Language In All Quiet On The Western Front

"Death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it." In the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front by Enrich Maria Remarque, this quote is demonstrated many times. The novel details the lives of a young man, Paul Bäumer, and his friends who enlist as German soldiers, and their struggles in the war which eventually result in death. In this story, it is evident that the word "quiet" is used as façade for the true life on the battlefield. In reality, the warfront is depressing and takes a toll on all of the soldiers. Remarque's language, presentation of the characters, and comparisons of war life demonstrate his argument that war destroys people, both physically and mentally. Descriptive language is used to show the negative effects

"Once we had such desires-but they return not. They are past, they belong to another world that is gone from us." Not only do the soldiers have to disconnect from their own hopes and dreams, but they also disconnect from other civilians, including their family. "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. I ought never to have come on leave." Paul cannot connect with his mother, father, or any of his personal possessions because he realizes that he is not the same person. He has to live in fear of the dangers of war, not of the superficial worries of his past. He has formed a new family, and eventually as all his friends die, he becomes satisfied with his own impending death because he knows that although his entire time has been filled with struggles, he will no longer have to fight and will be at peace. "I am quiet. Let the months and years come […] they

More than just the chance to get shot, the war institutionalized the characters. "We became hard, suspicious, pitiless, vicious, tough […] We did not break down but adapted ourselves." The 20-year olds, fresh out of school, were forced to adopt a mindset that allowed them to acclimate to the constant death surround themselves. They learned to take pride is small victories, that to the everyday civilian were normal, but to them were rarities, like comradery and a good meal. "When I see them here [..] I feel an irresistible attraction in it, I would like to be here too and forget the war […] but also it repels me." Not only did the characters recognize the blessings in the midst of their dark times, but they also recognized war for what is really was: a way for people to make money. When the Kaiser visited the camp and stated that he did not really want the war , the soldiers began to realize who they really were in terms of expendability and who really profited from the war. "A declaration of war should be […] like a bull fight. […] Whoever survives, his country wins. That would be much simpler and more just than this arrangement, where the wrong people do the