Paul consistently finds solace in nature. He finds that under bombardment, the earth is “his only friend, his brother, [and] his mother” although it is difficult for him to reconnect with his old friends and family (55). The earth is providing for him what they cannot: protection from the war. Even on leave, Paul is constantly confronted with requests to discuss his life as a soldier. However, when a soldier hides in the earth, “she shelters him” in a way that nothing else can (55). In a world where shelter is difficult to find—Paul and the rest of his company spend much of their time under fire in open dug-outs—the men can still find some of that safety and stability in the earth. When Paul speaks to the earth directly, it is in an almost
The earth has the power to protect and shelter soldiers when they hide in trenches or in holes made by shells. Earth proves to be a match for the man-made weapons that seek to kill men; for, even though Earth cannot fight back, it can protect Paul and his friends. Notice how Paul uses words like "thy" and "grantest" – it 's as though he 's reciting an old prayer. You could argue that he 's praying to the only power that can help him.
Paul escaped serious physical wounds; however, he is completely destroyed by the effects of the war. After being mercilessly attacked with gas, he sees the brutality and lack of concern for the soldiers’ lives. Although he is continuously pressured by authority figures to see the opposing fighter as the main enemy, Paul understands the problem goes beyond killing other men. The war tears Paul apart and leaves him scarred by the lack of
Paul most clearly displays his strength on the each of these levels when a bombardment begins to rip apart the graveyard in which he and his comrades had been resting. A single reading of the passage reveals the first level upon which Paul excels: as a soldier. His training in No. 9 platoon under Corporal Himmelstoss made sure that he would not be killed the moment he stepped foot in the trenches, but the knowledge that he displays in this time of crisis did not come from parade grounds or noncommissioned officers; it came from months of trench warfare, from experience under fire, and from the natural instinct to make the right choices when it matters most. From the beginning of the passage, one can observe Paul’s course of action: he does not think, he reacts. From the moment the first shell lands, he begins gathering information: “By the light of the shells I try to get a view of the fields” (66). When his sleeve is torn away, he does not trust the fact that he feels no pain. Paul thinks: the fact “that [I feel no pain] does not reassure me: wounds don’t hurt until afterwards. I feel the arm all over. It is grazed but sound” (66). His actions reveal some of his soldiering merit, but not all.
This is what all young men of his generation have experienced, men on both sides of the war. During Paul's stay in the hospital, he has a lot of time to reflect on not only how he has lost his youth on the battlefield, but also on how life might be when the war is
This shows us that Paul is still mesmerized by those events and holds them close to him. It seems like whenever something bad or sad is happening to him, such as the war, he brings back these memories into the into and remembers the good times while coping with the bad ones. Paul uses the quotes “I believe we are lost” which shows that Paul thinks not only him but all the men fighting are lost. I think what Paul means by lost is lost in thought.
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
Paul explains his view of the constant attacks in the war and the overall negative atmosphere of the war. He feels as if the atmosphere itself “clogs the lungs,” and “suffocates” (Remarque 29) because of the loss that Paul has endured. Paul feels that the constant warfare and atmosphere surrounding him is slowly killing him. He is used to the constant loss and death around him so much so he does not know what living a normal life is anymore either. When Paul returns home he does not feel like he can live a normal life anymore.
Many of Paul's fellow army men do not survive. After the loss of Paul's closest friends,
Along with personal feelings, the same goes for everyone Paul witnessing his best friend’s death have impacted their group so that they cannot feel or care for each other. After a battle that left many injured. While Paul rests he thinks of how everyone is left on their own, claiming, "We have lost all feeling for one another. We can hardly control ourselves when our hunted 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). During another day in the trenches Paul sees many bodies everywhere, soldiers being killed in front of him. Losing everyone that was close to him has caused him to lose himself mentally making him unstable. He carries the pressure of telling the families which furthermore carriers his depression. He carries a comrade’s boots as they are passed down from soldiers after each owner dies, Paul carries these boots to represent unimportance of human life. In addition to young soldiers have to follow and look up to older generation and higher rank officers which lead to betrayal. Propaganda played a huge role in World War 1 giving everyone biased opinions and bad judgements of others. These opinions gave Paul a false perspective of older generations.
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
While the disconnection allows the soldier to adapt to the brutal war environment, it inhibits them from re-entering society. When he takes his leave, he is unable to feel comfortable at home. Even if Paul had survived the war physically, he most likely would not have integrated back into society suitably. The emotional disconnection inhibits soldiers from mourning their fallen friends and comrades. However, Paul was somewhat less than able to completely detach himself from his feelings, and there are several moments in the when he feels himself pulled down by emotion. These rush of feelings indicate the magnitude to which war has automated Paul to cut himself off from feeling, as when he says, with unbridled understatement, “Parting from my friend Albert Kropp was very hard. But a man gets used to that sort of thing in the army (p. 269) .”
He states that when he goes home, his family will be shocked to hear this language. Paul treats his lingual freedom as privilege that soldiers have, and shows the benefits of living a soldier’s life. He refers to the front as if it were a paradise, for he can use vulgar language and not worry about manners and decorum. He treats his service as a time for relaxation, recreation, and a little excitement. This attitude becomes short-lived as the realities of war sink in. When Paul volunteers for reconnaissance one night, he becomes stranded in No Man’s Land (the area between opposing trenches) and begins to realize the brutality of war and starts to lose his own humanity. At the beginning of the book, Paul shows care towards his fellow soldiers and treats his service as an adventure by his education of the recruits and his excitement towards the boundaries of his vocabulary.
In All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul is morphed from an innocent child into a war veteran who has a new look on society. Paul used to have a carefree life where he was able to be a kid, but when he enlisted into the army it all changed. Paul became a person whose beliefs were changed because of the war. Paul doesn't believe in society anymore especially parents, elders, and school, which used to play a big part in his life. He changed his beliefs because society does not really understand how bad war really is and pushed many young men, who were not ready, into the army. Paul connects with his fellow soldiers because they are going through the same situation and
Life for the soldiers in the beginning is a dramatic one as they are ordered up to the frontline to wire fences. The frontline makes Paul feel immediately different as described here. "As if something is inside us, in our blood, has been switched on." The front makes Paul more aware and switched on as if his senses and reactions are sharpened. I think Paul and his friends are
Yet another example of the brutalization and dehumanization of the soldiers caused by the war occurs during Paul’s leave. On leave, Paul decides to visit his hometown. While there, he finds it difficult to discuss the war and his experiences with anyone. Furthermore, Paul struggles to fit in at home: “I breathe deeply and say over to myself:– ‘You are at home, you are at home.’ But a sense of strangeness will not leave me; I cannot feel at home amongst these things. There is my mother, there is my sister, there my case of butterflies, and there the mahogany piano – but I am not myself there. There is a distance, a