Analysis Of Erich Maria Remarque's 'All Quiet On The Western Front'

Growing up is difficult, but could you imagine feeling 50, before you have even turned 20 years old? Young boys leave their childhoods behind in the fight for their lives and country in the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque. This story follows the life of Paul Bäumer, a soldier fighting in World War I, who must overcome his greatest fears and the expectations to be the young, valiant soldier. The soldiers face pain, fear, and death as they learn how to survive in the harsh environment and watch their friends die, one by one. They see no chance of a future, and by the end of the novel, the surviving soldiers have given up hope of a “happily ever after”. Paul’s experience portrays war as cruel and draining …show more content…
They only have memories of the past and a chance for a broken future, which is what Remarque describes with the theme of losing innocence and the will to go on. These boys know nothing of what is coming, but they almost don’t want to discover what is in store for them. For example, when Paul is in the hospital, he realizes what war really is. War is the deaths and pain of thousands, and the use of young, old, incapable, or wounded soldiers, just to win an almost petty fight. Paul begins thinking, “I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow” (Remarque 263). Wounded soldiers are sent back to the front with wooden limbs to fuel the army with enough men, even in a losing battle. This cycle repeats itself, until there is no part of the soldier left. This quote supports the fact that Paul has grown up too fast and seen too much for his young age. His life has been engulfed by the war and it is the only thing Paul knows, as he is too young to have a real family of his own. He no longer has dreams for his future and does not know of anything outside of the brutal war. He puts his life in danger only for the idea of having a future and he might not even be able to put the traumatic experiences of war behind him. Earlier on in the book, Paul compares his memories to his life now, saying, “And even if these scenes of our …show more content…
Paul feels stuck between an experienced old man and a young boy who is still unaware of the world’s harsh nature. Paul is still feeling extremely lost and alone, even when he is surrounded by people. He feels stuck within himself, without a way of breaking free. He begins to think about his past and later remarks, “We are forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial - I believe we are lost” (Remarque 123). He is lost within himself, having to deal with grief and fear and the life of a soldier. This thought from Paul shows the confusion he is dealing with and all the thoughts zipping through his mind. He can no longer sit peacefully and appreciate the little things, as he always has something to worry about. He is no longer a child who can be easily taken care of. Paul also notices himself become more and more aggressive and animal-like, specifically, when he kills Gerard, an innocent soldier, without another thought. Once Gerard jumped into the hole, Paul killed him immediately: “I do not think at all, I make no decision - I strike madly at home, and feel only how the body suddenly convulses, then becomes limp, and collapses” (Remarque 216). It is no longer a thought process; it has become instinct to kill someone, as war is a destroyer, not only physically, but because of the mental stability the