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Papers > History > effects of War from All Quiet on the Western Front
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effects of War from All Quiet on the Western Front |
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... An example of a character who experiences this by war is Paul Baumer from the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Paul is introduced in the novel as a sensitive and compassionate young teenager, but different events he experienced while in the trenches of the front line of World War I, changed his life forever. "It (this book) will try to simply tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war." (Remarque, All Quiet… Epigraph). This statement sets up the novel""s intention of its story: to discuss a generation of men who, though survived the war physically, were destroyed mentally. ... He always viewed war as an adventurous experience but his thinking became a reality when he and his classmates are encouraged to enlist as volunteers to fight in the war. ... Specifically, teachers and parents had used words, passionately at times, to persuade him and other young men to enlist in the war effort. After relating the tale of a teacher who encouraged his students to enlist, Baumer states that "teachers always carry their feelings ready in their waistcoat pockets, and trot them out by the hour" (Remarque, All Quiet… page 15). ... "At that time even one""s parents were ready with the word ""coward""" (Remarque, All Quiet… page 15). Remembering those days, Baumer emphasizes that, as a result of his war experiences, he has learned how shallow the use of these words were. "This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it." (Remarque, All Quiet… Epigraph) Paul shows us how this book is not the average war book that describes exciting adventures, and it does not do justice to the actual experience of soldiers. Rather he is telling us that this is different because from home you may think that war is adventurous like he did, but when you stare death face-to-face, its hell and changes one""s life forever. He perceives war as a way of defending his country, honorable, doing what is expected of you from your elders and as an adventure. He realizes from events throughout the book that he was wrong. ... In his first two weeks of basic training, Paul and his fellow recruits receive the first lesson of war from Corporal Himmelstoss, their trainer. ... We see already from this a change in Paul from just the training of war; he goes from a sensitive kid to a man who stands up to authority without outright defiance. Paul then realizes that the humiliation and hard work is what got those who survived the frontlines of war the chance to go home to their families. All this changes Paul""s perception of war and makes him believe that the words of the older generation are empty. ... The first bombardment showed us our mistake, and under it the world as they had taught it to us broke in pieces" (Remarque, All Quiet… Chapter 1) This quotation from Chapter One constitutes Pauls first and most direct exploration of how the older generations betrays the younger generation by convincing them to sacrifice their lives for the empty ideals of patriotism and honor. Paul says that authority figures from the older generation—parents, leaders, teachers—should have been wise guides to the future and that, as boys, the young soldiers all assumed that they would be. |
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Title: effects of War from All Quiet on the Western Front
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