Critical Article #2

Timothy Findley structured his novel The Wars with a photographic technique which is a very complex style of writing to accomplish for an author. The style of his photo-narration seems as if the reader is within these moments of history through his visual structure and imagery of the novel and setting. Findley does an outstanding job of telling the novel in such a way that the reader feels a part of the events. He describes the setting and the atmosphere as you were the narrator looking down on these events that occurred. As touched on by Hulcoop, photography is what revolves the storyline around in the book. Hulcoop mentioned this type of style of writing, but didn’t really grasp the full concept of photography as the centerpiece of which this article will go in depth about.

Findley's style of writing symbolizes this picture,
showing that his words are so intensely descriptive,
it's like you are looking at a photograph.
(In this case a window into his story)

The photographic style and the use of a narrator that Findley uses in this book has the most impact on the reader and their focus on not only the events and setting of the novel, but on Robert Ross himself and his personality traits and the essence of his mind. David Williams then elaborates on Findley’s styles of writings and how the images display history throughout time. He uses photographic images to display and to create this setting in the book. Photographic imagery set up a very good establishment of distance and time throughout the book in Robert’s abandonment and the tension between the distances from the public to his isolation in the war. Williams then discusses how photography compares to the themes of the book and how they aid the development of these themes. Findley’s imagery really puts an emphasis on the themes of abandonment, death, and danger of war throughout the novel. The imagery of being alone and of the possibility of death and portraying death in the war sticks out because of this technique.

“Although film has likely done more than still-photography to produce shock in its "techniques of rapid cutting, multiple camera angles, [and] instantaneous shifts in time and place," Benjamin argues in On Some Motifs in Baudelaire," "the 'snapping' of the photographer has had the greatest consequences. A touch of the finger now sufficed to fix an event for an unlimited period of time.” (Williams)

This quote sums up the whole argument of this article. Through the use of photographic imagery in Findley’s works, he can speak out to the reader and really take their focus into the writing and into the setting of the story. He creates a sort of relationship with his words of imagery to get a feel for being in the book and witnessing the events first hand. Because Findley is so great at what he can do with these different styles, this is why he is noted for being one of the best in the business.

Williams, David. "A Force of Interruption: The Photography of History in Timothy Findle'ys The Wars."Issue 194 Autumn 2007. pp.54. eLibrary. Database. 6 Oct 2011.

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