Everyone was accustomed to hearing from the prestigious leaders, and Martin wanted to give another perspective. Martin wrote this book to explain what the soldiers had to go through, not from an officer’s point of view, but from a private’s view. He wanted the public to know that the war was as traumatic as the leaders said it to be and for the veterans to get recognition for their actions that they never got. He gets into description about having no food and taking food from the homes that were near the war, and having to be on lookout for hours while the officers and other leaders were in their reserves. Towards the end of the war, Martin becomes very spiteful towards the government’s treatment of him and his former comrades.
In All Quiet on the Western Front, the main character Paul has seen death everywhere, including some of his close friends. When visiting his friend Kimmerich in the hospital, he sees those dying from inhaling poisonous gas, missing limbs, or who are permanently disfigured by war. The soldier’s injuries had maimed them and left them unable to live a normal life in some circumstances. Therefore, through seeing this death, and witnessing close 3 friends die, the patriotism that soldiers are supposed to feel toward his country becomes diminished throughout the course of the war. After witnessing men die in horrific ways as well as those who were then unable to enjoy life because of their disfigurement caused by the war, Paul realizes that the deaths of these soldiers were nowhere close to glorious or brave as many depicted it to be.
Little did they know Kemmerich’s death marked the beginning of lost hope. Paul becomes faint, all at once and he could not do anything more. This is expressed by Erich Maria Remarque on page 31 of the novel. This is the response Paul displays over the news of his fellow country men’s death. Paul’s display of grief is emotionally charged, but much different than his first display of his feelings on the war where everyone was full of pride and arrogance.
In the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul experiences many atrocious war events which leave him scarred and damaged emotionally, but in the same way other characters carry physical burdens and other such objects. While stranded in a ditch, Paul stabs a French soldier who unsuspectingly falls into the same ditch. Yet as the man slowly dies, Paul regrets this action, wishing “If only he had run two yards farther to the left, he might now be sitting in the trench over there and writing a fresh letter to his wife” and promising “I will help [your wife] and your parents too, and your child…” (Remarque 118). Paul then begins to doubt his action of survival and he allows his mind to become dominated with repentance. This experience leaves him emotionally wounded by the way that the French solider dies and Paul feels responsible for it.
All Quiet on the Western Front Through many movies and shows the world tries to portray “War” as something fun and exciting, or as if it was just a video game. In reality war is a much different story, even though it may be exciting at times and could provide a great educational opportunity. The book “All Quiet on the Western Front” shows just how chaotic a war could be. In the book Paul Baumer, the main character, and his fellow comrades have to endure in many dangerous battles and deal with the horrific conditions of warfare. Despite the constant threat of enemy fire, everyone there have to struggle for food, deal with the lack of trained replacement troops, and the large possibility of death.
As the war continues, they continue to fight and accept the death of their friends easily. Many men die, friends and enemies, and it shows the different life of their days off to their days fighting or in the hospital. Finally, at the end, one of the main characters, Paul, is welcoming the new naïve recruits and gets killed reaching for a butterfly just outside the
Tracy Fang October 15, 2012 In the movie “ Quiet on the Western Front”, the lives of German soldiers were bitterly hard and terrible in World War One. There are several significant details that help the readers follow the action. First, most of the German soldiers were at an age around 17, they were very young and never experienced in a real war. Another important detail is these soldier were not given proper tools, they didn’t know how to protect themselves. They died quickly as they got shoot by bullets or breathed in poisonous gas.
Many people have discussed about what is needed in order to survive, some believe that shelter is the most important thing and other food and water. In the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, the soldiers are forced to use their animal instinct to survive. They constantly search for food and water, and did not let anything come in their way of attaining survival. Staying in war for so long, the soldiers began to forget about their life back home, girls and their families and friends. The men worry they will not live a normal life because of the horrific experiences and horrors of war.
The constant references to Lavender’s death lets the reader become aware of the importance and appreciation of every soldier. It’s obvious that the Alpha Company consisted of a strong knit group and viewed the death of a member as a very serious occurrence. To me as a reader, I might assume that perhaps that narrator, Tim O’ Brien, was impacted by Ted Lavender’s death even more so than Lieutenant Cross. Ted Lavender’s death is tragic and impacts the Alpha Company, especially Lieutenant Cross and for the narrator to decide to keep mentioning it perhaps he was impacted the most. The dreadful reality of death in war is present within the story, “The Things They Carried”.
Generals die in bed Chapter six questions and answers Leeson Li According to the narrators, what does soldiering mean? “It means saving your own skin and getting a bellyful as often as possible…that and nothing else.” That’s how the narrator explains the meaning of soldiering. What changes take place in their behaviour in the front line and why? They behaved like human beings when they were out on rest, but now they are merely soldiers, because they are now at the front line of the war, they are fighting with the enemy. Unlike when they were out on rest, they have to take it seriously now so that they won’t be killed.