The Loss of Humanity in The Wars The concept of humanity includes various attributes of a person such as human qualities, and characteristics. Ultimately, the ability to be moral, reasonable, as well as remain civilized are what separates humankind from animals. Humanity is a fragile concept, and it can break due to the lack of a stable foundation, resulting in the loss of human characteristics. In the novel The Wars by Timothy Findley, the brutal nature of warfare poses as an agent of change forcing its participants to become products of their environment. The physical involvement of war scars a soldier’s consciousness and permanently transforms them into an inhumane state. Robert Ross, a Canadian soldier, enlists in the military as a way…show more content… As the story progresses, Robert’s capacity to kill grows gradually. In the beginning, Robert has no intention to harm anything, not even Rowena’s rabbits, and "[he] had never aimed a gun at anything" (24). Then, he struggles to put the injured horse to death as he “could barely move in his panic” (61). Findley implies Robert’s innocence is about to be lost by placing a “pale and frightened boy named Regis" (66). With the loss of innocence comes corruption, which indicates the beginning of Robert’s dehumanizing process. Eventually, Robert becomes aware of the realities of warfare and learns how to kill. His violence emerges when he automatically shoots a German sniper overlooking his team in the crater. Similarly, Juliet views Robert’s aggression and fragile state when she sees “him firing his gun in the woods at a young tree”, and “[destroys] it absolutely” (158). Both of these instances demonstrate that war affects Robert by taking away his ability to rationalize and instead leaving him with violent behaviour. Robert’s transition into a killer becomes apparent when he shoots Captain Leather “between the eyes” (56). This unethical act signifies Robert’s loss of any remaining good behaviour. He reaches his limits, loses control, and portrays animal-like behaviour. Furthermore, he also kills Private Cassels, after he tries to prevent Robert from escaping with the horses. Robert again commits the monstrous act of killing signifying that he is used to it. He does not feel any remorse or regret when he kills; therefore, he has changed into a damaged, inhumane product of
