Technology and Nature in Timothy Findley’s The Wars

The Wars merchant ship be interpreted as exploring the modern conflict between personality and engineering science. The encounter of Nature and Technology The state of wars is a story ab pop out Roberts life essential in the Great War, or WWI, throughout the story there ar many ele manpowerts of genius and engineering that ar introduced to the story, often in which, the dickens collide. Timothy Findley uses the Ele ments of Nature (Air, Water, Earth and Fire) and shows them in two different perspectives, whatsoevertimes harmful, sometimes helpful.The reason however that they set about become harmful, is due to the sexual perversion of nature that happens within a war. Nature is lessened by the engine room around it created by man to kill unrivaled another, it can be damaged (e. g. when chlorine heavy weapon seeps into the headth) or it can be use to cause damage (The flamethrowers). All in all, the whole war was a massive struggle between technology and nature howe ver sensation individual throughout the story is the link between Nature and Technology.Robert Ross uses technology to kill others throughout the war, an unnatural thing, but he also cares late for those things that are of nature. He is the bridge 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 horse cavalrys over on the S. S. Massanabie, and what condition the lead in while on that boat while they are transported. all(prenominal) horse was lifted in a harness by a gigantic crane and lowered into the hold like cargo. 1 This is an sheath where cruelties against things that are natural are portrayed by the fact 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 sign over from Harris while he is on the boat, and is charged in victorious care of the animals. He so finds himself in the situation of having to kill the horse because it 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 eyes to open aimed-and fired again. This time the horse was hold on the withers. Robert sank to his knees. He could hear himself breathing. He held the gun in both(prenominal) hands. He pressed it hard behind the horses ear and swore at the horse God damn it, damn it, damn it-stop. His knees were ladened and he drew himself into a ball and pushed with all his strength. He began to flirt the trigger and he squeezed it gain and again and again-so many times that when the Sergeant-Major pulled him out 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. Havi ng 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 ball up 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 touch natural things. All of the surrounding earthly concern and terrain has the chlorine gas seep into it, and naturally destroys it, making the land barren and devoid of life, and the diffuse 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 miserly you think theres a gas attack passing on up front? Robert had not yet had this experience. Poole had had it twice. No sir. just at one time the groun is full of it here. Theres some that says a handful of this the Great Compromiser 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 quite 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 set 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 spent the entire time while the flamethrowers burned around them, and this sensitive technology had damaged their primal instincts. Rodwell arrive to a scene of horror, were the men were burning rats and mice alive in their cooking pots, not for food, but for perfect(a) entertainment.He tried to stop them, but he could not and they would not listen. They then did something that he could not deal with Seeing that he took an interest, they forced him to break a killing of a cat. Half an hour later, Rodwell wandered into No earthly concerns Land and put a bullet through his ears (135) The rottenness 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 way 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 rudimentary themes in the whole book is the war within the war, or technology against nature.