Symbolism
Symbolism is a style of writing that is used by many authors to find meaning or to represent an event or an individual indirectly. Most of the symbols in books are farfetched and are not easily recognized by the readers unless they are very keen on finding them. In the book, “The Wars” by Timothy Findley, symbolism is much used. Timothy uses symbolism to represent the general message of the information represented by the book. He furthermore uses the style to describe the activities taking place in the lives of his protagonists. The use of symbolism in the book allows the reader to dive deep in the book and be able to understand the life of the main character, Robert Ross, who is a Canadian soldier in a cruel world. The symbols in the book provide a graphic representation, and an experience that is reflective through the emphasizes of the nature of Robert Ross, his past, and his experiences during the war.
One example of the symbols used is the use of animals. The purpose of the horses, coyotes, rabbits is the author’s symbolic way of representing the character of Robert Ross in the story. The author describes a run between the coyotes and Robert, which in turn represents Robert’s understanding of himself. A coyote is a hunter, following an Indian legend. According to the legend, the Coyote admits to its mistakes and uses the experiences to learn from the mistakes made to become a wise soldier guided by the soul. In this case, for Robert Ross to be a soldier, then he needs to approach his actions as that of a hunter, which is the Coyote. In the book, “Robert follows the Coyote and watches it as it passes two gophers, and it does not even pause to scuffle the burrows or even sniff at them. It just goes on trotting forward towards its goal” (Findley, 26). Therefore, through the observation of the Coyote, Robert learns how to be a soldier is to choose his goals, be focused on his purpose, and avoid destructions in any way possible. The encounter with the Coyote played a vital role in the life of Robert since according to the author, “wanted a model. Someone to teach him” (Findley, 24). Robert was able to derive this role model from an animal.
A book title is also a form of symbolism. The title of the book is in the plural, the wars, signifying that it is more than one war. The novel represents the battle as the conflicts that Robert is going through in his life. One of the wars is a political one in which he fights against the Germans in the World War I. The second war is the battle in Robert’s head about the death of his sister, Rowena; in which he blames himself for her death. Then is the third war about Robert killing a horse in the boat, which had been injured. The author demonstrates that Robert took eight shots to kill the particular horse. The protagonist is also undergoing war about his losses. This loss includes the people he loses in the battle (his friend Harris and his fellow soldiers), the loss of his sister, the loss of the support by his family and he also lose the chance to join the army.
The author of the book, Timothy Findley, uses symbolism to explain about the life of Robert Ross. He uses animals to demonstrate the character of the narrator of the novel. Symbolism is a significant factor in any book since it helps in the creation of meaning and emotion to the narration. On the other hand, an analogy is a combination of metaphors, myths, and allegories. Symbolism enables a reader to be able to visualize complex concepts and be able to follow the theme of the story. It also generates the aspect of independent thinking as they try to interpret the content of an author. Symbolism is one of the best styles, and Timothy Findley uses it just correctly.