Throughout history, war has been constantly evolving. Over time, it has taken a new less glorious form. World War One was one of the most devastating and transformative events in human history. In Erich Maria Remarque’s book, All Quiet on the Western Front, he depicts the horrors of “the great war” by showing the complete disregard for human life in modern warfare. This war modeled the way that any future war would be fought. It would shape human history by completely changing the game of warfare and people’s opinions of it. Remarque shows, from his point of view, the terrors that happen on a daily basis on the front lines, and away from it, of World War One. World War One changed the perception of war in a big way and opened the eyes of so many people to the horrors of modern warfare.…
In the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, the characters sacrificed their youth in the war and their innocence was lost. Paul Bäumer, the narrator, was forced to discover a harsh reality. Paul’s high school teacher, Kantorek, pressured Paul and his classmates to enlist in the army. Paul was optimistic and naïve. At first, he was convinced that it would be an honor to die for his country. He enlisted, unknowingly signing up for a terrible suffering. His patriotism vanished and his personality battled with the truth of war. This led him to feel great sorrow. Paul and his classmates later realized that there is another aspect in the world and things around them are not as simple and innocent. The battle influenced their minds and attitude throughout the novel. Paul and his group of friends changed their thoughts and outlooks on life by witnessing the horrors of war when they became soldiers. The many deaths became part of their lives, which they were forced to deal with. The innocence that they once knew slowly altered.…
Paul The novel, All Quiet on the Western Front is the harshest story about war ever written. This novel was written by Erich Maria Remarque, based on his real life experience about World War 1. It tells a story about a group of companions at war and how they live their life everyday there. After analyzing the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, readers realized that almost all the characters were either very noble or not noble at all. The one character that stood out of all the character for being a noble man was the narrator, Paul. He is the most noble for being loyal to all his companions, for being sensitive to others and for being selfless in difficult times.…
War, what is it good for. What seems to be just a catchy song from the late 60’s, actually has an accurate depiction of the gruesome wars this world has gone through. In All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, WWI soldiers learn the cold hard facts about how nothing good comes out of wars. Not everyone is born a fighter, some are peer pressured into volunteering not knowing the treacherous path ahead of them. Throughout the book Remarque uses symbolism to express the gruesome effects on soldiers.…
Character Analysis Paper World War I was a brutal and murderous fight. Over 38 million people suffered casualties with 17 million deaths and around 20 million soldiers were wounded during the war. Soldiers showed courage by fighting and learned how important it is to trust other men. They faced hard conditions and suffered many injuries. In the novel, All Quiet on The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque portrays the main character, Paul Baümer, as a superior comrade, a smart decision-maker, and a brave soldier.…
We Are Lost The protagonist of the All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Baumer, says, "I believe we are lost" (Remarque 123). The soldiers themselves recognize that they are part of a lost generation. They are, "forlorn like children, and experienced like old men" (123). Lost Generation is revealed in All Quiet on the Western Front through the young soldiers loss of innocence, loss of life, and loss of home. The First World War has no positive effect on the lives of the young soldiers.…
“All Quiet in the Western Front” is a social commentary on how soldiers are effected emotionally and socially throughout the war and are conflicted on how to readjust to their lives after the Great War. Soldiers are conflicted by their character and do not know whether to pick back life up as a youth or as adults who have endured hard circumstances. The book does not focus on battles and it does not focus on a specific time frame, it rather evaluates what goes through the minds of a soldier. These men are literally being bombarded in the war front by explosives and in the home front by misinformed public who want to know the extremity of the war. Bystanders set High expectations for soldiers to be tough and to know how to behave in order to survive, yet those who did not participate in the Great War could only speculate what was going on in the soldier’s minds. The Great War damaged these soldiers physically and mentally, however certain elements gave the survivors the ability to pull through the war. The youth shifted its mentality and lost its innocence in the Great War. Therefore, Remarque did not focus his book on the combat that took place during the Great War, rather he presents social issues, which does not belittle his experience rather it presents a different view of the…
