Summary Of All Quiet On The Western Front

The Vietnam War was a long war full of casualties, a tragic product of war. Many Americans were drafted to fight for their country, and over 50,000 U.S. soldier were killed in combat. In All Quiet on the Western Front, a World War I novel, by Erich Maria Remarque, the soldiers and even the animals used by the military face the horrors of war by experiencing slow and agonizing deaths. The events that Paul Bäumer has witnessed gives insight to the horrors of war.
The soldiers and horses used by the military face the horrors of war. After a bombardment, Paul and his comrades hear agonizing cries coming from injured horses. When they locate the horses, they see how severely injured they are, and how they are bleeding badly and barely able to

When Paul goes out to seek information regarding the strength of his enemy’s position, he becomes lost and confused on which way will lead him back to base. Suddenly a bombardment begins, leaving Paul the only option of hiding in a shell hole for protection. As he remains there, an enemy solider, Gérard Duval, falls into the same shell hole. Without needing to thinking, Paul stabs him. Duval’s death isn’t immediate, rather he has to suffer many hours of gasping for breath and in pain until he passes away the next afternoon (Remarque 221). Deaths in the war aren’t as simply as being shot and dying immediately after. Duval’s death is similar to the ones that thousands of soldiers faced during war, slow and immensely painful. It’s every soldier’s nightmare, and they constantly wonder when it’s their turn. It isn’t only a horrifying event to endure but also to watch as a family member or comrade. They share the same feeling of helplessness in the situation as Paul experiences. Every soldier and animal faces the horrors of war, whether its through personal experience or witnessing a commrade endure the immense pain and slow death. The horrors of war are in escapable and wear away at the soldiers hope of survival and will to