| Summary: | 碩士 === 佛光大學 === 外國語文學系 === 105 === This thesis focuses on Timothy Findley's novel The Wars, which was set in the historical milieu of the Great War and which told the story of a young Ontario man named Robert Ross. Robert went to the war soon after his sister Rowena passed away. His mother forced him to kill her sister’s beloved rabbits because she did not want the rabbits to remind her of her loss and sadness. However, Robert felt sad and argued with his mother because he thought the rabbits could remind him of the time when Rowena played happily with him. Then he decided to attend the war to forget the unhappiness which he had experienced at home. At the same time, he also wanted to experience the meaning which the war stood for. While receiving army training, he was shocked to discover his officers' homosexual relationship. Later, he was bullied sexually by some unknown soldiers. On one occasion, one of his officers wanted him to shoot a horse. He had no choice but to obey orders. Later, his love for animals arose, and then he released a herd of horses of the army. Readers can easily find some important features from the story. The protagonist Robert argued with his family and even released a herd of horses because of his love for animals. It is a kind of love. Next, Robert found his offers' homosexual relationship, which is also a kind of love, but a kind that is mixed with sexual violence. Later, he was brutally raped in the army, which is a kind of violence. During the Great War, many Canadians considered it a great honor to volunteer to fight in Europe for their mother country, Great Britain. Although this symbolizes the love for a country, this is also a kind of suffering for the soldiers who attended the war. In a word, the novel The Wars focuses on love, violence and suffering.
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