Analysis Of Eric Remarque´s All Quiet On The Western Front

When analyzing any form of war literature, one notices the great emphasis on the soldiers’ feelings and emotions. These emotions are very important because they are the driving force of the war. After all, if people didn’t feel incredible rage, they would never be convinced to join the war. Nevertheless, after engaging in war, those who fight in it suffer terrible emotional consequences that flip their lives and personalities. They suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, shell shock, or regret. It is estimated that about 40% of soldiers experience psychological issues after war. However, not all soldiers experience those neurological effects in the same way. Different factors affect the way a soldier experiences the war, the most

An observation shows that German soldiers who were exposed to extreme traumatic experiences had avoidance symptoms meaning they tried to avoid situations that triggered the traumatic event. In Eric Remarque’s “All Quiet on the Western Front,” Paul shows similar symptoms when he returns home on his leave. He finds people troubling him because of their questions about the war, “I cannot get on with the people. My mother is the only one who asks no questions” (Remarque 165). He finds those questions “stupid and distressing” (Remarque 165). He will certainly be reminded of the traumatic experiences of the war if he has to talk about his work at the front. So, he tries to avoid those experiences by not answering others. Even if he answers, he talks about amusing things. He also avoids his distressing memories by distracting himself to beautiful and pleasing memories from past. He thinks about comforting and peaceful atmosphere in his room. He sits in his bedroom with his books and pictures, trying to recapture his childhood feelings of youth and desire but the memories are only shadows. He can only attach himself to his identity as a soldier and the rest of the reality around him is foreign. This relates to another symptom of PTSD observed in German soldiers. “More frequently, soldiers suffered from detachment from other people and world around him, anhedonia and difficulties concentrating” (citation). Paul shows such symptoms as he repeatedly talks about foreignness and estrangement, “It is a foreign world. / I feel no contact here,” and as he complains, “Words, Words, Words —they do not reach me” (Remarque 168, 173). He gets less interested in activities he once enjoyed. Sometimes, he experiences