Individuality of War

Book Review # 103100

History > European - World Wars
Literature > German

A critical discussion of "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque.

1,320 words () | 0 sources | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines Erich Maria Remarque's "All Quiet on the Western Front", considered one of the greatest war novels of all time. The paper holds that the most compelling and real aspect of the novel is the stories of the men enlisted in the German Army during World War I. The analysis focuses particularly on Paul, the narrator of the story. The paper maintains that the novel provides a candid portrayal of life in World War I through the main characters and their relationship to the enemy. The paper concludes that "All Quiet on the Western Front" is not a novel that defines the importance of war, but rather it is simply a story of men; men who are forced to give up everything and put their lives on the line for their country.

From the Paper:

"In the situation the soldiers face, many would assume their hate for the enemy, the people they are trying to fight and win against, would be an outlet for their frustration and despair. Yet, any encounters that Paul describes of the enemy all seem very passive and unaggressive. A perfect example is when Paul is sent to the training camp, which is right next to a prisoner's camp for Russian captives. As Paul narrates his experience with the Russian captives, he speaks of them almost like a foreign object, people he never knew existed or he was fighting against. I believe now that Paul is able to see others like himself. He is able to view their humanity as opposed to viewing an opposing side. "It is strange to see these enemies of ours so close up. They have faces that make one think-honest peasant faces..." (ch. 8). Through this quote the reader is able to see the compassion Paul has for the enemy. The reader is able to explicate that oftentimes Paul is not fighting to win, but he is fighting for the sake of his country, not the political giants or the nobles, but the poor and middle-class families who deserve more. As the time Paul spends in the training camp increases, he begins to feel a connection to the Russians, no longer does he perceives them as the enemy, but unfortunate, hopeless souls. "...if I could know more of them, what their names are, how they live, what they are waiting for, what their burdens are, then my emotions would have an object and might become sympathy" (ch. 8). Paul even goes so far as to give away his cigarettes to the Russian prisoners towards the end of his stay at the camp."