All quiet on the western front

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 1

1. Where are the men “at rest”?

2. Why is there such an abundance of rations?

3. Who is the narrator? How old is he?

4. Identify the following:

A. Tjaden

B. Albert Kropp

C. Muller

D. Leer

E. Haie Westhus

F. Stanislaus Katczinsky

G. Detering

5. What is symbolic about Leer’s name?

6. Why do the men feel hostile toward Ginger?

7. What is unusual about the latrine facilities?

8. What has changed about these men?

9. What is a “latrine rumour”?

10. Who is Kantorek?

11. Why does Muller wish Kantorek were there?

12. What different attitudes about war were held by the “poor and simple” and those who were “better off”?

13. What is the double horror of Behm’s death?

14. What is Muller’s plan for Kemmerich’s boots? Do you think this is cruel?

15. What does the theft of Kemmerich’s watch tell us about the moral decay fostered by war?

16. What is the mood/atmosphere of Chapter 1?

17. Although the novel is told from the German point-of-view, what universal view does it offer of war?

18. Why is Kantorek wrong in referring to these young men as “Iron Youth”?

19. Why is Paul bitter in his feelings toward Kantorek?
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 2

1. Why does Paul refer to his generation as a “waste land”?

2. Who is Corporal Himmelstoss?

3. What prejudice does Paul have against small men? Why?

4. How do Paul and Kropp get revenge on Himmelstoss?

5. According to Paul, what is the finest thing to arise from the war?

6. What makes Kemmerich’s death so personal for Paul?

7. What is significant about Kemmerich’s telling Paul to take the boots for Muller?

8. What is the great hunger Paul feels after Kemmerich’s death?

9. Describe the character of Paul from what you have learned in the first two chapters.

10. Kemmerich’s death illustrates part of the central message of the novel. Do you have an idea of what this message is?
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 3

1. Why is it ironic that Paul and his comrades refer to themselves as “stone-age veterans” when they compare themselves to the new recruits?

2. Describe Katczinsky. What is his special talent?

3. What is Kat’s philosophy of war? What is Kropp’s philosophy of war? What is the author’s intention in expounding these?

4. What is Kropp’s philosophy concerning power given to insignificant men?

5. Who is coming to the front? Why do these men strongly anticipate his arrival?

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 4

1. Why are Paul and his comrades sent to the front?

2. How do the men change as they approach the front? Why is this change necessary?

3. What happens to the horses which are used in this battle?

4. How does Detering react to the wounding of the horses?

5. How do Paul and his comrades manage to save themselves from the shelling? from the gas attack?

6. According to Remarque (the author), how does a soldier feel about the earth?

7. What happens to the young soldier that Paul helped at the beginning of the chapter? What do Paul and Kat wish to do for him? Why don’t they do it?

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 5

1. Why can’t the men get rid of their lice?

2. Why has Himmelstoss been sent to the front?

3. How do the men treat Himmelstoss?

4. How does Tjaden get in trouble with Himmelstoss? Why isn’t he prosecuted?

5. What dreams do the various members of the group have about going home? What do their dreams tell you about their characters?

6. What feelings does Paul express while he and Kat are roasting the goose? Out of what do these feelings grow?

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 6

1. Why do the men joke about death?

2. Why, according to Paul, must every man believe in Chance and trust his luck?

3. Describe the men’s battle with the rats.

4. How do the men know they are really cut off from all help when they are being attacked?

5. What often happens to the young recruits during an attack? Why are so many of them killed?

6. To what level are the men reduced during an attack? What is the most important thing to them?

7. Describe the night the men spend listening to the wounded man cry out for help.

8. How does Himmelstoss react in battle?

9. Describe the scene in the field after the battle is over. What do the men see? How many men did the company lose?
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 7

1. How does Paul feel about the brunette he meets? Are the feelings returned?

2. What feelings does the picture of the girl in the white dress provoke in the men?

3. How does Paul feel about being home?

4. What are his mother’s reactions to his visit? What are his father’s reactions?

5. What has happened to Kantorek?

6. Why is Paul repulsed by the conversation he has with his German master?

7. Tell about Paul’s visit with Kemmerich’s mother. Why does he persist in lying to her?

8. Why does Paul say he should never have had a leave?

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 8

1. Why do the soldiers at the camp on the moor become so close to nature?

2. Describe the Russian prisoners. Why does Paul feel sorry for them?

3. What is wrong with Paul’s mother? Why is his father afraid to ask the surgeon how much her operation will cost?

4. Why is it hard for Paul to spend time with his family?

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 9

1. How do the men prepare for the Kaiser’s visit? Who is the Kaiser?

2. The men have a discussion about who starts war. What conclusions do they reach?

3. What type of damage do trench mortars cause?

4. What happens to Paul on scouting duty? How is he saved? How does he feel about his comrades?

5. Who is Gerard Duval? How is Paul affected by his death?
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 10

1. How does the troop manage to live well for a few days?

2. What happens to Paul when he returns to the front? What happens to Albert?

3. Why doesn’t Paul want to get into a clean bed on the troop train?

4. How does Paul manage to get off the train with Albert?

5. How do the men get the nuns to stop praying over them at the crack of dawn?

6. Why does Joseph Hammacher let the nuns know he has a shooting license?

7. What is the Dying Room? Who returns from the Dying Room?

8. Why do the men try to discourage the two young solders from having the doctor operate on their flat feet?

9. Paul does a great deal of thinking while he is in the hospital. How does he feel about the war? How does he feel about the young men his age who are involved in the war?

10. What favor do the men do for Lewandowski?

11. Why is it hard for Paul to leave the hospital?
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 11

1. What is the central action in this chapter? What happens to the German army?

2. What happens to Muller, Bertinck, Leer, and Kat?

3. What is the only thing that helps these men endure their conditions?

4. What new weapons used by the Allies contribute to the collapse of the Western Front?

5. When Kat is wounded, what does Paul try to do for him? What is the outcome of this? What is Paul’s mental state afterward?
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT – STUDY QUESTIONS

Chapter 12

1. What point has been reached in the war in the Fall of 1918?

2. Why does Paul get a fourteen day rest?

3. What does Paul predict for his generation? Does his prediction come true?

4. Why does the point-of-view change to the third person for the last two paragraphs of the story?

5. What is ironic about Paul’s death?