ipl-logo

Character Analysis Of Corporal Himmelstoss In All Quiet On The Western Front

414 Words2 Pages

In the novel titled All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque depicts Corporal Himmelstoss as a cruel man who abuses and demeans the men under his command. There is no stated reason for this but after analyzing the book, it can be inferred that Himmelstoss treated the men in such a harsh manner because he is insecure, cowardly, and sadistic. Himmelstoss is described as “a small undersized fellow…[who] was in civil life a postman” (Remarque 23). Thus, Himmelstoss’ job is not that well-paying and he has an average physical appearance, being short and possessing a big moustache, so he makes up for what he lacks in looks and station by abusing his power. Cowardice also plays a big role in terms of Himmelstoss’ savagery because in order to verify himself and assert that he is an important figure in the war, when in reality he hides from it, he torments the men.

Show More
Related

  • The Colonel Kappler Character Analysis

    292 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Scarlett and the Black, Colonel Kappler was in charge of occupying Rome during World War II. He was a very complicated character with two totally different sides to him. His words display this contrast between his need for control and intense love of his family. One of the Colonel's first statements was "My duty is to maintain order in the streets, discourage resistance, and round up escaped prisoners.". This was in response to Pope Pius XII's inquiry about the Nazis caring about safety.

    Read More

  • Summary Of All Quiet Men Of The Western Front

    428 Words  | 2 Pages

    The reading part describes a horrible scene of the battle field. The writer explain in details the time he spent in the war in a way that helps the readers imagine themselves being with him. Remarque, in his novel “All Quiet Men of the Western Front”, showed the suffering of soldiers while they are on the battle field. He talked about the fear possessing the men of not being able to go back alive. Remarque also talks about human parts and dead corps pilling up in the graveyards in front of him.

    Read More

  • All Quiet On The Western Front Literary Devices

    1667 Words  | 7 Pages

    Before World War I, all of Europe in 1914, was tense and like a bomb or a fire was waiting to erupt. Europe had not seen a major war in years, but due to Militarism, Imperialism, Alliances, and Nationalism tensions grew high. Each country was competing to be the best by gaining more territory and growing in their military size and successful economies. World War 1 was waiting to happen and the assassination of the Archduke was the spark that lit Europe up. In All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque we see the effects of the assassination.

    Read More

  • Western Front Power

    839 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Prime Minister, the Senate, the House of Commons—these are people who we Canadian citizens depend on to make educated and reasonable decisions for the future of Canada. Being in such positions of power, such politicians must think on behalf of all Canadians; we trust them not to abuse their authority for selfish personal desires. However, this has not always been the case throughout history. World War I required militaries to appoint many individuals to take power in order to face the sudden state of total war; since these decisions were made rashly, numerous officers proved to be egocentric individuals who abused power for their own desires. Through the use of irony, both Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front and Kubrick’s Paths of

    Read More

  • The Effects Of A German Soldier In All Quiet On The Western Front

    1077 Words  | 5 Pages

    “We loved our country as much as they; we went courageously into every action; but also we distinguished the false from true, we had suddenly learned to see. And we saw that there was nothing of their world left. We were all at once terribly alone; and alone we must see it through” (Remarque 6). Joining the war is perceived to be glory, and an honorable act, but is it like all it seems? All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel about World War I and its effects upon those who served in it through the perspective of a German soldier by the name of Paul Bäumer.

    Read More

  • The Effects Of War In All Quiet On The Western Front

    889 Words  | 4 Pages

    War carries important morals that heighten the perspective of men and women on their nation, but it also entails many acts and experiences that leave lasting effects on their emotional and physical state. Throughout the following texts, Paul Baumer, the dead soldiers, and Kiowa’s comrades all sustain losses that compel them to persevere and fight harder. All Quiet on the Western Front, Poetry of the Lost Generation, and an excerpt from In the Field all connect to the recurring theme, horrors of war, that soldiers face everyday on the front line through the continuous battle. War involves gruesome battles, many of which lead to death, but these events forever affect the soldier’s mind and body. In All Quiet on the Western Front, men experience horrific sights, or horrors of war, through the depiction of the terrain, death, and the

    Read More

  • The Effects Of War In All Quiet On The Western Front

    1366 Words  | 6 Pages

    War often has drastic and lasting effects on individuals; the violence and horror ages soldiers mentally and physically. World War I was a violent and distressing war; men came home with mental illnesses and never were fully able to sink back into society. Through these lasting effects common civilians with no affiliation were unaware to the consequences. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Remarque investigates the damaging effects of war on an individual’s identity using Paul Bäumer as a representation for all soldiers; he draws specific attention to the continuing loss of purpose and ability to relate to the rest of society.

