Book Report On The Wars By Timothy Findley

The Wars by Timothy Findley describes the many struggles and hardships that people face in life. One common tragedy is the death of a loved one. Findley introduces the reader to two characters who are confronting adversities that have come their way: Robert Ross and his mother, Mrs. Ross. Undoubtedly, losing someone precious leads to a great deal of sadness and anguish. However, The Wars offers a means of coping with the traumatic incident in an effective manner by contrasting Robert’s and Mrs. Ross’s journey of healing. It is evident throughout the book that Robert was able to overcome his past experiences better than Mrs. Ross since he actively sought healthy relationships with others that later proved to be meaningful and beneficial. His

Ross. According to The Nebraska Department of Veteran’s Affairs, “People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged, and these symptoms can be severe enough and last long enough to significantly impair the person’s daily life” (“What is PTSD?”). Timothy Findley gives a brief insight into Mrs. Ross’s sorrowful past; the death of her brother, Monty Miles, had a significant impact on her as, “the world was full of trolley cars and Mrs. Ross could hear their brakes and see them jump the tracks in all her dreams” (66). Her isolation from the world may have started from that point onward as she slowly began to distance herself away from everyone else, hiding herself through means such as alcoholism, and becoming wary of falling in love as it would make her vulnerable to the associated pain. Mrs. Ross goes to great lengths to sever connections that might have been beneficial. She tells Robert to “go to hell” (25) in an effort to detach herself from Robert before he can hurt her like Monty Miles did. Despite the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Ross live together, the lack of communication between them shows how she is unable to maintain relationships. These relationships could have been remedial for her in dealing with these traumatic experiences, thus resulting in her inability to express her feelings

Ross have made several attempts in coping with their traumatic experiences. However, it is clear that Robert is able to cope more effectively since he was able to express himself to a greater extent than his mother. He also had the support and the companionship of others while Mrs. Ross tried to isolate herself from everyone else. Robert could find meaning in his life and pursue it, whereas Mrs. Ross lacked direction in her life, which is represented by her blindness. Timothy Findley teaches the reader about effective means of dealing with trauma as he gives the reader a glimpse into the struggles and hardships of Robert Ross and Mrs. Ross and how they handled it, thus showing the reader what is healthy and what is not. Ultimately, The Wars is a timeless instruction manual to managing these