In Carl von Clausewitz’s book On War, he quotes "In such dangerous things as war the errors which proceed from a spirit of benevolence are the worst." What von Clausewitz is interpreting, is that at war it is a battlefield and when the people are too kind or understanding, that is what brings them the most harm. This quote can be supported by the book The Wars by Timothy Findley, which demonstrates the contrast between kindness and cruelty in which the nature of war creates.
The contrast between kindness and cruelty exists within romantic relationships, at the war out in the battle fields and within family relationships. Through all these occurrences, cruelty is the predominant contrast to a greater effect.
The first contrast between kindness…show more content… She would no longer show any affection towards Taffler, let alone fail to show any emotion that one would feel when their lover is injured. Instead, Lady Barbara sent out a letter to Robert Ross inviting him to St. Aubyn’s. She is already seeking for a new lover. When Robert arrives and they finally get together. Robert breaks the news to Eugene and leaves his room. Lady Juliet then enters Taffler’s room and is traumatized. She had just witnessed Eugene rubbing his wounds on the hospital walls, attempting to suicide. It is the torture that Barbara puts him through that lead him to no longer want to live. Eugene had just went through a devastating event, that costed his arms and it was the time when he needed the most support, Barbara abandons him. She did this because of the war and her own personal fear towards it. War made her fear of being alone and she wants to be with someone that’ll be there physically for along time. Taffler who is missing body parts would not be a good fit for that role. Thus showing, even though Lady Barbara gave Taffler a loving relationship with affection and warmth in the beginning. It is Eugene's attempt to suicide trigger by Barbara’s cruelty towards him in the end that shows the subject of cruelty created by the nature of war has a more significant…show more content… When Robert returns back to the front, the Germans began firing shells at the barnyard. Robert then asks Captain Leather to let the animals be move out the barn and placed in a safer location, but he refuses. Robert can’t stand it anymore, he asks his friend Devlin to help. As Devlin runs to open the gates, he is caught and then shot by Captain Leather. Captain Leather then makes his way to stop Robert but the shells being to drop, one landing on the barn and setting everything on fire. The innocent animals being to slowly burn to death. This enrages Robert and he then shoots Leather dead. At that point Robert has committed treason for disobeying orders and killing an commanding officer. Robert escapes and finds his way to a train station. There he finds a black dog, black horse, and dozens of horses in a train. He frees them and together they all set off on a journey down to Magdalene Wood. Robert is eventually caught in an abandoned barn by Major Mickle and his men. He refuses to surrender and they set the barn on fire. The barn doors are locked and the roof collapses, Robert is severely burned to the point where he is unrecognizable and the horses have perished. All Robert wanted to do in the beginning was relocate the animals to a safer place so that they wouldn’t be hit by the shells. He was kind and thoughtful of the animals, prioritizing their lives over his own by risking the consequences of
