Technology and Nature in Timothy Findley’s The Wars

The Wars eject be interpreted as exploring the modern mesh between personality and applied science. The Conflict of Nature and Technology The wars is a legend about Roberts life primary in the Great War, or WWI, passim the story there are many elements of nature and technology that are introduced to the story, often in which, the two collide. Timothy Findley utilizations the Elements of Nature (Air, Water, Earth and Fire) and shows them in two contrasting perspectives, sometimes harmful, sometimes helpful.The reason however that they have become harmful, is due to the perversion of nature that happens at bottom a war. Nature is corrupted by the technology around it created by man to shoot atomic reactor one a nonher, it can be damaged (e. g. when chlorine gas seeps into the earth) or it can be used to thrust damage (The flamethrowers). All in all, the whole war was a massive struggle between technology and nature however one individual throughout the story is the link be tween Nature and Technology.Robert Ross uses technology to kill others throughout the war, an un ingrained thing, but he also cares deeply for those things that are of nature. He is the p direct between the natural and technological world. The war on nature via technology is one of the most common themes in The Wars. It is very prominent when they bring the horses oer on the S. S. Massanabie, and what condition the live in while on that boat while they are transported. Each horse was lifted in a arms by a gigantic crane and lowered into the hold like cargo. 1 This is an example where cruelties against things that are natural are portrayed by the particular that the animals are treated no better than inanimate objects. The soldiers saw the horses as nothing more than another piece of technology that they would use in the war. Robert Ross has to bribe over from Harris while he is on the boat, and is charged in taking care of the animals. He then finds himself in the situation of h aving to kill the horse because it stone-broke its leg. Robert doesnt want to do it but he decides that he has to do it to prove himself.Unfortunately Robert doesnt kill it with the first shot and is emotionally disturbed. Robert forced his look to open aimed-and fired again. This time the horse was hit on the withers. Robert sank to his knees. He could hear himself breathing. He held the gun in both hands. He pressed it laborious behind the horses ear and swore at the horse God damn it, damn it, damn it-stop. His knees were wet and he drew himself into a freak and pushed with all his strength. He began to squeeze the trigger and he squeezed it gain and again and again-so many times that when the Sergeant-Major pulled him away the gun went right on clicking in his hands. (60-61) Robert has to use technology on something he cares a lot about, animals, something natural, and it bothers him greatly. Having this is another perversion of nature, and demonstrates and re-emphasizes how the horses are seen as little more than another part of the war machine. chlorine gas is a development in technology that the Germans have made towards the war effort and it is one of the most detrimental things to nature in the whole war.It is a prime example of how nature things can be corrupted my things that are man-made, because not only does the chlorine gas kill people it also kills the surrounding natural things. All of the surrounding land and terrain has the chlorine gas seep into it, and naturally destroys it, making the land barren and free of life, and the air toxic. Robert notices the green fog in the air when he and his bugler are riding. The air was thick with green fog. There was a smell Robert could not decipher. Whats that smell? he said to Poole. probly chlorine, Poole replied. You mean you think theres a gas attack going on up front? Robert had not yet had this experience. Poole had had it twice. No sir. But the groun is full of it here. Theres some that sa ys a handful of this clay could knock a person out. The earth and the air have been corrupted with the chlorine gas, so much so that the area will not be viable for living or growing anything for sooner some time. This is yet another example of the atrocities of war technology on nature, one that will harm the area for a long time to come.When Rodwell goes down the lines, it is shown to its truest extent how corrupted nature has been by the mechanized chaos that is war. For now it is human nature that has been corrupted, so badly they the have turned into savages. These were men who had washed-out the entire time while the flamethrowers burned around them, and this new technology had damaged their primal instincts. Rodwell arrive to a scene of horror, were the men were burning rats and mice awake(p) in their cooking pots, not for food, but for pure entertainment.He tried to stop them, but he could not and they would not listen. They then did something that he could not incubate with Seeing that he took an interest, they forced him to watch a killing of a cat. Half an hour later, Rodwell wandered into No Mans Land and put a bullet through his ears (135) The corruption of the human mind has gone to an extent, that once normal human-beings had reverted to taking out the pain that they felt from the Germans and inflicting it on helpless creatures.Robert Ross can relate to Rodwells pain, because like Rodwell he also was deeply compassionate for animals. Over the course of the book technology takes its toll on nature, be it natural instincts of humans, or natural things being destroyed. Technology is one of the most detrimental things to nature there can be, and it is up to mankind whether or not it is controlled within reasonable limits, or unleashed, to an extent in which it could destroy everything. One of the largest underlying themes in the whole book is the war within the war, or technology against nature.