Literary Essay

All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

What aspects of Paul’s life have been changed by the war and cause him to lose his hope in life itself?

                Before the war Paul took for granted many aspects of his life. But in Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, the sad truth becomes blatantly obvious; war has redefined the pillars of Paul’s life- home, trust, and patriotism- and sends him on a downward spiral to tragic, hopeless death.

            It was ironic that Paul felt more at home at the front, than with his family in his real home. When Paul returned to the front after his leave he was overwhelmed with sadness, but upon return he realized that, “It will soon be alright again back here with Kat and Albert. This is where [he] belonged (201).” He spent his whole life growing up with his family, and still the relationships that he gained at war surpassed any that he developed during peace time. This suggests that when he went through war, and saw his comrades die, he created relationships with people who were going through the same thing that he was going through. On the other side of war- if they come out alive- a soldier isn’t same person that they were before.

            Paul lost trust in war, in Germany, and finally in himself. In the beginning of the book he enlisted because he trusted that war was a great way to serve his country and be honored. Once in war, he realized that everything said back home about war was a lie. When it became obvious to all of the men that Germany was losing the war, they got a visit from the Kaiser. Paul lost hope in Germany when the leader had no answer to how to win the war.  Paul was, “really rather disappointed… He distribute[d] iron crosses and we march[ed] off (202).” The Kaiser didn’t know how to fix their problems, and the men knew that if the leader didn’t know what to do, then they were doomed.

            Paul’s sense of patriotism faded away to nothing by the end of the war. The wrong people were fighting the war. Tjaden wanted to know why he was fighting, because no one had offended him. The Kaiser wasn’t out at the front fighting, and he was the one who wanted the war. Kantorek- the boys’ school master- wanted them all to “join up, comrades (p).” He and all the people back home really wanted all the fighting, but instead of going to fight, they encouraged the younger generation to do it for them. A war caused by men, is left to the boys to settle.

            Paul relied on each of these- home, trust, and patriotism-to help him make it through the war, but they did the complete opposite. He struggled through death and confusion with his support crumbling from underneath him, leaving him stranded without hope, with the only peace found in death.