All Quiet On The Western Front Effects Of War

Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front illustrates the horrifying repercussions of war on soldiers, showing how it creates psychological trauma, shatters relationships, and robs soldiers of their innocence.

War is physically demanding, causing soldiers to get injured and exposing them to traumatic events that cause many mental health issues, such as, post-traumatic stress disorders, . These events are taking a toll on Paul Baumer's mental health, leaving him in exhaustion, fear, and depression. As Paul finishes a hard day of fighting, he says:

“Night again. We are deadened by the strain--a deadly tension that scrapes along one's spine like a gapped knife. Our legs refuse to move, our hands tremble, our bodies are a thin skin

Paul becomes aware of the senselessness of war and how it leads to the destruction of humanity and begins to question the sole purpose of his generation's existence, which has been entirely focused on killing one another for meters of land. To sum up, All Quiet on the Western Front depicts the terrible toll that war has on relationships, particularly those between soldiers and their loved ones. The novel emphasizes the psychological toll that war takes on people and how it devastates humanity through Paul's experiences, reminding the reader of the value of peace in

The phrase “We are not youth any longer” suggests that the soldiers lost their innocence due to the trauma they faced throughout the war. Paul Baumer talks about losing his desire to pursue his goals and dreams, indicating a loss of hope. When Paul talks about being cut off from progressing in life, the reader can picture what it was like to be a teenager involved in the first world war and relate to the destructive nature of that war beholds. In addition, Erich Maria Remarque proposes that the experiences of war can cause soldiers to lose their innocence and become disillusioned. Paul Baumer talks to himself saying “We are forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial--I believe we are lost”. (Remarque, 121). This illustrates how war causes soldiers to lose their youth, leaving them feeling “lost” after the war has concluded. 18-year-olds get exposed to the brutality of war, which makes them mature, in turn, it robs them of their innocence. In conclusion, Erich Maria Remarque depicts Paul Baumer's experiences in the war, leading to him losing his childhood, as he is forced to deal with his experiences of