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All Quiet On The Western Front Symbolism Analysis

Decent Essays

War causes a loss of innocence and brings a soldier further away from their home life that they once loved as a child. In the book “All Quiet on the Western Front” the author Erich Remarque uses symbols to prove that this is how soldiers lives change after they return from war. Remarque uses the symbols of potato pancakes, horses and the earth to exhibit that war takes away the feeling of comfort that was once associated with home, while bringing on new responsibilities and a loss of innocence.
The idea of potato pancakes makes Paul think about his childhood which he now feels like he never truly lived. When Paul comes home he is reminded of his childhood when he mom makes “[his] favourite dish, potato-cakes, and even whortleberries to go with them too”. One may think that Paul would be excited to hear that his family has not forgotten about him during his time in the war, however, this is not the case. Paul is reminded of his childhood and the affection he was once given and feels as though this has been completely lost throughout his time in the war. The potato pancakes have made the memories of his childhood come back to haunt him and make him have “an uneasy conscience when [he] looks at them, and yet without any good reason. Before [they] turn in [he] brings out the rest of the potato-cakes and jam so that they can have some too”. Paul gets an uneasy feeling from the potato pancakes because they remind him of when he was just an innocent child who knew nothing about

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