Paul Bauumer's Journey

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is based on a group of young soldiers; Paul, Kat, Kropp, Tjaden, Detering and Muller who experience the horrific battlefield of World War I fighting for the German army. These main soldier of this journey is Paul Bäumer who is the hero of this novel. Paul was influenced by his schoolteacher Kantorek to join the army and becomes a seasoned war veteran throughout the novel. Before the war these young men did not know the terrors of war and what they were up against. One would think that these soldiers would rely on the love and warmth of their families to make it through the war but none of that matters on the western front. As the war progresses Pauls unit Troop 9 who previously consisted

No longer do these men feel such great urge for love and warmth. Especially, Paul Baumer, who can’t even enjoy a rare occasion of intimacy with the french woman in war because he is so use to the awful lifestyle. Paul says, “We march up, moody or good-tempered soldiers – we reach the zone where the front begins and become on the instant human animals”. Even when he is gifted with a seventeen day leave he returns to his hometown thus being able to once again be with his family but it is not the same. As he returns he is notified that his mother is sick with cancer and he soon realizes he has lost the feelings he once had towards life before he went off to war. Paul enjoys being by his lonely as no one truly understands the gruesome act of war as they underestimate its dreadful scenery. His father wishes that he wears his uniform around town to be a respected war hero however, Paul neglects this request. He is no longer worried of how his “home” views him as he now wishes to return to the front. Yet before his return he visits Kemmerich's mother, one of his fellow comrades mother to talk about her son’s death as he wishes to give her a sense of relief. Then once again Paul is back at the front with his fellow soldiers ready for action. Once he returns he is notified that his former teacher who influenced him as well as his fellow class to enroll in the war has been

We see a change in Paul’s life as now an experienced trooper he even feels remorse for the captured Russian prisoners as he knows the feeling of turning into a more beastly human just trying to survive. Unlike other soldiers who abuse the prisoners Paul grants them with cigars and cake showing how he has now changed from his first time experiencing the front. However, as the story continues Paul is once again sent to action and this time he kills for the first time, a French troop named Gerard Duval. It hurts Paul as he realizes he is killing fellow human beings who are not much different than him. Kroop says, “we are here to protect our fatherland. And the French are over there to protect their fatherland. Now who's in the right?". They are all just fighting for their home country so who is to say who is