Changes Through Identity In The Wars By Timothy Findley

Changes Through Identity Individual identities have already been chosen for them; but it is up to the individual to accept that identity, or to fight and change it to the identity they wish for. The novel The Wars, by Timothy Findley, shows that when an individual gets faced with an adverse situation of hardship it allows them to change their identity, making them become someone they did not imagine becoming, leading to the consequence of covering up their true identity and not being able to face the change. Robert faced many changes throughout the novel. Before the war he cared for Rowena, after a tragic event he started to become a soldier and was sent off for training. After being shipped off to the war Robert started to become more of

“There is no good picture of this except the one you can make in your mind.” (71) Roberts identity was changed and he was now a soldier. As the war progresses Robert shows his new identity and parts of his old. Robert and Poole go out and get supplies for those in the front, when they come back Robert brought things to share, and things that would make his men happy. “Eggs…two dozen. Condensed milk... Cigarettes... five hundred. Canned peaches-four tins. Canned salmon-two tins. Candles…forty-eight, Nestlé’s chocolate-six bars. Cognac-one litre.” (88) Robert brought something back that he knew each of his men would enjoy, his old identity shows through this as he cares about his men and that they are happy and he was willing to do what he needed to make sure they were happy. Later that night the dugout was shelled, they were all buried alive. The men in the dugout where faced with the truth again of being in the war. Robert had to report back to his commander, Captain Leather, Leather had sent Robert to go and “lay down the purpose of the new guns” (118) without knowing the conditions of the field he chose two locations and sent Robert on his way with new troops. Robert starts showing his caring identity of a leader by being the first to go into the crater and leading the way, he also continues to show his identity of caring when they get to the crater and a gas bomb goes off. Robert command the men to “rip the

Robert was still very much a soldier, he lost his gun and his kit bag. “His brain went silent” (177) after he realized is kit bag was missing, “He wanted is pistol… Gun. Gun. He wanted his gun.” (177-178) The gun had become a part of who Robert was and without it he panicked and his brain stopped working; this shows how much being a soldier has affected and changed Robert. Robert got his kit bag back form Poole, when he opened it “everything was still there-including the picture of Rowena, Robert burned it in the middle of the floor. This was not an act of anger-but an act of charity.” (179-180) Robert burnt the picture because he was taking her with him where he went and he didn’t want her to face what was next to come. Robert went into an abandoned barn with several horses, which Mickle is determined to take back. Robert shoots at Mickle again while adding “we will not be taken.” (193) Mickle orders his men to burn the barn, when they do the barn goes up faster than anticipated and the roof collapses. Robert was shouting “I can’t! I can’t! I can’t!” (194) but by the time the men opened the door it was too late, Mickle admitted “he was barely able to recognize that Robert had a face.” (194) Robert’s care for animas nearly got him killed, but showed that he was more fearless which was because of the war. Robert