In a time of great nationalism, Remarque showed the true horrors of war which many did not know, for they were told war was noble. All Quiet On the Western Front breaks the illusion painted by the leaders of all countries, showing the true loss of life, and mental and physical effects that war had on the soldiers. As a veteran soldier from the Western Front himself, Remarque experienced the horrors that were not mentioned when he was told to sign up and help his country. Remarque tells how the many young men forced to fight in the war under their older commanders had their lives completely destroyed, even if they survived.
Remarque ties this specific theme of World War I to deliver the problem of bringing soldiers with no experience in the world, representing an entire country and consequently dying in the Front because they were not mature enough to fully comprehend their surroundings to light. Bringing young people away from their lives and to war takes away any chance they have at a normal life, sooner or later putting them in an exceptionally weak mental
Erich Remarque, author of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, presents a true story of a soldier throughout World War I. At the young age of 19, Paul Bäumer voluntarily enters the draft to fight for his home country, Germany. Throughout the war, Paul disconnects his mind from his feelings, keeping his emotions away from the bitter reality he is experiencing. This helps him survive mentally throughout the course of the war. The death of Paul 's friend Kemmerich forces him to cover his grief, “My limbs move supplely, I feel my joints strong, I breathe the air deeply. The night lives, I live.”
He did an incredible job writing a truly fascinating World War I novel that was very hard to put down. He went through a lot during his time serving in the war, and that is apparent as he tells his story through the character Paul Bäumer. He showed more insight than anyone could ever imagine of the lives of the soldiers during those four years. Remarque incorporates the more fascinating aspects of the war, and used them in such a way to intrigue the reader. He did an excellent job of writing about life in their platoon, on the front, and Paul’s home life.
Despite Erich Remarque being near the front lines during World War One, he did not pen the novel based off of first hand accounts, nor did he write the novel off of completely accurate, historical events. There are overlaps between Remarque’s life and friends with the characters in the novel; however, there are also discrepancies. Upon being drafted, Remarque went through Prussian training drills that were conducted by Corporal Himmelreich, who evolves into Corporal Himmelstoss in the novel. (BBB 15). But unlike the main character Paul, who volunteer to join the military in the novel, Erich Remarque did not volunteer, but was drafted in to the war.
Remarque wrote this story so that common people would know the true treachery of war and how war is only a device to achieve greatness. War is portrayed as a waste of valuable time and human life that in the end, only corrupts and destroys the minds and lives of the many military families- all because a political power wanted something that somebody else had and couldn't come to a peaceful
Erich Maria Remarque’s title choice was perfect for this novel. Although it was not all quiet on the western front until the last page (p.296), the whole novel describes the path the war took to reach that point. Each event that occurred magnifies the struggle of valiant men in their attempt to achieve peace and brotherhood. The story line of the book began with tension, evolved to hatred and decimation, and resulted in peace and relief. When Paul Baümer lay dead, he appeared calm because peace had finally been achieved.
Irony in Remarque 's, All Quiet on the Western Front Some historians and people describe World War I as “The Great War,” a label that must be ironic to those who have fought it and lost their friends and family. Erich Maria Remarque 's novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, narrates the lives of several young soldiers, Paul, Tjaden, Albert and Müller, among others, who enlisted to defend the German lines. Their schoolteachers encouraged them to enlist by stressing the nobility of and courage in serving and protecting the nation. However, deep in the trenches, Paul and his friends rapidly learn the difference between what they had been taught about the war and what the war itself has taught them.
According to Erich Maria Remarque, “...will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.” Remarque was a soldier in the German army during the events of WW1, enlisted at the age of 18 Remarque’s first hand experience of the war reinforces this quote. This quote is uncovered in All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, a novel in which the life of a soldier named Paul Baumer and his friends who are also soldiers lives are followed as they fight for Germany in WW1. After enlisting in the war at the age of 19, Paul becomes exposed to the harsh realities of the war; causing him to focus on trying to survive. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich
Erich Maria Remarque was a man who had lived through the terrors of war, serving since he was eighteen. His first-hand experience shines through the text in his famous war novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, which tells the life of young Paul Bäumer as he serves during World War 1. The book was, and still is, praised to be universal. The blatant show of brutality, and the characters’ questioning of politics and their own self often reaches into the hearts of the readers, regardless of who or where they are. Brutality and images of war are abundant in this book, giving the story a feeling of reality.
The role of the federal government concerning domestic and foreign affairs was severely contested between the Federalist and Democratic-Republican political parties, which resulted in palpable animosity that permeated domestic politics and social discourses of the young republic. Additionally, socioeconomic factors endemic to the male immigrant-laden population of Baltimore City created an environment of frustration without readily available structures in place to facilitate relaxation. Last, an ineffectual local militia force led by headstrong and opinionated commanders was tasked with maintaining peace and order within the city and the surrounding county. These three aforementioned factors made Baltimore City vulnerable to social unrest and comprise the analytical points of investigation necessary for this paper. On June 18, 1812, just days after the American declaration of war on the British Empire, a mob of Democratic-Republican supporters destroyed a Federalist newspaper office, The Federal Republican, after the Federalist editors criticized
However, when they were sent out into the midst of the war many of them realised the misconceptions they had and were led to believe. They became disillusioned as they realized that the war was much more brutal and horrific than they had previously believed. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Remarque effectively comments on the horrors of war from Paul’s perspective, especially when Paul comments on injuries the soldiers endure and witness by stating “We see men go on living with the top of their skulls missing; we see soldiers go on running when both their feet have been shot away…Another man…with his guts spilling out over his hands as he holds them in.” (Remarque,
From 1914 to 1918 World War One occurred due to the murder of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, by a Serbian group named the Black Hand. Additionally, several powerful countries, including Germany, France, and Britain, established a series of alliances that amplifies the size of the war. Likewise, the war expanded by the strong nationalist beliefs of each country, therefore a countless amount of men desired to fight the war, in order to support their country. This sense of nationalism is a theme explored throughout Erich Maria Remarque's novel All Quiet on the Western Front, through the lense of a young German Soldier. The protagonist, Paul, a 19 year old soldier, explores the horrors of war through strong comradeship, the death of companions,
To him, the war represented newfound uncertainty of ridiculous social norms and thus a complete remodeling of those rules and strident challenging of Positivistic thinking. Entering the war, Germany was a confident nation full of “noble” young Nationalists ready to die for their country, but the realities of the war soon dispelled that veil of Positivistic thinking. Prior thinking states that it is noble to die for your country, but Remarque is deeply critical of this belief. There is no reason to die for the cause – he calls for soldiers to break the social norm of unwaveringly fighting for your country. The war dashed the confidence of young soldiers and shocked them into realizing that what they perceived before was not so certain.
Erich Maria Remarque, a World War I veteran, took his own personal war experience to paper, which resulted in one of the most critically acclaimed anti-war movement novels of all time, All Quiet on the Western Front. The voice of the novel, Paul Baumer, describes his daily life as a soldier during the First World War. Through the characters he creates in the novel, Remarque addresses his own issues with the war. Specifically, Remarque brings to light the idea of the “Iron Youth,” the living conditions in the trenches, and the sense of detachment soldiers feel, among other things. Therefore, All Quiet on the Western Front criticizes the sense of nationalism, which war tends to create among citizens by quickly diminishing any belief regarding it as a glorious and courageous act.
