Preview

The Wars- Importance of the four elements of life

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2060 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Wars- Importance of the four elements of life
Throughout the existence of man on earth, the four elements of earth, air, fire and water have been vital to man's existence and have been the driving force in sustaining the life and insuring the survival of humanity. These four elements are four basic building blocks that allow man to not only function and live, but to further himself and develop into the dominant race on the planet. These four elements are four basic natural commodities that ensure the survival of the human race but when they are present at times where unnatural things take place, they can take life away. War is not natural. At times of war, everything that is known and everything that is peaceful is thrown away to become an utter chaos where humans do things that are aberrant and deviate from what the course of nature is. It is at times like these where the four elements, which are the four natural building blocks of life, become a threat and inherently dangerous to the survival of humanity. During The Wars, the four elements continually play a destructive role in the survival of soldiers in the army as the four elements they know and trust are continually manipulated against them. Fittingly, these four elements are placed as an inscription on the gravestone of the main character, Robert Ross, when he dies. Throughout the novel The Wars, the four elements are constantly deadly when they are found in places where they should not be, and when they are taken out of their natural state and used by humans against other humans; they are also present to help give and sustain life, but present as well to take it away which is why, in conjunction with their aforementioned attributes, the four elements are written on the gravestone of Robert Ross.

When any of the four elements are found in places where they do not belong, they invoke suffering, destruction, and in many cases death to those who are reached by their negative influence. The first example of the elements invoking death when they are found

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    One of the common symbols is soft airman's boots, which pass from man to man after each wearer concedes to a violent death. First it's worn by Kemmerich before his injury, then its pass on to his friend Muller, then again when Muller is on his way to deathbed its pass on to Paul. In all, four men possess the boots; none survives the war. Russian prisoners exchange their boots for crusts of bread. All these show the war made things more valuable than one's life. The horses of Chapter Four highlight the change of combat from earlier dependence on beasts to mechanical devices, such as grenades, cannons, flamethrowers, machine guns, balloons, and aerial shells. Death of horses also symbolizes how innocent people and things are forced into war, and forced to face the horrors of warfare, like death. Example of a simile the terrible cries of these wounded beasts are "like the moaning of the world martyred creation, wild with anguish, filled with terror and groaning." We can also foreshadow death of Paul's friends from all the bombardments in the beginning of the book. Women in the novel represent peace, gentleness, and nurturing, as well as sexual release. The poster represents what life used to be like: happy, wonderful and beautiful. Paul's fondness for potato-cakes, symbolize the love and affection for his mother and family. I think it is ironic that Baumer dies only one month before the armistice. Although tragic, his physical death isn't really very exciting because he died in his mind much earlier after witnessing so much violence, especially the deaths of his classmates. The death of Katczingsky is ironic too. It's ironic how he survived all the huge attacks and bombs, and then a small splinter killed him. I think Paul's death also symbolize the end of…

    • 1408 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the third stanza, the language becomes much darker, words like: anger, explode, and against make this stanza seem even more warlike than the first stanza. The minefield becomes a symbol for the war as a whole, representing the feeling of isolation and loneliness caused by the death of the father's friend. The use of the heavier, darker language in the third stanza shows that while the war affected the father when he was fourteen and it was going on, the memory of the war affected him even…

    • 346 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Throughout history wars have been fought mercilessly and without remorse especially in guerilla warfare. In A Long Way Gone, author Ishmael beah, explains in vivid detail his experience during the war and the horrors it came with. Throughout his journey he tends to see the environment around him fall apart. While it may seem hellish and unforgiving nature itself tries to run from the war. Nature itself does not consider war to be natural since it is driven by murder rather than…

    • 87 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    The biggest recurring theme of this novel is the lost generation. Almost all of the soldiers went to fight at a young age and would have the memory of war for the rest of their lives. Paul brings this up in the first half of the book. “It is the common fate of our generation.” These men never had the chance to start an actual life after school because they were persuaded by their teacher Kantorek to join the war. Had they been older they would have the chance at establishing a career, social status, and eventually a family. However, all they knew was school and battle. Remarque describe this generation as “men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by war.” War is an experience that no…

