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

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All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, shows the everlasting hardships that stay with soldiers after World War One, leaving them with mental and emotional issues creating a separation between life and reality. Remarque, expresses how the harsh living conditions resulted from war, left the men mentally, emotionally, and socially separated from life; leaving all men questioning their decision on why they joined the war? As we read through the story, we learn about what life was like being during World War One, though we finish the book with the realization of how the generation of men in the war had their lives destroyed. Remarque tells the story of Paul Baumer, a 19 year old soldier who has been affected immensely by war. During …show more content…

Paul expressed how he felt about returning home, “...the generation that has grown up after us will be strange to us and push us aside. We will be superfluous even to ourselves, we will grow older, a few will adapt themselves, some others will merely submit, and most will be bewildered:--the years will pass by and in the end we shall fall into ruin”(294). Leaving the war many expect themselves to become separated from the rest of society, their honorable acts while in war will be forgotten, and no one will be able to relate to them on what they went through. Emotionally, this took a big toll on not only Paul, but every soldier that has ever gone into war. Looking in perspective of what they went through, picture going away with all of your friends to protect your country, being told that you were going to be written down in the history books and become heroes. Then, quickly you realize that everyone has lied to you. You slowly watch all of your friends die around you, you start to lose hope in yourself that you will ever return home as a hero, leaving you with nothing left to fight for. At first many fought hard for the idea power of their country, knowing that tbey had the love and support from their families back home, but when they returned they found …show more content…

Once the war started Paul questioned the reality of what people would think of them when they returned home, “What do they expect of us if a time ever comes when the war is over? Through the years our business has been killing;--it was our first calling in life. Our knowledge of life is limited to death. What will happen afterwards? And what shall come out of us,”(264). The men that went into war, joined at such a young age that to them it feels as if their whole life has been taken over by war. As Paul discovers the realities of war, he questions what will come out of him when he gets home. His life for such a long time as revolved in killing, while other 19 year olds were going off to college or jumping into the business world, Paul along with millions of others, were left to deal with death and violence. The entire time they were away they missed out on the progression within their societies, their youth-hood, and coming to full development mentally and physically. World War One destroyed the lives of soldiers, creating a generation of lost

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