B. Smart
Mrs. A. Bailey
ENG 4UI
13 June 2013
Each individual follows their own moral code. The rules that make up this moral code
distinguishes good from evil and kindness from cruelty. For instance, a moral code may state that
protecting loved ones is moral and the murder of an innocent creature is immoral. Both of these
examples are part of the moral code of the character Robert Ross from the novel, The Wars. Usually,
following a moral code is a simple and effortless undertaking, however, this does not always hold true.
Some environments can lead to more difficult moral dilemmas and decisions than others can. The time,
culture, and location Robert Ross is placed in forces him to confront situations where one moral rule
must be broken in order to preserve another.
Robert is a second lieutenant in the Canadian field artillery. The majority of his story takes place
in France, between the years 1914 and 1917; the early years of the First World War. Due to
technological advancements, WW1 was fought very differently than all wars before it. Before the 20th
century, horses were widely used for both offensive attacks and the transportation of people and
supplies (Bezeau). However, the relatively new invention of the machine gun, along with many other
new lethal weapons, made use of cavalry charges extremely ineffective during WW1. Though, horses
were still used regularly to assist with transportation (Horses in World War One).
The mixed use of horses and advanced weaponry leads to one of Robert’s main moral dilemmas.
At one point in the novel, Robert requests Captain Leather’s permission to save the horses in a nearby
barn; explosive shells are landing in the barn’s vicinity and one is sure to strike it soon. To Robert’s
dismay, the Captain is adamant in his refusal (Findley, 201). He can either save the innocent horses, or
obey his superior’s order. Both acts are considered to be moral from Robert’s perspective, however, he
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cannot accomplish one without violating the other. He sees the horses as innocent creatures forced to
take part in a war between unjust men. Allowing these animals to die is a heinous act. Simultaneously,
Robert has a moral obligation to follow Captain Leather’s order, for he took an oath when he first joined
the military to do as his superiors tell him to. This is a unique moral dilemma because WW1 is one of
the only times when such a dilemma can occur. At this particular point in history, humanity is
technologically advanced enough for such destructive weaponry to exist, and yet not so advanced as to
make the use of horses in war impractical and unnecessary, as it is today. However, awkward moral
situations can be a product of things other than the time in which the war took place. The military
culture, for instance, is a large contributing factor.
When Robert joins the military, his obligations and duties are much different than those back at
his home. In France, he is expected to kill as many German soldiers as possible, just as all members of
the Canadian army are. Robert is obligated to fulfill this precise duty when he encounters a lone enemy
soldier in a forest. Robert is entirely aware which side the soldier fights for, and he knows that the
soldier is fully armed (Findley, 142). Robert can either kill the man, as he is expected to, or he can let
him live. Sparing the man’s life is a cowardly and traitorous act in the military’s eyes. Robert recognizes
the fact that the army can not afford to carry cowards. Soldiers whom committed such acts in WW1
often “faced instant retribution with a court martial and death by firing squad” (Taylor-Whiffen). In this
sense, refusing to murder is equivalent to suicide. Not to mention, if Robert does not kill the enemy
soldier, he could potentially shoot Robert in return, as is his duty. However, Robert does not see this
man as an enemy. He has done nothing to anger or insult Robert in any way. To Robert’s knowledge,
the only crime the soldier has committed is wearing the wrong uniform, but unfortunately, this crime is
punishable by death in times of war. The man is just as innocent as Robert himself is; killing such
innocence goes against Robert’s code of morality. Situations similar to this are not necessarily exclusive
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WW1, however, it is exclusive to times of war. If Robert were to contemplate killing a stranger in a
forest back at home, he would be seen as a psychopath. Only in a military culture can such an act be
considered to be justified to some degree, and exposure to a military culture can only occur where a war
are being fought.
Robert, unfortunately, just so happens to be right in the heat of a war. Most of his time in the
novel is spent along the Western Front in France. Here, the allied forces faced and fought the German
army (The Long, Long Trail). If Robert’s location does not correspond with where WW1 is being fought,
he would never come across an enemy soldier, so it would be unlikely for him come across a situation
where he is morally obligated to kill, or any situation which forces him to commit an immoral act. These
situations depend on Robert taking part in the war, and that is impossible if he is in a place where the
war is not.
In conclusion, the historical, cultural, and physical setting of Robert’s story forces him to violate
his own code of morality in order to preserve it in another manner. When placed in such a situation, a
decision on which moral to hold more tightly must evidently be made. This is often a difficult decision to
make, and it indisputably exposes a person’s true self to the outside world. A person’s behaviour does
not lie; actions truly do speak louder than words.
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Works Cited
Bezeau, M.V., and O.A. Cooke. "Regiment." - The Canadian Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2013.
<http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/regiment>. This website has information of
the use of horses and cavalry in wars in the nineteenth century.
Findley, Timothy. The Wars. New York: Delacorte/S. Lawrence, 1977. Print. This novel provided Robert
Ross's story.
"Horses in World War One." Horses in World War One. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2013.
<http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/horses_in_world_war_one.htm>. This website has
information on the use of horses in the First World War.
"The Long, Long Trail." The Western Front in France and Flanders in 1914-1918. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June
2013. <http://www.1914-1918.net/wf.htm>. This website has information on the Western Front
in WW1.
Taylor-Whiffen, Peter. "Shot at Dawn: Cowards, Traitors or Victims?" BBC News. BBC, 03 Mar. 2011.
Web. 11 June 2013.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/shot_at_dawn_01.shtml>. This website
outlines some common punishments for soldiers in WW1 whom disobeyed their duty.