Symbolism In All Quiet On The Western Front

The devastating psychological effects of war, portrayed masterfully through the characters of Erich Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, manifest themselves in the form of powerful symbolism. Kemmerich’s boots, passed down to each soldiers, causing the subsequent death of every boy who wears them, embody the mindset of war and the volatile nature of a human life, therefore, they act as the most effective symbol in the novel. Introduced almost immediately, as the soldiers’ former schoolmate, Kemmerich lies in a hospital enduring a slow, excruciating death, readers experience a shocking jolt into the perspective of a soldier when Mueller apparently suffers no grief for his friend and focuses solely on obtaining his high-quality boots. Later, narrator Paul Baumer rationalizes Mueller’s

Additionally, as the soldiers board transport vehicles back to another futile battle on the front, the inflated value of sensible material possessions during wartime manifests through Mueller’s contentment amid terrible conditions. While his fellow soldiers complain of standing “jammed in together, shoulder to shoulder”, Remarque describes Mueller as, “in a good mood for once...wearing his new boots” despite the tragic deaths of comrades and the bloody fate which awaits the soldiers (Remarque 51). Clearly demonstrated, the symbol of Kemmerich’s boots now illustrates the relative cheapness and disposable nature of a human life compared to the more substantial value and desirability of practical supplies, such as the boots. Furthermore, as the novel progresses, a clear pattern emerges, and following the death of Mueller, Paul’s inheritance of the boots foreshadows his near