Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front â€Å"I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another (263).† Powerful changes result from horrifying experiences. Paul Baumer, the protagonists of Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front utters these words signifying the loss of his humanity and the reduction to a numbed creature, devoid of emotion. Paul’s character originates in the novel as a young adult, out for an adventure, and eager to serve his country. He never realizes the terrible pressures that war†¦show more content†¦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 para dise, 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. When Paul becomes stranded in No Man’s Land, he undergoes the transformation from a carefree young adult to an inhumane, lifeless shell of a man. The change begins when Paul hides in a shell-hole, waiting for a pause in the bombardment. A French soldier jumps in as well, looking for shelter. Paul has prepared for this circumstance and stabs him three times. Paul’s strikes are not mortal enough, for the wounds do not immediately kill the Frenchman. The enemy soldier dies over the next day, and while the soldier slides inexorably into the throes of death, PaulShow MoreRelated A Deconstruction of Erich Maria Remarques All Quiet on the Western Front1519 Words   |  7 PagesA Deconstruction of Erich Maria Remarques All Quiet on the Western Front The young soldiers depicted in Erich Maria Remarques text All Quiet on the Western Front represent a generation without precedent, constancy, or forethought. The men, answering their elders calls to become national heroes, have lost their innocence on the battlefield and remain forever altered in belief and spirit. Remarque contrasts the cold realities of war in the present to the tranquility of the past in order toRead MoreThe Horrors of War: Erich Maria Remarques All Quiet On the Western Front2024 Words   |  9 Pagesthroughout history. 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