First of all I'd just like to say that I really enjoyed this book. It was fantastic, and the way Findley portrayed the brutality and effects of war was amazing. It was like reading a more interesting version of a history book, and instead of facts being blatantly thrown at you from all directions, it was a very powerful story.
I think the symbolism of the animals was very clever. Robert Ross had a sister named Rowena who dies in the beginning of the novel, and one thing we learn about her is that she loves rabbits. She has about ten rabbits that she takes care of, and she loves them dearly. However, after Rowena dies, Robert's mother tells him that he must kill the rabbits. This seems to be because she doesn't want a constant reminder that Rowena is gone, which is pretty understandable. I would like to add that I don't particularly care for Mrs. Ross and that I think the way she tells Robert he must kill the poor innocent animals is brutal. Anyway, when Robert leaves for war he meets a man in the trenches named Rodwell who loves animals and keeps a few in a cage. This is where Robert sees the rabbits, and who do they remind him of? Well, Rowena of course. Robert seems to have a very sincere love for animals, which I thought made his character a whole lot better. It shows you that he is very innocent, even though he is in this terrible war.
The rabbits ultimately symbolize Rowena, and how she was fragile and innocent. When Robert sees them throughout his travels, they always remind him of his sister who he loved dearly. In the beginning of the novel you can see how they had a connection, and when Robert learned she was disabled he became sort of like a guardian for her. Robert wasn't really close to anyone except Rowena, and it was her death that made him enlist in the war. You can't really blame him, I suppose. If the one person I was close to died I wouldn't exactly want to stay in the same place either. Especially not with a mother who shuts herself off from her husband and children after the incident. Also, I think that's why I didn't really like Mrs. Ross in this novel. Yes, I understand that she lost a child and it must be hard, but dealing with it by drinking lots of alcohol isn't exactly making it easier on the rest of the family.
When Robert gets to the trenches, I think seeing the rabbits make him a little more at ease. A young man in the war must be facing a lot of fear and nervousness, but I think the memory of Rowena must make him feel at least a little better.
"Robert?"
"Yes, Rowena?"
"Will you stay with me forever?"
"Yes, Rowena."
"Can the rabbits stay forever, too?"
"Yes, Rowena."
