In Timothy Findley’s short story “Stones”, the author shows a runaway’s self devastation through post war trauma, which gradually transforms itself into the father David completely losing his sanity caused by the tortures of his own mind and every day life. Through distinction in representation and narrative point of view, Findley highlights on the depreciated mental state of a caring dad. David, who through a fulfilling revelation, has become loathed by those who surround him. Everyone is confronted with struggles in life, whether they be physical or emotional. These struggles unavoidably shape someone’s personality and viewpoint on life. Timothy Findley’s short story stones suggest that the hard times in life that define us can also break us, for …show more content…
The stone, in this instance, is a contrast showing how it can destroy something so beautiful and delicate as a flower. this can also relate to the identity of the father post war. In other words, caring and loving are characteristics that could be associated to David before going to war. Additionally, the word stone itself conveys an implication of solidity and weight which can be seen in this act of subjugation by the people of the community. The father is being labeled as a deserter by society after having turned his back to his responsibility at Dieppe causing the demise of numerous soldiers that were under his orders. However, the public does not understand the reasons he deserted or the situation he was placed in at Dieppe along with the horrors he faced. The desertion itself is already hardly bearable for David. with the popular hatred shown toward deserters, it only intensifies the feeling of guilt, which makes the deserter’s social status a force that ultimately drives David