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Empathy In Timothy Findley's The Wars

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The ability to possess strength is built on by a continual commitment to personal values. Individuals who are tenacious and who are willing to have faith in their beliefs are capable of being extremely empathetic and have the ability to identify and connect with others. Strength and empathy work hand in hand to create a strong sense of resilience in the face of conflict. Individuals who are able to act in a resilient manner for their personal values live balanced lives and are successful in upholding personal goals. Throughout Timothy Findley’s novel The Wars, the power of empathy is demonstrated by Robert Ross; an extremely compassionate and caring young man. Robert attempts to rebuild his sense of resilience during internal and external conflicts. …show more content…

Having strength means individuals are applying themselves but when individuals posses personal resilience, it means they are focusing on a zealously on a task that holds great importance. Roberts’s empathy for the lives of living creatures is built on by the experiences he shared with Rowena and Rodwell. Robert reaches his breaking point with his commanding officer Captain Leather and his order to abandon the horses in a barn during an air raid from the German forces. Robert does not trust his judgement as he does not respect the sanctity of animal life and is often disconnected from the horrors of the real war. Robert applies his compassion to act not only with strength but personal resilience. As him and Devlin are releasing the horses, Devlin is shot by Captain Leather. Robert; being unable to contain himself any longer, kills Leather and rips off his lapels. This signifies not only his removal from the army`s regiment but also a departure from his own values and his empathetic nature. Robert became disillusioned by the war and once he saw how badly the sanctity of life had been violated by Captain Leather and his antics, his actions became irrational. Although he was still trying to uphold his commitment for the protection of life and his empathetic values, he did in such a way that in went in direct contradiction to what he

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