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All Quiet On The Western Front Suffering Analysis

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Human suffering is a major topic in both “All Quiet on the Western Front” and in “Civilization and its Discontents”. Sigmund Freud discuses and presents his theory’s on how people and society work and think while Maria Remarque describes the Life of a German solider in World War One. Freud underlines the reasons why humans suffer and Remarque describes a story where these aspect of suffering are present. Suffering is part of everyone’s lives and is present in society for several of reasons. People, their own body’s and the world around them causes suffering. World War One was an event that caused the suffering of millions and Freud’s explanation of suffering can be used to describe the suffering in Maria Remarque’s novel.
Freud explains that the purpose of life is “simply the programme of the pleasure principle” (Freud 9). This principle is the dominant mental operation of …show more content…

Nature has a large impact on suffering. Rain and drought can cause massive amounts of suffering but images of beauty and false hope in nature can as well. Towards the end of the story the blossoming cherry tree that Detering sees near where the troops are stationed is an image that represents the renewal of life and hope. It is an overwhelming feeling for Detering. It reminds him of his orchard at home and brings back all the feelings of happiness and joy. This image does not lead to rebirth, or to anything positive at all though. It merely causes Detering to lose his judgment and go crazy, he becomes desperate to return home. He suffers at the thought of having to stay on the front lines and tries to run away from the war. He is later found and court-martialed. That serial and powerful image in nature could have been looked at in two ways but Detering saw it in an overly positive way, creating even more suffering for

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