In All Quiet on the Western Front, author Erich Maria Remarque reinforces the idea that war is horrific, through his use of visual, auditory, and tactile imagery. Towards the end of the second chapter of the book, Remarque begins to disillusionize the glorious imagery of war by describing the death of Kemmerich, a German soldier and a fellow classmate of the protagonist Paul. Paul and his other classmates that enlisted sit by Kemmerich's deathbed, illustrating the mourning for their comrade by saying “Franz Kemmerich looked as slight and frail as a child...There he lies...Nineteen and a half years old, he does not want to die!” (29) Remarque uses words such as “slight” and “frail” to describe the condition in which Kemmerich is in. As you approach twenty years old, you should be in prime shape, ready for or already in college, strong and independant, not “slight” nor “frail.” When you are twenty, it should be the start of your life, not the end of it.…
All Quiet On The Western Front In All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, a profoundly horrific image of war is formed in the eyes of the reader. In the past, War stories leaned toward themes of glory, adventure, and honor. In presenting his realistic version of a soldier 's experience, Remarque strips away the glory of war and reveals the physical and mental hardships of war. Throughout his book, a plethora of themes are emphasized and brought to light. Among those themes are deception, camaraderie, and propaganda, but the prevailing theme seems to be maintaining one 's humanity. The theme of humanity is readily prevalent throughout the novel, and can be tied in with the loss of innocence, fear, and ultimately the emergence of courage. During All Quiet on the Western Front, the main character Paul who is only nineteen, is faced with the atrocities of war which take a toll on his humanity.…
Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front is a World War I anti-war novel that uses different objects that all symbolize different themes that impact the story. The leaves and different seasons impact the storyline to show the point in the lives of Paul and his comrades and to represent their feelings. The beginning of the novel takes place in late summer while everyone is experiencing a short period of lighthearted fun (9). The end of summer is usually associated as a time that people begin to wonder what had happened to the time that had previously appeared to be everlasting. Paul is faced with the stripping of his childhood due to being exposed to the harshness of war immediately after he was living without a care. Paul reports…
Youth and Innocence are a Thing of the Past In Erich Maria Remarque’s novel All Quiet on the Western Front Paul and other soldiers lose their sense of innocence and youth before they are prepared. Paul, a young man enlists in the German Army of the First World War with some of his classmates. These young men become enthusiastic soldiers, but incidents of horror break them down. Paul and other soldiers lose their sense of innocence and youth when they discern the poster of a beautiful woman in the white dress, when Paul does not feel comfortable in his own home and, when Paul realizes he would not know what to do with his youth if he gets it back. Innocence and youth do not last long in the young soldier's’ life.…
All Quiet on the Western Front Long Essay All Quiet on the Western Front was a story of a group of young children, nineteen years old or so, who enlisted in the military on the advice of one of their professors. They were told, and believed, that they would be seen as heroes in everyone’s eyes, and that they were doing such great things for their country and showing extreme nationalism and patriotism. As the months went on, fighting on the front lines, these men realized that this life was nothing like what they were told the military life would be. They were promised fame. This was not the case and through their time in the trenches these men were stripped of their humanity, grew to hate their commanding officers, and were fighting purely for survival to see another day.…
All Quiet on the Western Front is the fictional story of a young German G.I. named Paul Baumer, whom with his fellow classmates trudges through the war witnessing the devastations of death and loss of innocence within the ranks. The story, even though it has a pacifistic view on the war, shows the dread of war and the mindset that led to the future of Nazism in Germany. In the beginning of the story Remarsque had given the reader a false sense of patriotism that as a young man and his friends allows them to join the cause and fight for their country. Throughout the story though Baumer and his…
In every Disney movie, the villain is portrayed as a horrendous beast who was once a human. The thing is, every wicked witch or horrendous beast was once a human with a kind soul who suffered a traumatic event. In All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, the German soldiers shift from fresh-out-of-high-school kids to shameless killing machines after witnessing the horrors of World War I. In The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, while fighting the Vietnam War without understanding its purpose the soldiers are changed after experiencing war’s brutality. Even though one cannot undergo the experience of being in a war zone or fighting for one’s homeland, many lessons can be learned from reading literature.…
All Quiet on the Western Front a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, who was also a German veteran from World War I. Remarque’s novel is about a young German named Paul Bäumer who joins the Imperial German military with his friends and goes to fight on the Western Front during World War I. Paul and his friends were encouraged by Kantorek, their teacher, to join the German army because it was a patriotic thing to do. When they reach the Western Front, they begin to realize the horrors of war. Paul is given a chance to go home for a while and he sees how hard it is to adjust to life after being out in the frontlines. Eventually, Paul returns to the Western Front. He goes on patrol one night and stabs a French soldier. Paul watches the French soldier…