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Paul's Struggle For Safety And Stability In The Earth

Decent Essays

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

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