'Authority In All Quiet On The Western Front'

Anvi Pande

Mx. Cordero

World Literature P.3

27 February 2023

Authority on the Western Front

The novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is drastically different from its 2022 film adaptation under the same name. One of the key differences between the film and the novel is how officials are portrayed. Although both the author and the director wanted to convey the same message, showing the higher-ups in a negative light, they did it in completely different ways. For instance, in the novel, the presence of authority is very evident from the start till the point it becomes oppressive towards the soldiers. Whereas, in the film, there are only rare moments when an authority figure takes charge- which changes the plot of the story

It was about how he and his friends struggled through the war. Since they were recruits they had been under the watchful eyes of Corporal Himmelstoss. Corporal Himmelstoss was the constant authority figure that governs the soldiers’ lives. He was a “small undersized fellow with a foxy, waxed mustache, who had seen twelve years' service and was in civil life a postman.” (Remarque 23). From the very beginning of the novel, he was shown in a negative light, portraying how the people with authority let the power get to their heads. For example, from the first time he met Paul and his friends, as recruits, he did not like them because “he sensed a quiet defiance” (Remarque 23) from them. He made them do useless chores in hopes to make them submissive but it only built up their hatred toward him. The soldiers would use any opportunity to defy his orders, even though they knew they would be punished for their actions. Although Himmesltoss was an annoyance to the soldiers with his unjust ways, he and their superiors were the reason the recruits became such competent soldiers who could train younger recruits

One of the clearer differences is that while Himmelstoss may be in charge of Paul and his friends, he still feels the consequences of his actions, like when he was sent to the front for mistreating the recruits. This consequence would not apply to the Friedrichs as he is the general- a higher position than corporal- but it also means that he has been away from the actual fighting for longer making you think how inexperienced he would be if he was actually put on the battlefield. But, because of his high position, he was able to initiate the final attack ultimately killing Paul on the day of the armistice. Another difference is how the effects of authority are reflected in the soldiers. In the novel, there is definite control that the authority has over the soldiers, one that trained them, but also repressed them, turning the soldiers into empty shells of war. In the film, however, there is a rather unusual absence of authority in the lives of the soldiers. They are told once or twice in the beginning what to do and how to do it but other than that the soldiers are free to do what they want. This lack of authority may have been the root cause of some poorly judged actions that the soldiers take. For instance when Paul and Kat go to find the goose for the second time but because of Paul’s poor judgment, Kat is killed by a kid. Another instance is when Tjaden