A Loss of Innocence Within Us All ( All Quiet on the Westernfront

In All Quiet on the Western Front, the Great War emotionally destroys Paul through the dehumanization of the soldiers. Throughout the book, thoughts of his future, desperation for life, and coping with his actions crushes him psychologically. Therefore Paul gains realization of the reality of the war; he soon loses everyone he has gained emotional attachment to during the time he serves and is unable to cope with the loss of all his companions. This disturbs him far more than the physical wounds in battle.

Comradeship all starts with small acts of kindness, which begins a bond friendship. For example, when Muller died he gave Paul his boots, which once belonged to Kemmerich; Paul’s best friend. “Before he died he handed over his pocket-book to me, and bequeathed me his boots - the same that he once inherited from Kemmerich,” (Remarque 279). Not only was Muller giving the boots away a sign of approval, but also was a true treasure for Paul. For example, since previously the boots belonged to Kemmerich they held memories between Kemmerich and Paul. With memories came symbolism that the boots represented the last thing Paul could of have of Kemmerich. As well as keeping a secret like the whereabouts of Tjaden. “He asks for Tjaden. We shrug our shoulders,” (Remarque 89). Not revealing the whereabouts of Tjaden expresses that the troops will not rat out their friend even if they get in trouble for it. This scene signifies comradeship by portraying that comrades have each other’s backs. Troops risk consequences for themselves by protecting their fellow comrades, for they know Tjaden would do the same in

Chapter 2 sums up the war in a different fashion, showing the contrast between the uselessness of past knowledge and the “raw and emotional skills necessary” in the trenches (20). The duties imposed on the camp by Corporal Himmelstoss symbolize the hours of work and duties done before enlistment that mean nothing during the war. Being “put through every conceivable refinement of parade ground soldiering” shows how schoolbook tasks were diligently performed only for fear of how society would perceive the boys if they were to do otherwise (26). Himmelstoss himself is the embodiment of previous responsibilities that only make the men “howl with rage” at present (26). The death of Kemmerich goes hand in hand with the death of innocence, Kemmerich’s shiny boots being the small glimpse of hope that keeps the men going. Baumer receives saveloy, hot tea, and rum from Muller for salvaging the boots. In return for giving Muller a sense of hope, Baumer receives a more needed sense of comfort and satisfaction. His hunger, one “greater than comes from the belly alone” (33), is thus satisfied. Chapter 7 directly reinforces this transition from an old life into a new one. Baumer “feels an attraction” to the

Paul experiences the death of his close friend (Keimmerich), but in nature, he finds comfort and is empowered. This is shown when Paul states, “I breathe as deep as I can, and feel the breeze in my face, warm and soft as never before” (33). This passage shows how Paul looks to nature for comfort in times where he is sad or angry. Instead of thinking about his comrade’s death, he goes outside and enjoys the nature around him. As a result of this he is no longer sad about his comrade’s death. Another passage that shows how he becomes empowered through nature is, “The earth is streaming with forces which pour into me through the soles of my feet” (33). Here it is shown to the reader just how much

Erich Maria Remarque utilizes many symbols in chapter 6 of All Quiet on the Western Front to help emphasize the importance and meaning of certain aspects in the book. Within the abundance of symbols used, two that exceedingly stood out were the broken down schoolhouse and the butterflies in the battlefield. At the beginning of this chapter, the soldiers describe “a shelled school-house.” (99). The destroyed schoolhouse signifies how useless their prior education is in their current situation. As they walk past the building, there is a constant reminder that their knowledge of the outside world and how it works cannot help them on the front lines, and many of the soldiers will not make it home in order to even have any hope of receiving an education

In war, both violence and fear revokes a soldier’s humanity. These elements of war cause a person to shut down their emotional instincts, which causes the soldiers to mature rapidly by taking innocence along with joy and happiness in life. Through the experiences that the soldiers encounter, their humanity is compromised. Thus, as war strips soldiers of their innocence, they start to become disconnected from themselves and others. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque illustrates the negative effects war has on a soldier’s humanity, through his use of Paul’s books and the potato pancakes by revealing the soldiers loss of emotion that causes them to become detached from society. Through these symbols they deepen the theme by visually depicting war’s impact on Paul. Paul’s books helps the theme by depicting how the war locked his heart to old values by taking his innocence. Likewise the potato pancakes reveal Paul’s emotional state damaged by the war with his lack of happiness and gratitude.

It’s no surprise that soldiers will more-than-likely never come home the same. Those who have not served do not often think of the torment and negative consequences that the soldiers who make it out of war face. Erich Remarque was someone who was able to take the torment that he faced after his experience in World War I and shed light on the brutality of war. Remarque was able to illustrate the psychological problems that was experienced by men in battle with his best-selling novel All Quiet on the Western Front (Hunt). The symbolism used in the classic anti-war novel All Quiet on the Western Front is significant not only for showing citizens the negative attributes of war, but also the mental, physical, and emotional impact that the vicious war had on the soldiers.

