Robert Ross Innocence In Timothy Findley's The Wars

The Death Of Robert Ross’ Innocence The outcomes of war can sometimes be even worse that the fight itself. Psychological trauma that comes as a result of the events in war changes and forms a person. War is experienced physically and mentally, forcing soldiers to question basic values and beliefs. Timothy Findley’s The Wars portrays the theme of the destruction of innocence through various physical and psychological traumas. Early death of a sibling, sexual encounters, and the horrors of war, are traumas that the protagonist Robert Ross is forced to face. These traumas contribute to a significant change in Robert’s character and mental health. He battles with various anxieties, symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and both mental and

He lost his sense of reason and replaces it with impulse that will benefit him during the war. The action is not compatible to the man that he was during the beginning of the war. The action opposes the struggle of killing the horse in the ship. It shows Robert’s mature character and mentality, although his reaction is the same. The shot replays in his mind just as he replays his sister’s fall, when he slaughters the horse. Robert is once again filled with guilt, hopelessness, and wants to quickly escape the situation. The weakening mental health that Robert has, begins to become a madness as he continues to act on impulse. The final event that destroys Robert Ross’ innocence and faith in humanity, is the sexual assault he experiences. His fellow soldiers place him in an unfortunate situation, that wounds him psychologically to an extreme in which he is unable to see the good in people anymore. Rape is a violation to Robert’s rights and self. He is confused on the motive of his aggressors, he sees it as pure madness and desire. Robert fights alongside these men, yet they still willingly take advantage of him. He loses all hope on humanity, even the people he is fighting with are evil and

An article from The Health Reference Center Academic states that not only is sexually assaults more likely to occur to men in the military, men are less likely to get help because of the lack of resources available ("Men Find Sexual Assault As Traumatizing As Women Do."). During the time the occurrence of the First World War, rape was not considered something as significant and was not brought up to attention. There were no help centers, hot lines, or many resources available to help the victims of assault, especially for men. Robert's assault lead him to spiral into a depression, in which he no longer believes anything innocent should stay in such a corrupt world. He burns the last reminder he has of his sister Rowena. She is the only thing that stays innocent. Rowena is a symbol of purity and sanity, and it should not belong in a place that is the opposite. The traumas that Robert experiences psychologically and physically cause him to become numb to the world around him. He was no longer able to enjoy simple pleasure like embraces from friends, he is destructive and paranoid. The trauma of the war changes Robert’s character and leads him to a mental