Summary Of All Quiet On The Western Front

In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front soldiers admit themselves in the war and struggle more than just staying alive. Oftentimes their lives as regular humans are threatened. Remarques purpose in writing this novel was to show how the war dehumanizes the soldiers,how comradity is created during war, and how their life after war is changed. One of the most common motifs throughout the novel is how soldiers in the war are dehumanized and turned into killing machines. In an article written by Common Dreams a story is shared about a veteran who simply became dehumanized. Brandon Toy, who fought in Iraq with the United States army came home and was with his family in the car. Brandon starts explaining the story of a time in Iraq. “I bragged

I laughed about the way the father and mother had frantically waved their arms at me, begging not to be shot” (www.commondreams.org/views/2013/08/08/us-wars-dehumanization-and-me). What seemed like a normal story to Toy was a horrifying story to his wife and cousins. Toy then goes on to say. “My wife, my cousin, and his girlfriend were horrified. I even scared the waitress. They let me know in no uncertain terms that it was wrong to laugh about such a thing” (www.commondreams.org/views/2013/08/08/us-wars-dehumanization-and-me). Brandon had became so dehumanized and so brainwashed that a simple story to him is a horrifying to his family members. Another war veteran named Bradley Manning shared his war experiences with Common Dreams. Manning who was surrounded with so much killing and death questions his own sense of humanity. “A part of me felt dead, or never alive, bloomed. At times I felt on the verge of being uprooted and washed away” (www.commondreams.org/views/2013/08/08/us-wars-dehumanization-and-me). Mannings whole entire life now has been shifted. He has witnessed so much pain and suffer that now himself feels a sense of sadness. He loses value in

The men battle in the war together and become very close with one another. They need to rely on one another to survive. In chapter three of the novel the general, Himmelstoss, is lost. The soldiers are sad and distraught about the loss of him. Then, a soldier named Tjaden runs over and breaks the news. “Here Tjaden comes with a flushed face. He is so excited that he stutters. Beaming with satisfaction he stammers out: Himmelstoss is on the way, he is on the front(Remarque,45)! The way the young soldier yells about the general coming back demonstrates how powerful comradeship truly is. Another time when comraship is showed is when the main character, Paul, is gifted seventeen days of leave from the war. He is initially excited to leave and go home but as soon as he gets to the train station he becomes sad. Suddenly I become filled with consuming inpatient to be gone” (Remarque,154). Even in a time where he should be filled with excitement to go home he immediately misses his comrades. In a heated battle with the enemy country one of Paul’s closest comrad, Kemmerich, is shot in the leg and is heavily bleeding. Once the battle is over with the soldiers surround Kemmerich. “I sit by Kemmerich’s bed. He is sinking steadily. Around us is great commotion”(Remarque, 27). Even in a time of life and death the soldiers are still displaying a strong sense of comradeship. They are all showing their affection by surrounding