In All Quiet on the Western Front Erich Maria Remarque uses characterization and plot to show what effect World War I had on all the soldiers. Three psychological effects portrayed in the novel are suicidal thoughts the soldiers had, the soldiers doing anything to persevere, and the impact the war had on soldiers’ relationships at home. In this novel World War I and the soldiers’ mental state is the main focus. Soldiers go through a lot of mental and physical trauma. The mental trauma soldiers go through is terrifyingly ugly. One psychological effects seen in the novel is the suicidal thoughts experienced by the soldiers on the front. In an uncommonly changing scene at the end of the novel, Kraup is in the hospital with a hurt leg. While
In a time of great nationalism, Remarque showed the true horrors of war which many did not know, for they were told war was noble. All Quiet On the Western Front breaks the illusion painted by the leaders of all countries, showing the true loss of life, and mental and physical effects that war had on the soldiers. As a veteran soldier from the Western Front himself, Remarque experienced the horrors that were not mentioned when he was told to sign up and help his country. Remarque tells how the many young men forced to fight in the war under their older commanders had their lives completely destroyed, even if they survived.
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."
Andrew Servis Mrs. Carpenter Honors English 10 03 March 2016 Identity in All Quiet on the Western Front All Quiet on the Western Front is a classic novel written by Erich Maria Remarque. In this novel, the reader is given a clear visual of what it was like to be a German soldier during World War I. Throughout the story, the reader is given a great understanding of the horrendous things these young men had to endure. Remarque uses great detail and imagery to show how the men felt and the conditions they were in. Throughout the novel, Remarque constantly reminds the reader about the thematic concept of sacrifice.
In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front soldiers admit themselves in the war and struggle more than just staying alive. Oftentimes their lives as regular humans are threatened. Remarques purpose in writing this novel was to show how the war dehumanizes the soldiers,how comradity is created during war, and how their life after war is changed. One of the most common motifs throughout the novel is how soldiers in the war are dehumanized and turned into killing machines. In an article written by Common Dreams a story is shared about a veteran who simply became dehumanized.
Remarque displays in All Quiet on the Western Front the toll this takes on the youthful soldiers that have partaken in the war. For since the beginning of time, war has always revolved around killing and destroying. The illustrious novel All Quiet on the Western Front exposes the drastic effects it has on the soldiers. War forces civil good men into doing acts they would never even imagine in their wildest dreams. At one point, Remarque artfully depicts a scene in which Paul is forced to kill another soldier in hand to hand combat.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a very largely anti war book. Erich Maria Remarque bases the story off of some of his experiences in World War 1. Remarque writes about soldiers from the German perspective in World War 1. This discusses the brutality and senseless portion of war which really takes a toll on soldiers’ lives. It also broaches the idea of how world leaders are so disconnected from what atrocities that these soldiers are committing and how this is slowly ruining their life.
The same struggle to stay away from the mental, physical, and a person's inner feelings of the destructiveness of war are seen in Erich Maria Remarque's novel All Quiet on the Western Front. This novel follows the struggles of Paul Baumer, narrator and protagonist, through World War I. The
Jayden Isabella Mrs.Berry English 3.1 9 March 2023 In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque uses powerful symbols to illustrate the effects of war on the human mind and to convey the universal themes of beauty, and destruction to convey the emotional and psychological impact of war on individuals and society. Showing that war is always destructive for both the “winners and losers”. In All Quiet on the Western Front, the first-person point of view focuses on the true perspective of war & creates a deeper impact on the reader.
World War One was an extremely gruesome and vile event to ever happen to the world, where millions of young men risked their lives to fight for their country. Many great poems, books, and literature had been composed to expose the vileness of the war, and hopefully to prevent future wars. Throughout the intense novel “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Remarque and some of the poems explored during class, exemplifies the themes about the horrors of war and the lost generation prevalently within these somber, yet incredible works to showcase the ghastly effects of war. Horrors of war is a crucial theme that is repeated through most of the literature analyzed throughout this tragic unit, and the effects of the horrific war takes an extreme
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.
Throughout their lives, people must deal with the horrific and violent side of humanity. The side of humanity is shown through the act of war. War is by far the most horrible thing that the human race has to go through. The participants in the war suffer irreversible damage by the atrocities they witness and the things they go through. In the novel “All Quiet on the Western Front" is the description by Erich Maria Remarque of the graphic violence and gore and the psychological pain that the average soldier endured on the western front.
Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front illustrates the horrifying repercussions of war on soldiers, showing how it creates psychological trauma, shatters relationships, and robs soldiers of their innocence. War is physically demanding, causing soldiers to get injured and exposing them to traumatic events that cause many mental health issues, such as, post-traumatic stress disorders, . These events are taking a toll on Paul Baumer's mental health, leaving him in exhaustion, fear, and depression. As Paul finishes a hard day of fighting, he says: “Night again. We are deadened by the strain--a deadly tension that scrapes along one's spine like a gapped knife.
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.
The war novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque depicts one protagonist, Paul, as he undergoes a psychological transformation. Paul plays a role as a soldier fighting in World War I. His experiences during the war are not episodes the average person would simply experience. Alternatively, his experiences allow him to develop into a more sophisticated individual. Remarque illustrates these metamorphic experiences to expose his theme of the loss of not only people’s lives but also innocence and tranquility that occurs in war.
Erich Maria Remarque, a World War I veteran, took his own personal war experience to paper, which resulted in one of the most critically acclaimed anti-war movement novels of all time, All Quiet on the Western Front. The voice of the novel, Paul Baumer, describes his daily life as a soldier during the First World War. Through the characters he creates in the novel, Remarque addresses his own issues with the war. Specifically, Remarque brings to light the idea of the “Iron Youth,” the living conditions in the trenches, and the sense of detachment soldiers feel, among other things. Therefore, All Quiet on the Western Front criticizes the sense of nationalism, which war tends to create among citizens by quickly diminishing any belief regarding it as a glorious and courageous act.