    • 1661 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In reading the segment on War and Power we can see the effects of war in many different ways but one of the most prominent and noticeable effect is how the family and friends of those involved in the warfare react to having a loved one involved and in harms way. The effects and consequences of war are far-reaching and extensive. The family of those in war is affected by war just as much as those actually in the war. In reading Antigone, Gas, and the Apology you get a chance to see how the families and friends are changed and in some instances torn apart. War has a tendency to control peoples lives and push them till they are worn out and hanging on to sanity by just a thread. War is not selective,…

    • 774 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Because of his heritage of his father ring and on the way to destroy his father's ring he has to learn how to defend himself and how to survive by himself. It’s not so easy if you have a whole army of you that wants the ring for themselves there for making a war go on even though they could go on with peace. That is what links my character to this thesis that war is pointless. This is important because it shows how many people die just by going to war which is way more than if you didn’t. War is the reason why today's society is bad because we are losing innocent lives just by fighting.…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Robert Ross Journey

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In addition to playing an important role to the plot of The Wars, fire contributes on a metaphoric level. The Wars is often given credit for being a novel, not only of war, but of mythology. The story's protagonist, Robert Ross, is occasionally referred to as a knight in shining armour, and his experiences during the war are often considered as his journey. In The Wars, fire is an essential part of Robert Ross' journey, and along with the other three elements, gives mythological references a sound base.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the middle of the poem, the author describes the constant reminders the speaker has of the war and the lingering effects it has using allusion, symbolism, and imagery.…

    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This is when you submit an assignment as your own original work when the work has been copied, without appropriate acknowledgment of the author or source.…

    • 659 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Generals Die in Bed

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The novel depicts how the war brings out disrespect and selfishness in the soldiers. Just like their constant companions the lice and the rats, the soldiers in the trench adapt to the hell that they find themselves trapped in – doing whatever it takes to survive. They even fight each other over food ‘at each others throats like hungry, snarling animals’. As the novel and the war progresses so does the inhumane side of the soldiers who become increasing more detached from killing, unconcerned with the death of friends. The soldiers are conditioned, hardened up and desensitised with self preservation becoming a key motivator. This is shown as the soldiers plunder the city of Arras, the allies ' town and vandalize houses with no consideration of the local people who will come back to a raided and shelled town. As they ransack the town ‘chewing food while pillaging,’ stealing and destroying people’s possessions, self satisfaction is their only concern. The soldiers become feral and even rebel against and shoot at their own Military Police who are trying to restore order. By these merciless and selfish acts the dark side of the soldiers’ nature is revealed.…

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The idea of war brings up many questions about life and death, suffering, and consequences. While many people may see war as something that affects people as a whole, such as nations or a persecuted group, war further impacts every individual, whether or not they are directly involved. War limits freedoms and individualism, and in most cases people find themselves with less rights than during peacetime. People base their choices not on what they feel, and more on what they have to do to survive. Soldiers and civilians alike are influenced by war in different ways, however, these tie together when the overall effects of war are examined.…

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    War is hell, but that’s not the half of it, because war is also mystery and terror and adventure and courage and discovery and holiness and pity and despair and longing and love. War is nasty; war is fun. War is thrilling; war is drudgery. War makes you a man; war makes you dead.” (Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried)…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Another important symbol that shows Neil’s image of war is the stones that he finds at Arthur Robinson’s summer cottage. They are red stones, and he later uses them to throw at his father, trying to keep him away. The stones may symbolize bullets, making the confrontation between Neil and his…

    • 1367 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Joseph Conrad once observed that “a belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.” As a result of the violence that is necessary during wartime, soldiers are permitted to engage in savage behavior that is normally forbidden in society. In The Wars by Timothy Findley, however, soldiers act in violent ways even when they are not actively engaged in battle. The inherently savage nature of humankind is evident when Robert Ross kills the German soldier after the gas attack, when Robert is raped in the baths, and when Robert kills Captain Leather. These violent events that occur outside the direct action of the war demonstrate the evil inherent in humankind.…

    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Another way the author shows this appalling theme is through the use of characters. As the soldiers talk, you can see their mood and personalities; ironically this reflects how war has affected their minds and personal lifes. As the story develops you can see how the characters' life changes and how their thought of fear develops inside them. The soldiers manage to get use to the war environment, but they became more cold and less emotional. This ironic aspect expresses violence and death because after a solder has been to war, their whole aspect of life changes.…

    • 392 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays