The Wars Lesson Plan

Part Three opens with the striking imagery of the dugout collapsing. How does Findley describe this event? What images stand out to you most? What is significant about this imagery? Where have we seen these images elsewhere in the novel?

As students point out their favorite passages in this section, they'll certainly note the emphasis on claustrophobia and feeling trapped. They should observe that this type of language appears throughout the book, as Robert longs to be free and open but often feels constrained. This constraining is connected to short-sightedness, which often means that he and others make bad decisions based on limited information.

Why does Robert call...