The Role of Earth, Air, Fire and Water in THE WARS Earth, fire, air and water play significant symbolic roles throughout the novel. They constantly change from the ordinary and life bearing to the unnatural and life threatening depending on if they are associated with the domestic life and the terrifying world of the wars.Earth By earth they mean dryland and the ground, which consists of soil, dirt and rocks. The earth signifies form, structure, security and stability. Mother Earth is the ancient spiritual symbol which gave us life and formed all living things (plants, animals, etc.). Earth is what nurtures life, its always stable, solid and almost unchanged.“Robert waited—holding his breath—thinking they were going to be buried alive. But the heaving stopped at last and it appeared that whatever was going to collapse had done so.” (Findley, 122) “ The dead all lay with their faces in the mud—or turned to the walls of the trench. This was the only way they could be told apart from the wounded. All were a uniform shade of grey.” (Findley, 131)“ Here, there was at least the promise of green. The toad at once had begun to burow into the welcome mud.” (Findley, 155)Air Air is what we breathe. It is an element of new life and possibilities. It is a component of thought and creativity. Without air, thought will have no movement or action. It also has to do with freedom.“ The melting snow began to turn to mist and the mist was filled with rabbits and Rowena and his father and his mother and the whole of his past life—birth and death and childhood. He could breathe them in and breathe them out.” (Findley, 14)“ The air was blue with smoke and this plus the tremendous heat from the boilers drew off the oxygen. Everyone suffered from the headaches and men who’d lived outdoors all their lives passed out because they couldn&...
