1. Erich Remarque’s purpose for writing All Quiet on the Western Front was to show the devastating effects of war on soldiers and to protest against the war. He does this by depicting the experiences of a group of young German soldiers who are fighting in World War I. One example of how Remarque fulfills this purpose is when the protagonist, Paul Baumer, reflects on the futility of war and the sacrifices soldiers are forced to make. On page 49, Paul says, "We are forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial - I believe we are lost." This passage shows how the soldiers are emotionally and mentally drained by the horrors of war, and how they feel disconnected from the world they once knew. The …show more content…
On page 110, Paul writes a letter to his mother in which he says, "I know that you will always love me, and that I am the most precious thing you have. It is only that I cannot be your joy and happiness any more." This passage shows how the war has strained the soldiers' relationships with their loved ones, and how they feel guilty for being unable to fulfill their roles as sons, brothers, and fathers. The use of tender language, such as "the most precious thing," conveys the depth of the soldiers' love for their families and the pain they feel at being separated from …show more content…
On page 190, Paul says, "We return and find that everything has changed and is still changing. The old values are gone, the new ones have not yet emerged." This passage shows how the war has disrupted the social and political order in Germany, and how the soldiers are struggling to adjust to the new reality. The use of language, such as "old values" and "new ones," conveys the sense of change and uncertainty that the soldiers are experiencing. This passage also highlights the way in which the war has shattered the soldiers' sense of belonging and stability, and how they are struggling to find their place in the new
Once the soldiers were made aware of the realities of war they felt disconnected from their old life and the life they would have had. Paul describes this loss of feeling by saying “We are not youth any longer. We don’t want to take the world by storm. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces.” (Remarque 87).
"(Remarques 123) This quote goes to show Paul's disappointment with the war and his feelings of separation. However, Paul's companionship with his fellow soldiers provides him with a sense of belonging that helps him cope with his mental
Erich Remarque, author of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, presents a true story of a soldier throughout World War I. At the young age of 19, Paul Bäumer voluntarily enters the draft to fight for his home country, Germany. Throughout the war, Paul disconnects his mind from his feelings, keeping his emotions away from the bitter reality he is experiencing. This helps him survive mentally throughout the course of the war. The death of Paul 's friend Kemmerich forces him to cover his grief, “My limbs move supplely, I feel my joints strong, I breathe the air deeply. The night lives, I live.”
In the book, All Quiet on the Western Front an enemy soldier jumped into the shell hole with Paul causing him to stab the soldier. Paul states, “The body is still perfectly still, without a sound, the gurgle has ceased, but the eyes cry out, yell,” (Remarque 219). This isn’t showing the loss of family or friends but the loss of Paul himself. He is sacrificing his hopes and dreams by being in the war. He is young and killing someone is taking away any kind of hope for a future.
“This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it” (Remarque). For any soldier fighting at war, death is anything but an escapade for a soldier who is prone to being blown to pieces at any moment. Paul is one of these soldiers who fears death in the beginning. At a certain point of time, Paul becomes so accustomed to death that the brutality and the barbarousness of war become an everyday thing for him. This causes him to become inured to death thus starting to appreciate life more and being happy about what he has rather than what he does not have.
Veterans returning from the front, some with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or others with more debilitating conditions may have been unable to fully contribute to their community and economy. In many ways, had these men not gone to war, the men may have been able to head more productive lives. In the opening of the second chapter of All Quiet on the Western Front , the narrator, Paul Baumer is venting about the romanticism of war versus the reality they are experiencing and speaking about how the older men deal with it, “They are able to think beyond it, we however are gripped by it. … We know only that in some strange and melancholy way we have become a wasteland.
His will to live was no longer, unmotivated and no longer had his comrades. He has nothing more to lose, but desperately hopes for a better future. The image of the lost generation is captured, those whom fought will never be able to forget what war has brought them, and no one will understand them or their struggles. Paul describes the lost generation
Not only does the war affect the lives of the young soldiers, it takes them. For the young soldier’s war is all they know and can't fathom life after it. Evidence of this presents itself in chapter five, where Paul, the narrator, goes on to say “ He is right. We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm.
As they experience the horrors of war, they are forced to confront the harsh reality that war is not what they thought it would be. They witness death and destruction on a massive scale, and their ideals are shattered. The loss of innocence is particularly used by Paul, who is forced to cope with the fact that his life has been forever changed by the war. He realizes that he will never be able to return to his old life and that he has lost something that can never be recovered. This loss of innocence is a central theme in the novel, as it highlights the impact that war can have on individuals and society as a
This shows a close glimpse into the mindset of the soldiers and their thoughts during the war. At this point in the book , it proves itself to be true
Throughout the ages, wars have wreaked havoc and caused great destruction that lead to the loss of millions of lives. However, wars also have an immensely destructive effect on the individual soldier. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, one is able to see exactly to what extent soldiers suffered during World War 1 as well as the effect that war had on them. In this essay I will explain the effect that war has on young soldiers by referring to the loss of innocence of young soldiers, the disillusionment of the soldiers and the debasement of soldiers to animalistic men. Many soldiers entered World War 1 as innocent young boys, but as they experienced the full effect of the war they consequently lost their innocence.
This demonstrates how much these soldiers depend and need one another. In the novel it says, “Our only comfort is the steady breathing of our comrades asleep, and thus we wait for the morning” (Remarque 275). I imagine being in a dangerous environment such as an ongoing war it would be difficult to find comfort. However, Paul knowing his comrades are alive and getting some rest brings him comfort.
After inhaling the toxic gas, Paul is given leave to go home for a little bit. While he is home he goes through a lot of mental struggles but was not ready for the mental toll he was about to encounter coming back to the war. Paul admits that he had changed a lot in the days saying, “I ought never to have come here, Out there I was indifferent and often hopeless — I will never be able to be so again. I was a soldier, and now I am nothing but an agony for myself, for my mother, for everything that is so comfortless and without end” (Remarque 185).
The phrase “We are not youth any longer” suggests that the soldiers lost their innocence due to the trauma they faced throughout the war. Paul Baumer talks about losing his desire to pursue his goals and dreams, indicating a loss of hope. When Paul talks about being cut off from progressing in life, the reader can picture what it was like to be a teenager involved in the first world war and relate to the destructive nature of that war beholds. In addition, Erich Maria Remarque proposes that the experiences of war can cause soldiers to lose their innocence and become disillusioned. Paul Baumer talks to himself saying “We are forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial--I believe we are lost”.
Erich Maria Remarque was a man who had lived through the terrors of war, serving since he was eighteen. His first-hand experience shines through the text in his famous war novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, which tells the life of young Paul Bäumer as he serves during World War 1. The book was, and still is, praised to be universal. The blatant show of brutality, and the characters’ questioning of politics and their own self often reaches into the hearts of the readers, regardless of who or where they are. Brutality and images of war are abundant in this book, giving the story a feeling of reality.