Quotes From 'All Quiet On The Western Front'

Reading Analysis
“That day was the first time I took a life. It troubled me for weeks afterward, until I realized I would go mad if I continued to dwell upon it. Many do, and they become so grief-ridden. They can no longer be relied upon, or their hearts turn to stone and they lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong” (193). This quote was made by the elf Arya while she was consoling Eragon on feeling guilty about all the enemies he had killed. This quote was said when Eragon and Arya were traveling back to the Varden and just after the pair had escaped from a group of Galbatorix’s soldiers, but unfortunately they had to kill all of the soldiers so their whereabouts would not be discovered. This passage stands out because it has a deeper meaning than many of the other things
The man kneeled down begging for his life and Eragon killed him without hesitation. This contrasts with a previous incident where Eragon and Roran talked about how they see the face of the men they had killed. Both were feeling guilty and angry at themselves for killing even though it was to protect themselves. These events show that Eragon is unsure of himself and his judgment. One moment he feels guilty and the next he is killing a defenceless man. The theme of the story so far is stand for what you believe in and stand firm. The quote relates to the theme because Arya knows what she stands for and is sure about it but Eragon doesn’t know what morals he wants to illustrate so he has to decide if he should follow his heart or his conscience. The quote helps enhance the internal conflict of the main character, Eragon keeps grappling with himself over himself because he doesn’t want to kill but at the same time he wants to be able to be relied upon by his friends and people he respects, and this is why he tries not to “dwell upon” or be too “grief-ridden” over the people he