    Read More

  • All Quiet On The Western Front: A Character Analysis

    1245 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the year 1914, a war started that would turn innocent people against each other, and have aftermaths that include thousands of people dead due to new equipment like tanks, gas attacks, and hand-to-hand combat. In this war there was a soldier named Paul Bäumer who is a German nineteen year old who has made friends that will last a lifetime during this experience, but has also felt immense pain. His daily routine is to sleep, eat, and fight in the trenches, and he experiences death every day. Most soldiers view death as a recurring event, but Paul views it as wretchedness, which makes him different from others by caring about his comrades more than others. Paul shows many qualities through this experience of being a soldier in the First World War, and he learns what is necessary in life, which takes some people years to figure out.

    Read More

  • Difference Between Misopeliades And Achilles

    792 Words  | 4 Pages

    Misopeliades tell the men that he thinks it’s a bad idea for Achilles to go and fight in war because he never does anything right. Misopeliades feels Achilles will only make things worse than what they are already. Misopeliades thinks he is only thinking of going to the war because he wants to be seen as respected by his people. The whole war wouldn’t be as bad if Achilles didn’t become so enraged over such a little situation.

    Read More

  • Themes In All Quiet On The Western Front

    799 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy? If we threw away these rifles and uniforms you could be my brother just like Kat and Albert (Remarque 223)". Comradeship among soldiers is a major theme throughout the novel, "All Quiet on the Western Front" because the soldiers knew each other before the war, protected each other during combat, and can relate to one another without having to literally speak. This story 's theme shows comradeship because Paul and the other soldiers were in class together before joining the war. In the beginning of the novel Paul introduces his friends he went to school with before going to war with. "

    Read More

  • All Quiet On The Western Front Essay

    972 Words  | 4 Pages

    All Quiet on The Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, is a novel composed after World War One to convey the experiences of German soldiers during this horrific time of fighting. He brought to light many important issues that occur during wars. In this book, three horrors of war that had the largest impact were the lack of sanitation in the trenches, the loss of comrades, and the shock that came from unexpected and ongoing shelling. The lack of sanitation in the trenches caused many diseases, infections, and terrible memories to me made.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: All Quiet On The Western Front

    804 Words  | 4 Pages

    The war novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque depicts one protagonist, Paul, as he undergoes a psychological transformation. Paul plays a role as a soldier fighting in World War I. His experiences during the war are not episodes the average person would simply experience. Alternatively, his experiences allow him to develop into a more sophisticated individual. Remarque illustrates these metamorphic experiences to expose his theme of the loss of not only people’s lives but also innocence and tranquility that occurs in war.

    Read More

  • Justification In Euripides 'Hekabe'

    1204 Words  | 5 Pages

    Euripides ' Hekabe establishes a sense of understanding and empathy for those that take revenge and suggests that it may be justified depending on the situation. Using Hekabe 's anagnorisis (656-657) in which she discovers Polymestor, a man she has trusted with her son 's life, has killed him, Euripides creates a feeling of justification toward Hekabe and her tribe of women 's vengeful act of blinding Polymestor and killing his sons. Hekabe further comes to allow the audience to decide if it was just or not, using the dialogue in lines 1097-1224 to voice both Hekabe and Polymestor 's arguments, however uses Agamemnon 's monologue (1207-1220) to demonstrate how Hekabe 's revenge was ultimately justified. Hekabe 's plot for revenge begins as the servant bears the bad news.

    Read More

  • The Characteristics Of Achilles: The Hero Of Iliad

    1512 Words  | 7 Pages

    Iliad is recognized as one of the most famous ancient monuments of literature. The full understanding of this epic poem is hardly possible without thorough analysis of its main characters. Among all the episodes of the Trojan War, Homer chooses the moment of Achilles’ wrath and thus creates a poem in which he becomes the central figure. From the Ancient Greeks’ point of view, Achilles represents the ideal of manliness and pure heroism, for he is brave and fights for heroics, not profits. Today, one can agree with this interpretation, yet Achilles is probably the most controversial character because he combines various personality traits and acts in accordance with his ambiguous nature.

    Read More

  • The Shield Of Achilles Analysis

    811 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is as if that the stanzas are divided, those stanzas that Thetis expects to see and those of how actually the things are, the first are alleged the reality with a more romanticized way and the other are presented with a rather tough and harsh reality which is as if a battlefield. In this poem, Auden wants to demonstrate his concerns for a contingent war, the poem is written in the period after the Great War which inevitably follows the period of Cold War. In a way, through the poem, Auden tries to make its readers think more reasonable and be aware of the consequences that would have in a possible war. In the last stanza, when Hephaestos reveals to Thetis the whole true about the shield “Hephaestos, hobbled away,... Out in dismay ”, the fact that her son Achilles died during the war(66-68).

    Read More

More about Character Analysis Of Corporal Himmelstoss In All Quiet On The Western Front

Open Document