All Quiet On The Western Front Thematic Essay

1. In the book, All Quiet On The Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, Paul realizes that, at this point in time, he either has to kill or be killed, he chooses to kill. Unwilling to die without a fight, "We have lost all feeling for one another. We can hardly control control ourselves when our glance lights on the form of some other man. We are insensible, dead men, who through some trick, some dreadful magic, are still able to run and to kill" (116). Then as the soldiers approach the retreating enemies, "We bayonet the others before they have time to get out their bombs. Then thirstily we drink the water they have for cooling the gun" (116/117). The fear of death and the idea of war, in a way, has sickened them. They do not care about hygiene or ethics. The soldiers, willing to do whatever, will not stop until they have conquered or have lost.

2. In the book, All Quiet On The Western Front, the author, Erich Maria Remarque, foreshadows that the trench warfare battle will end in a stalemate. As the

In the book, All Quiet On The Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, after Paul visits Kemmerich 's mom, due to the fact that Paul has conditioned to the fact that his friend died, he does not seem to be able to understand the mother 's tears or her hysteria. After visiting Kemmerich 's mom, "I cannot write that down. This quaking, sobbing woman who shakes me and cries out on me: 'Why are you living then, when he is dead? ' --who drowns me in tears..." (180). As a result of her crying, Paul questions, "Why doesn 't she stop worrying? Kemmerich will stay dead whether she knows about it or not. When a man has seen so many dead he cannot understand any longer why there should be so much anguish over a single individual" (181). Knowing the unlikely chance of staying alive in war, Paul, unlike Kemmerich 's mom, knows how easy being killed is. Although her reaction appears over-the-top, she probably believes that she is acting