Of the many narrators that we experienced throughout the course, those used by Erich Maria Remarque in, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Mark Zusak in, The Book Thief, delivered the most compelling and unique point of views. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul, our narrator, is able to relate every event and emotion as it is happening. Through Paul, we were able to experience trench warfare during World War I. Remarque, through Paul, allowed us to encounter the war through the eyes of someone from the “enemy” side and we realized that regardless of sides, all men were humans and all went through the same motions in life; fear, hunger, loneliness and love. While he is unable to tell us how other characters are feeling, he makes up for …show more content…
This story is a prime example of what happens when we fail to stand up for what is right. Art Croft and Gil Carter, two cowboys who arrive into town after a long season of herding, are pressured into partaking with the lynching of three innocent men. As a result of going along with the popular vote, three men died unnecessarily leaving those involved with innocent blood on their hands. Though the story takes place nearly a century ago, the situation is no different than what we experience in our everyday lives today. When reading this, it mostly reminded me of the influence that modern media has on the public. We are quick to respond to negative rumors without verifying all the facts and as a result many people are hurt and sometimes even killed. That mob mentality that can take over a large crowd is dangerous in our current society and we have experienced much of this over the summer. People desecrating personal property, beating innocent people, and blatantly ignoring the law while claiming to act in the name of “justice,” are perfect examples of what happened in the story. We are responsible for our own actions and must learn to recognize the difference between what is fact and what others want us to believe. Like many of the stories this term, this one aims to highlight how humans are capable of terrible