During World War I, the world of soldiers is seen as one filled with violence that dehumanizes the soldiers, causing the change and distortion of the man, which is revealed by the reduction in the lack of affection towards animals. In literature, imagery is the literary technique that creative writers use in their words or sentences to create mental images that allow readers to more realistically visualize and experience the author's writing. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The sufficient use of animal imagery in The Wars by Timothy Findley is used to characterize and explore the theme of the protagonist Robert Ross, a nineteen year old teenager. old soldier, whose love and connection with animals is explored and revealed through characterization from a third person point of view. In Timothy Findley's The War, the existence and lives of animals are used to reveal and parallel Robert's individuality, predict the situations he will find himself in, and symbolize a glimmer of hope in the midst of war. To begin with, the deep bond between Robert, which reflects and reveals his individuality, can be seen through the horses, the rabbits and the coyote. Looking at Robert from a physical perspective, he has many characteristic similarities that might be associated with horses, namely being strong and athletic. In the novel, horses became a metaphorical feature for soldiers like Robert who were treated subhumanly and this could be seen during the boat trip as the men had their privacy taken away and were no longer than animals. “Latrines and showers were virtually open forums where privacy was unheard of…the enormous heat from the boilers stripped away the oxygen. Everyone was getting headaches” and people like Harris were getting sick. The horse hold Robert was placed in "was a hold of horror... alive with flies" which paralleled the soldiers and revealed the connection between the way the men were crowded into their barracks without privacy and the horses in their hold with their urine and their “manure”. left where he fell for days.” This is also seen in how Robert is forced to ignore civility to do whatever it takes to survive in the trenches, i.e. soldiers are sent off to war like decimated animals and like war horses are forced to fight and die. insignificant battles “and not an inch of ground would be won.” Rodwell drawing Robert in his sketchbook is seen as his recognition and/or recognition of Robert's connection with animals and "Robert was the only human form" among all the animal drawings. The use of animal imagery in the novel not only parallels Roberts' individuality, but also reveals his benevolence towards animals. When Robert realizes the folly of war near the end of the novel, he asks Captain Leather to release the horses, but Leather is adamant in his refusal and says, "We should never endure it." Robert puts his life and status on the line to save the horses, but instead of being recognized for his reasonable decisions, he was labeled a traitor and was to be put to death by his commanding officer. In his final moments after being arrested, Robert shouted "We won't be caught." It represented Robert and the horses. Robert's final unification with the horses showed his total benevolence towards the horses and this was..