War over a War Novel In the preface to All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque writes, “It [the novel] will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.” This quote shows that this book was written for the purpose of conveying how a generation was lost because of World War I. Two critics, however, differ over the validity of the author’s purpose because of the depiction of the horrors of war and portrayal of a soldier in All Quiet on the Western Front. The critic Modris Eksteins agrees with Remarque in arguing that Paul Bäumer embodies an everyman that represents the fate of a generation. On the other hand, William Pfeiler writes that the novel should not be taken seriously because it is about a certain type of naive soldier that does not represent an everyman. Although there is evidence in the novel to support both views, the idea that Paul represents a lost generation is stronger than the opinion that he represents an immature individual.
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. However it may seem, this is not violence simply for the shock factor, neither is it simply included to add realism to the novel. Instead this is an effort on Remarque’s behalf to communicate the human aspect of war, and describe the immense suffering that could be inflicted on any soldier during the GReat War. Through the use of the Narrator Paul Baumer, and the graphic imagery and description, Remarque illustrates the suffering that a soldier had to go through, both psychological and physical. The physical injuries sustained by men on the frontline in All quiet on the western front were absolutely horrendous.
This book, All Quiet on the Western Front, gives countless examples that point to the main theme, war causes nihilism. During the war, soldiers lose their innocence. One example is when a new fair-haired recruit lost his innocence during his first bombing in the trenches. This boy is scared out of his mind. He is huddled on the ground in fetal position and his helmet has fallen off.
The two works talk about disillusionment in two different ways, from two different perspectives and yet they convey the same message about disillusionment; war is never as honorable as it is shown throughout the media. In the first chapters of All Quiet on the Western Front Paul and his friends are getting pressured at a young age by their schoolmaster Kantorek and he talks about patriotism and how
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.
To what extent does Erich Maria Remarque reject ideas of patriotism in All quiet on the Western Front? In his novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Remarque presents his own negative views towards patriotism through his characters thoughts and interactions. The author explores the ways in which attitudes towards patriotism changes between characters both away from and on the front lines; in doing so, Remarque critiques the nationalism found in Germany during the First World War. A key theme of All Quiet on the Western Front is the idea of a 'lost generation ' of youth. This is used to enact sympathy from the reader and to call into question the prioritisation of patriotism over the lives of the soldiers.
War habitually desensitizes and numbs the fighting soldiers due to the harsh, crippling events they have witnessed. War creates a feeling of endless hopelessness felt by the comrades during the war. In “All Quiet on the Western Front”, Erich Maria Remarque exposes the change of characterization of Paul Baumer from an innocent boy transformed by the monstrosities of war into a desensitized soldier by repeating the pattern of soldiers going to the front, being at the front, and then being away from the front to expose the personal destruction caused by it. On the way to the front, the comrades are experiencing rising anxiety and intimidating tension from the realization of the unavoidability death on the frontline. For example Baumer is thinking, “Every time it is the same.
In Erich Remarque’s tragic novel, All Quiet On The Western Front, he depicts the hardships war has on an individual, especially the younger generation. From these hardships, the audience understands why the individual is not able to find a way to reconnect with his past life. Paul’s war experience destroys his empathy, as well as his connection to others and the society that he once was a part of. The impact of the war stripped Paul of his humane connections between him and his society, and in the end a naive teen had to endure bloodshed. Paul and his comrades had no idea what the war would do to them and sadly learned that the war was more a misfortune than an honor.
Patricio Becerril Knight English 2/4 19 February,2016 We are known with the quote “War is hell”, but how do we truly know the atmosphere is such location. How do we, the readers without any involvement in what so ever could we relate to such strong statement. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque guides through the eyes of the Paul Baumer and his gang having to live the truth of world war one. Paul and his soldiers friends are label throughout the book the ‘’lost generation’’.The generation that was only introduced to the ‘’Great War’’.The entering of the war has postponed their civilians lives due to war effort resulting no aftermath progression. Pau is a young sensitive man who once seek for poetry soon
The book All Quiet on the Western Front is about Paul and his journey throughout the war. The author explains the emotional, mental, and physical struggles that the soldiers went through. The trenches were deep and filled with water in the rain, causing many soldiers to get trench foot which is just one of the many illnesses and injuries that happened. All Quiet on the Western Front shows the reader the pain the soldiers went through as well as Paul's being impacted physically and mentally while