All Quiet On The Western Front Remarque Analysis

Fatigue. Explosions. Blood. Guts. Death. These are only a few of the horrid images that the World War I soldiers endeavoured. Serving in war is not for the faint of heart or those considered not able to stomach the sight of gore and dead bodies every step. In the story, All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, this story depicts these exact horrors during Remarque’s time spent on the German battlefront. Deaths are of the norm. Soldiers become immune to the smell of rotting bodies and bits and pieces of flesh everywhere. Although comradery is a positive aspect of war, corruption and lost youth outweigh comradeship, therefore making war a negative circumstance. Comradeship is shown throughout this novel numerous times.
Being that Paul and his friends are still teenagers, they can crack jokes and banter with each other during the hardest of times. “But by far the most important result was that it awakened in us a strong, practical sense of esprit de corps, which in the field developed into the finest thing that arose out of the war-comradeship” (26-27). The french word, esprit de corps, translates to “Spirit of Men” which is very relative to the story. The only way to survive mentally and emotionally is to take comfort from fellow men, otherwise, one would lose their minds. As Paul sees the effects of war, his friends remind him that they will be there for each other as a “pact”and they can all make light of the horrors of war. Knowing that you have the support from your friends is a comforting thought, especially to remember whilst serving on the battlefield. “I open his collar and place his head more comfortably...I climb down, take out my handkerchief, spread it out, push it under and scoop up the yellow water that strains through into the hollow of my hand. He gulps it down. I fetch some more. Then, I unbutton his tunic