All Quiet on the Western Front
Have you ever went home from a long day at work and wished your life would be different? That maybe you could be in paradise with no worries? The young men that this novel portrays can only dream of being back at home taking part in what everyone else considers to be "mundane and boring" activities of everyday life. All Quiet on the Western Front follows the story of protagonist Paul Bluemer, a young man and a German soldier fighting in France during World War I. The novel's theme is one that we are all aware of: the horror of war. We know that war is terrible, and that it takes lives, tears families apart, and usually never ends well. We know that the men who fight on the frontlines during war experience terrible atrocities and witness the true horrors of warfare, but do we understand the dehumanization that the soldiers of war undergo? While the horror of war is a theme that is faithfully expressed in the book and should be recognized respectfully, the effects of war on the soldier as an individual are more important. The idea that young men such as those of the second company that this novel is written about could possibly come out of this war with a clear head is preposterous. Remarque's goal is clear and is stated as so in the preface, that the novel shouldn't be taken as an adventure story. The author says that death is not an adventure when you're face to face with it day after day. The constant fighting that World War I brought to the table was a new kind of warfare. Long ago were the days of personal combat, where you would dare to look in the eyes of the man you shot or the man you stabbed. This war was more impersonal than ever, as technology brought new weaponry that allowed for the killing of men to become easier than in previous wars. Paul Bluemer often reminisces of the days as a boy in school where he wrote poetry and where his parents were constant and stable structures that he could look up to. During the war, Paul can only be focused on facts and reality. The days of poetry where symbolism and mysticism reigned are in the past. This emotional disconnection that Bluemer endures allows the reader to understand that war will never be a safe haven for even-minded individuals to remain. Remarque persists in displaying just how emotionally distant Paul has become. An example of this is when Paul describes how he feels that there is no possibility of a future after the war is over. He is also unable to remember the past the way he used to. The sheer terror that these soldiers experience day to day forces them to behave in an almost "animal" way. At any second, any one of these men, including Bluemer, could be blown to pieces and it serves and as an unending barrage on the nerves. This forces a man to stay on edge, and also binds these soldiers to remain in a primal, instinctive state of fear. How is it possible that so many of us believe it is okay to treat soldiers returning from war like heroes, when the majority feel massive amounts of guilt for the things they have done or the sights they have witnessed? It has never been and never will be okay for one man to kill another man, especially when nationalism and political ideologies lead to war. Remarque allows us to realize that the men of this war don't actually have real problems with the opposing side. It's no longer a personal issue. The soldiers of the Second Company aren't in this fight to get revenge on anyone. Paul and his friends were seduced by these exact ideologies. Soon after the war begins, the soldiers realize that the governmental decisions that brought them here are irrelevant and pointless. At the end of the day, these soldiers aren't fighting for their country and they aren't fighting because someone told them to do so. Soldiers are killing for one reason: to prevent from being killed themselves. Farfetched is the idea that being a soldier is a job that entails duty and honor. How can one feel honorable watching his comrades die horrible deaths and seeing blood fly from another man's head as a result of the pulling of the trigger under your finger? This novel is very well-written and tells a moving story. It really opens your eyes, and allows one to understand just how much war becomes a personal and emotionally destructive entity. The story truly expresses that war is not as many believe it is. War is often portrayed as a romantic, glorified and honorable event that produces heroes and losers. Warfare is not so clear cut. In the end of war, one can only hope that the "winning" side eventually realizes the gains of war are negligible when compared to the losses.
Have you ever went home from a long day at work and wished your life would be different? That maybe you could be in paradise with no worries? The young men that this novel portrays can only dream of being back at home taking part in what everyone else considers to be "mundane and boring" activities of everyday life. All Quiet on the Western Front follows the story of protagonist Paul Bluemer, a young man and a German soldier fighting in France during World War I. The novel's theme is one that we are all aware of: the horror of war. We know that war is terrible, and that it takes lives, tears families apart, and usually never ends well. We know that the men who fight on the frontlines during war experience terrible atrocities and witness the true horrors of warfare, but do we understand the dehumanization that the soldiers of war undergo? While the horror of war is a theme that is faithfully expressed in the book and should be recognized respectfully, the effects of war on the soldier as an individual are more important. The idea that young men such as those of the second company that this novel is written about could possibly come out of this war with a clear head is preposterous. Remarque's goal is clear and is stated as so in the preface, that the novel shouldn't be taken as an adventure story. The author says that death is not an adventure when you're face to face with it day after day. The constant fighting that World War I brought to the table was a new kind of warfare. Long ago were the days of personal combat, where you would dare to look in the eyes of the man you shot or the man you stabbed. This war was more impersonal than ever, as technology brought new weaponry that allowed for the killing of men to become easier than in previous wars. Paul Bluemer often reminisces of the days as a boy in school where he wrote poetry and where his parents were constant and stable structures that he could look up to. During the war, Paul can only be focused on facts and reality. The days of poetry where symbolism and mysticism reigned are in the past. This emotional disconnection that Bluemer endures allows the reader to understand that war will never be a safe haven for even-minded individuals to remain. Remarque persists in displaying just how emotionally distant Paul has become. An example of this is when Paul describes how he feels that there is no possibility of a future after the war is over. He is also unable to remember the past the way he used to. The sheer terror that these soldiers experience day to day forces them to behave in an almost "animal" way. At any second, any one of these men, including Bluemer, could be blown to pieces and it serves and as an unending barrage on the nerves. This forces a man to stay on edge, and also binds these soldiers to remain in a primal, instinctive state of fear. How is it possible that so many of us believe it is okay to treat soldiers returning from war like heroes, when the majority feel massive amounts of guilt for the things they have done or the sights they have witnessed? It has never been and never will be okay for one man to kill another man, especially when nationalism and political ideologies lead to war. Remarque allows us to realize that the men of this war don't actually have real problems with the opposing side. It's no longer a personal issue. The soldiers of the Second Company aren't in this fight to get revenge on anyone. Paul and his friends were seduced by these exact ideologies. Soon after the war begins, the soldiers realize that the governmental decisions that brought them here are irrelevant and pointless. At the end of the day, these soldiers aren't fighting for their country and they aren't fighting because someone told them to do so. Soldiers are killing for one reason: to prevent from being killed themselves. Farfetched is the idea that being a soldier is a job that entails duty and honor. How can one feel honorable watching his comrades die horrible deaths and seeing blood fly from another man's head as a result of the pulling of the trigger under your finger? This novel is very well-written and tells a moving story. It really opens your eyes, and allows one to understand just how much war becomes a personal and emotionally destructive entity. The story truly expresses that war is not as many believe it is. War is often portrayed as a romantic, glorified and honorable event that produces heroes and losers. Warfare is not so clear cut. In the end of war, one can only hope that the "winning" side eventually realizes the gains of war are negligible when compared to the losses.