To soldiers, fighting on the front lines is a life changing event that can forever alter the way they look, think, and feel. By using juxtaposition, Erich Remarque is able to capture how feelings and behaviors can change while trying to become free from the war experience in Chapter Seven of All Quiet on the Western Front. The main character, Paul, faces three events that make him yearn to rid himself of the terrible weight of war on his shoulders. It is clear that you can never truly understand what it is like in a war until you are the one doing the fighting.

In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul experiences the brutality of war. He uses similes and personification to explain the pain he saw and the pain he experienced. In this paragraph, I will go over some ways how Paul describes his experiences. When Paul is at the front line, he says “like a big, soft jellyfish, it floats into our shell-hole and lulls there obscenely”. Paul is talking about the poisonous gas that the French are trying to kill them with when Paul is hiding. Luckily he had his gas mask on but he can feel the gas surround him in the shell-hole. Paul hates war at first, but after years there, he became used to it and he doesn't

In the incredible book, All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, the reader follows Paul Baumer, a young man who enlisted in the war. The reader goes on a journey and watches Paul and his comrades face the sheer brutality of war. In this novel, the author tries to convey the fact that war should not be glorified. Through bombardment, gunfire, and the gruesome images painted by the author, one can really understand what it would have been like to serve on the front lines in the Great War. The sheer brutality of the war can be portrayed through literary devices such as personification, similes, and metaphors.

At one point during the story, Paul Baumer returns home for a short leave from the front line. While at home he is faced with old faces, some who want only to hear of the war. Those who want to hear the war and stories constantly put a strain on Paul’s psyche. He describes in several occasions that when the conversation of war came up he would only others funny stories but nothing of his hardship. Some, like his mother, asked about the conditions of the front line. Paul is unable to describe world of the front line because he is afraid once the conversation starts he will be unable to control his feelings. “I am afraid they [words] might then become gigantic and I be no longer able to master them” (Remarque, 165). This is paramount to the life a soldier, he must be able to control his emotions in order to survive. In other circumstances, the older men wish to know of the progress of the war. In one part of the story, a few elderly gentlemen were speaking of strategy and how to win the war with Paul. The older men do not appear to be very sympathetic to Paul’s struggles and ask him sensitive questions. Paul, though angry, does not react to their prying. At one point one of the men talks of destroying the “froggies” and “johnnies”, in reference to the French and English soldiers, and remarks that Paul and the army should “shove ahead a bit out there with your

In both Battle Scars and All Quiet on the Western Front the soldiers haft to go through horrific physical wounds. One of these wounds are lost of limbs. When “Kemmerich” “lost his foot” none of his comrades dared to tell him

While on leave, Paul also visits his father and some of his father's friends, but does not wish to speak to them about the war. The men are "curious [about the war] in a way that [Paul finds] stupid and distressing." They try to imagine what war is like but they have never experienced it for themselves, so they cannot see the reality of it. When Paul tries to state his opinion, the men argue that "[he] sees only [his] general sector so [he is] not able to judge." These men believe they know more about the war and this makes Paul feel lost. He realizes that "they are different men here, men [he] can not understand..." and Paul wants to be back with those he can relate to, his fellow soldiers. Paul wishes he had never gone on leave because out there "[he] was a soldier, but [at home] he is nothing but an agony to himself." When Paul returns to the battlefield, he is excited to be with his comrades. When he sees his company, "[Paul] jumps up, pushes in amongst them, [his] eyes searching," until he finds his friends. It is then

We can hardly control ourselves when our glance lights on the form of some other man. We are insensible, dead men, who through some trick, some dreadful magic, are still able to run and to kill” (Remarque 116). Paul’s description of himself and his comrades does not sound human; rather, it sounds as if he were describing a pack of wolves. Furthermore, when Paul becomes trapped in the middle ground during a skirmish, he realizes he must defend himself. A French soldier jumps into his hole, forcing Paul to kill him. Paul “strike[s] madly at home and feel[s] only how the body suddenly convulses” without any thought (Remarque 216). The language employed by Remarque suggests Paul’s behavior is animalistic and brutal. His mad stabs into the body of the Frenchman imply the violent and impersonal nature of man that coincides with war.

The young men in the novel have become “empty shells” because of the war. While Paul is on leave, he decides to put his civilian clothes on and he says. “I look at myself in the glass. It is a strange sight.” The clothes that he used to wear does not feel comfortable, and he no longer feels like himself because he is an empty shell. When Paul is sitting in his old room he picks up a few of his old books and says, “Words, words, words, they do not reach me.” He used to write poetry and read these books but now they have no affect on him. The front lines have greatly affected the young men in the novel, turning them into “empty shells”.