Summary Of All Quiet On The Western Front

The book All Quiet on the Western Front is based on the story of Erich Maria Remarque, an 18 year old German boy that fought in World War I. The book is set out to describe 3 things; the war, the fate of a generation and true comradeship but it describes so much more than this. Published in 1963 and translated into English by Australian Arthur Wesley Wheen who is famous for translating 4 war novels for many more people’s enjoyment. Remarque’s character is names Paul Bäumer in the book.
The book is set out to describe the war but in the book we see how the basic needs of a human are changed during the war. These are food, sleep and body functions (toilets). The soldiers start to show a greater appreciation of these things where people back home did not it was just something they got. A good amount of food is not something they always had and the first example of this is right at the start of the book on page 10. When they loss nearly half their men they fail to tell the cook who cooks for 150 men they are quiet chuffed in the fact they now get nearly double rations. The appreciation

It is described throughout the whole book and relationships grow stronger through the book. Remarque’s character Paul grows close to a character call Katczinsky. Katczinsky is older than the other boys aged 40 and is the leader described as resourceful, good at finding things and wise. He leads the boys through the war and finds them food at various occasions so they can have a decent meal. Two boys that Paul is close with go by the names of Tjaden and Müller (both are last names). Both are 19 and went to school Remarque’s character. Tjaden is described as skinny but a big-eater, is a locksmith at home, was a bed wetter at the start because of stress and being scared, stingy and unforgiving. Müller is described as a school student who wants a future after war, crude and tackless, as well as