rowena but the soldier ruined that for him. Robert was left with nothing.

Lollipops and Gunshots

Robert Ross was a popular student, he had good grades, he was essentially the, "golden boy" of his community. Then came his insanity. This was catalyzed by the death of his sister Rowena. What is interesting is how Findley took a caring, sweet Robert and let him spiral into insanity. This brings us to the concept of war. Obviously, "The Wars" goes into more depth than just details of World War I but,one thing it does discuss is the psychological effect of war. Findley's revolutionary approach on the matter with Robert brings a different dimension to the heroic an glorious act of war. War was supposed to be Robert's escape from the death of his sister but, Robert truly wasn't ready for the harsh reality of war. His horrific experiences of rape, murder and destruction inevitably lead to his death through his insanity. With the character of Robert, Findley shatters the earlier glorified view of war.

The first 7 pages.

1: "I hope that World Lit II deadline is extended!"
2: She desperately prayed for her World Lit II deadline to be extended.
3: "Ridwaanah hopes that the deadline for World Lit II is extended.

NPOV, or better yet narrative point of view. In, "The Wars" Findley expertly weaves in and out of a multiplicity of narrative points of view. We are privy to the first person perspective of Robert Ross through the prologue, and throughout the rest of the novel the second person perspective of the archivist and the 3rd person omniscient perspective recount the life of Robert. From the get go we are introduced to two strands of narrative structure that connect through their focus on Robert. This shift in narrative point of view reveals the narrator's tendency to interpret primary documents on their own accord. This analysis adds a dynamic dimension to the primary sources, allowing the reader to speculate on their own. Findley uses primary source documents, more specifically photographs, as subjective yet decisive windows into the past.

Man! I feel like a woman.

"This author challenges the stereotypical views of society...". Let's face it, in most of our literary analysis this sentence somehow emerges. The case is no difference with Timothy Findley's, "The Wars". According to secondary sources provided by the National Library of Canada and Acadia University, Findley's groundbreaking novel was the first to depict, "the war to end all wars" in a different light. First of all, Findley was not a war veteran but rather a third party in the piecing together of the life of Robert Ross. Secondly, the term "wars" goes beyond the literal level, by pluralizing wars in the title, Findley alludes to the multiplicity of battles present on an internal level as well. "The Wars" transgresses "normal" in two ways, first, as discussed before, Findley's approach to writing the novel and second, through the character of Robert Ross. What is the stereotypical view of a man? Brawn, confidence, hard ass? Yes. Robert Ross struggled with adapting to being a part of the war and leaving his beloved sister behind. Do we see Robert as less of a man? Nay. But why not? Findley evokes sympathy in the reader through the recount of the life of Robert Ross, this creates a different understanding of the concept of masculinity. Hell, if being a man was solely based on brawn, confidence and being a hard ass, I'd be the ideal man.