Timothy Findley: The Wars

Art, Literature & Music in The Wars

This material was contributed by Chris Boone, Angela Johnston, Julie Lannon, Adam Tattle, and Brian Vacheresse.
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PAGE Reference to literature, etc. Description

12 & 164-5 "Keep Your Head Down Fritzey Boy" Song: "Fritzey Boy" refers to a German soldier.

12 "Tea-Dance partners do the Castlewalk to orchestras of brass cornets and silver saxophones" A Dance most popular in the early 1900's.

33 "Clifford also knew an obscene version of 'Oh, Susannah!', which he sang in a high, clear tenor with exactly the same pitch of intensity he'd just applied to the Old kml;Hundredth." 'Oh, Susannah!' is a song sung by young children.

72 "On the outskirts of town there was an asylum for the mad- (Van Gogh had been one of its patients)." Van Gogh painted many impressionistic pieces, which included many natural settings, flowers, and portraits.

86 "It contained a panel of stained glass." These fragments were from a church, and were mainly religious pieces. Findley's research included reading letters from his uncle who was in the war. His uncle mentions a dugout with a stain glass door.

45 "Taffler had long since gone and the rumour was he'd been returned to France, although his picture appeared in the Canadian Illustrated..." Canadian Illustrated was a Canadian magazine

35 "Clifford sang. 'Bring me, oh bring me a cup of cold water, and cool my temple...'" This is a song

56 "Any storms that troubled it got there by way of Joseph Conrad and the Boys' Own Annual." Joseph Conrad: Jòzef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowsi(1857-1924). A Polish writer who joined the British Merchant Navy in 1886.

57 "...four blond men stood up and sang and thumped the entire score from Pinafore." Opera that opened in the late 1800's. Written by Gilbert and Sullivan.

65 "...he remembered that somewhere in Chums-as a boy-he'd see a picture of a cowboy shooting his horse behind the ear." This painting represents the only horror Robert has ever actually faced. It shows his inexperience.

69 "He read her Huckleberry Finn." Huckleberry Finn was a classic, and was read often during those times.

89-90 "...by quoting Clausewitz as follows: 'Clausewitz says the true basis of combat is man to man. He says for that reason an absurdity...'" The horror of combat is being pushed to the background by Clausewitz, as man to man combat is truly a horrific thing.

92 "That way, he says, the whole war can be carried out as a serious, formal minuet..." The description of war as a thing of beauty is a common method of glorifying the horror.

141 "Oh! I had bits of Montervedi-Mozart-Bach all jumbled up." Montervedi, Claudio Giovanni Antonio (1567-1643) Italian Composer. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-91) Austrian composer. Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-88) German Composer.

155 "...said it sounded like the chorus from the Trojan Women." A musical written by Michalis Cacoyannis.

162-3 "A gramophone began to wobble out a song. 'Lil-Lil- Picadilly Lil-sitting on the hill-spooning with her honey-on a bright and sunny afternoon...'" A gramophone was used to listen to recorded music before the invention of CD's.

Findley's The Wars is full of references to art and literature. By doing this, Findley has contrasted the beauty of art with the brutality of war.

PAGE	Reference to literature, etc.	Description
12 & 164-5	"Keep Your Head Down Fritzey Boy"	Song: "Fritzey Boy" refers to a German soldier.
12	"Tea-Dance partners do the Castlewalk to orchestras of brass cornets and silver saxophones"	A Dance most popular in the early 1900's.
33	"Clifford also knew an obscene version of 'Oh, Susannah!', which he sang in a high, clear tenor with exactly the same pitch of intensity he'd just applied to the Old kml;Hundredth."	'Oh, Susannah!' is a song sung by young children.

72	"On the outskirts of town there was an asylum for the mad- (Van Gogh had been one of its patients)."	Van Gogh painted many impressionistic pieces, which included many natural settings, flowers, and portraits.
86	"It contained a panel of stained glass."	These fragments were from a church, and were mainly religious pieces. Findley's research included reading letters from his uncle who was in the war. His uncle mentions a dugout with a stain glass door.
45	"Taffler had long since gone and the rumour was he'd been returned to France, although his picture appeared in the Canadian Illustrated..."	Canadian Illustrated was a Canadian magazine
35	"Clifford sang. 'Bring me, oh bring me a cup of cold water, and cool my temple...'"	This is a song

56	"Any storms that troubled it got there by way of Joseph Conrad and the Boys' Own Annual."	Joseph Conrad: Jòzef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowsi(1857-1924). A Polish writer who joined the British Merchant Navy in 1886.
57	"...four blond men stood up and sang and thumped the entire score from Pinafore."	Opera that opened in the late 1800's. Written by Gilbert and Sullivan.
65	"...he remembered that somewhere in Chums-as a boy-he'd see a picture of a cowboy shooting his horse behind the ear."	This painting represents the only horror Robert has ever actually faced. It shows his inexperience.
69	"He read her Huckleberry Finn."	Huckleberry Finn was a classic, and was read often during those times.

89-90	"...by quoting Clausewitz as follows: 'Clausewitz says the true basis of combat is man to man. He says for that reason an absurdity...'"	The horror of combat is being pushed to the background by Clausewitz, as man to man combat is truly a horrific thing.
92	"That way, he says, the whole war can be carried out as a serious, formal minuet..."	The description of war as a thing of beauty is a common method of glorifying the horror.
141	"Oh! I had bits of Montervedi-Mozart-Bach all jumbled up."	Montervedi, Claudio Giovanni Antonio (1567-1643) Italian Composer. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-91) Austrian composer. Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-88) German Composer.
155	"...said it sounded like the chorus from the Trojan Women."	A musical written by Michalis Cacoyannis.