After independence and while being president, the General’s Government becomes corrupted. The South America he fought for divides into three different nations, Venezuela, Republic of Ecuador, Republic of Bolivia and Colombia. This is when he opts to resign from his presidency, “It was the end. General Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolivar y Palacios was Leaving forever” (Marquez, 37). In relation to this example, he decides to embark to Europe to live his days at rest. However, the new Government that takes his place fails. This encourages him to return to his political affairs in order to accomplish his dream of continental unity, “I don’t doubt it, said the General, all I had to do was leave to make the sun shine again” (Marquez, 72). This quotes demonstrates that regardless of the mistakes he made in his past, The General embarks into a new voyage where once again his has the chance to revive his desire to accomplish his dream of continental integrity
Although, the General Simon Jose Antonio de la Santisima Trinidad Bolivar y Palacios, believes that his second chance to build a united South America will be successful, Independence holds him back and prevents him from achieving his dreams. He becomes aware of this when his close friend Field Marshall says, “It seems we planted the idea of independence so deep that now these countries are trying to win their independence from each other” (Marquez, 20). The General’s dream is defeated by his idealism of independence. Those who fought for him no longer believe him. For them unity is their enemy and independence is their new belief.
Overall, the General’s leadership and desire for a united South America results in disappointment, because the independence he once created holds him back from his dream in liberty and unity.
In the novel The Wars by Timothy Findley, the journey of risks, betrayal and loss, demonstrates the main character’s strength, in spite of the challenges he has to confront.
Robert Ross, the protagonist in the novel The Wars, is a compassionate character whose life changes when his sister Rowena dies. For this reason, in order to make up for his sister’s death, he decides to join the army, “So Robert is admitted to the army, 2nd of April , 1915” (Findley, 24). This quote demonstrates that Robert Ross chooses to condemn himself to death, because he feels responsible for not taking good care of his sister. For this reason he punishes himself by joining the army. After Robert Ross joins the army he is exposed to extreme violence, constant death and the insanity of trench warfare, ““On the Far side he could see that men and the wagons and the rest of the convoy were drawn up near fires and he just kept thinking”, “Warm I am going to be warm”.” (Findley, 82). This quote illustrates, Robert Ross and the rest of his troop is desperate because they want to remain alive. In fact the way in which he experiences war is a challenge that puts his life at risk and makes him emotionally unstable.
When Robert Ross, joins the army he expects love and support from his parents, however his mother turns his back on him, “I know what you want to do. I know you want to go away and be a soldier. Well you can go to hell” (Findley, 23). This affects Robert, because he feels that his mother will never forgive him for not preventing the death of his sister. This is why by joining, he thinks his mother will consider his bravery and would stop blaming him for Rowena’s tragic death. While at war, Robert is also betrayed by his colleagues when he is raped, “His assailant who he though were crazies had been his fellow soldiers. Maybe even his brother officers. He’d never saw their faces” (Findley, 193). This demonstrates that Robert’s dignity is taken away by his own partners. The betrayal of his colleagues is one of that challenges and events that marks his life forever.
Robert Ross has close relationship with his sister Rowena. In fact Rowena Means the world to him, “When she smiled, he though she was his mother. Later when he came to realize she couldn’t walk and never felt the chair, he became her guardian. It was for her he learned to run” (Findley, 7). This quote explains the love and respect he feels for his sister. For this reason, when Rowena dies Robert is emotionally scarred throughout his whole life. In fact, Robert Ross is blamed by his family for not preventing his sister’s death, “Jesus she fell. It was Sunday. Robert wasn’t there” (Findley, 15). In result of this, Robert Ross is incapable of forgiving himself, for not avoiding the tragic loss his sister. This leads him to challenge life and death when he decides to joins the army.
In general, Robert Ross can be described as a man whose quality of strength makes him fight until the end, regardless of the risks and traumas he is exposed to.
The Wars and The General in his Labyrinth are two novels, in which the heroic actions of the protagonist can be contrasted based on their risks, personalities and failures.
In The General in His labyrinth, Simon Bolivar, risks his life in order to comply with his dream of continental integrity. When he is sick and defeated he says, “How will I ever get out of this labyrinth” (Marquez, 267). This is significant because after putting all of his effort and life to bring liberty and unity to South America, he is trapped in turmoil of deception and loss. In The Wars, Robert Ross puts his life in danger when he joins the army, because he feels he owes a duty to his sister Rowena, “So Robert is admitted to the army, 2nd of April 1915” (Findley, 24). These two characters can be contrasted through the way in which their efforts to make up for what they believed in, resulted in challenging events that led them to deception and failure.
Simon Bolivar, in The General in His labyrinth is portrayed as a powerful and prideful character. In fact when he is about to die , his most loyal Servant , Jose Palacios, describes his personality when he says, “Nevertheless when he in fact needed an arm to lean on, he did not allow anyone to offer him one” (Marquez, 233). This is significant because his personality made him a great leader. Although his dreams were not achieved, his leadership made him an important hero in the history of humanity. On the other hand, Robert Ross, the protagonist in the novel The Wars, is a, middle class teen, who is protective and compassionate towards others. For instance, he becomes the guardian of his sister Rowena, “When she smiled, he though she was his mother. Later when he came to realize she couldn’t walk and never felt the chair, he became her guardian” (Findley, 7). This is significant, because we learn that the love he has for his sister is what makes him strong to the difficult situations he has to be exposed to at war. For this reason, the General and Robert Ross are two characters whose personality is based on their dreams and the loyalty they feel for those who they care about.
Simon Bolivar fails to accomplish his dreams, because of the idealism of independence he created, after he defeated the Spaniards. In fact he himself is aware of the when he says, “Everything we created with our own hands is trampled by others” (Marquez, 18). This is significant because independence holds him back from accomplishing his dream of continental integrity. This also demonstrates that he was the one who created his own failure. In The Wars, Roberts Ross’s inability to save his sister leads him into a path of challenging decision and failures, “It was Robert’s fault. Robert was her guardian. And he was locked in his bedroom” (Findley, 15). This quote is by Stuart, Robert’s youngest brother. It is significant, because Robert is blamed for not watching his sister, this affects him emotionally and directs him into a life of war, suffering and chaos. The disillusionments and deceptions of Robert and the General began, because their first decisions were wrongly made. Simon Bolivar, for instance, created independence in South America without considering the negative impacts it would bring to his career. Robert Ross, on the other hand, is unable to forgive himself for not preventing his sister’s death and chooses the army to escape from a tragic reality.
Overall the brave actions of these two characters comply with the risks they take, their traits and their failures.
Simon Bolivar and Robert Ross are two Characters, whose actions define their bravery. Although, Simon Bolivar is betrayed by his own idea of independence his leadership and dreams makes him a hero. Robert Ross, on the Hand is a character whose strength and love for his sister is what makes him strong, in spite of the challenging risks he has to take and the disappointments he faces. For this reason, these two characters can be compared, their leadership is what makes others look up to them, however their response to their failures is what makes their heroism different. Overall, Simon Bolivar, and Robert Ross’s are two characters whose way of leading others, disappointments and the way in which others look up to them, defines their bravery.
