What was the purpose of All Quiet on the Western Front?
An antiwar novel set during World War I, it relies on Remarque’s personal experience in the war to depict the era’s broader disillusionment. The book is an account of Paul Baumer’s experiences in battle and his short career as a soldier, and it is primarily concerned with the effect of war on young men.
What is the most important quote in All Quiet on the Western Front?
Quote 1. 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. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.
What does quiet symbolize in All Quiet on the Western Front?
The adjective “quiet” is used to describe lots of different things in this novel, but it is almost always associated with peace and calm and with all things that the war is not. Take a look at a few examples of “quiet”: We see “quiet” is used to describe the enemy.
How does Paul learn to handle his emotions in All Quiet on the Western Front?
Paul is a compassionate and sensitive young man; before the war, he loved his family and wrote poetry. Because of the horror of the war and the anxiety it induces, Paul, like other soldiers, learns to disconnect his mind from his feelings, keeping his emotions at bay in order to preserve his sanity and survive.
How does Paul describe Stanislaus Katczinsky?
‘ He is an older man, about forty years old, and Paul calls him ‘shrewd, cunning, and hard-bitten. ‘ Kat’s life as a poor farmer has given him the experience needed to survive hard times, and he is counted on to find food and supplies where none seem to be available.
What does Paul mean a word of command has made these silent figures our enemies a word of command might transform them into our friends?
A word of command has made these silent figures our enemies; a word of command might transform them into our friends. When Paul comes face-to-face with captured enemy prisoners, he fully realizes the arbitrary nature of war. These people are strangers who have done nothing to him.
What does Kemmerich’s boots symbolize?
Kemmerich’s Boots Kemmerich’s high, supple boots are passed from soldier to soldier as each owner dies in sequence. Paul brings them to Müller after Kemmerich dies and inherits them himself when Müller is shot to death later in the novel. In this way, the boots represent the cheapness of human life in the war.
What does Kemmerich’s watch represent?
Kemmerich’s watch symbolizes the callous regard for the life of a dying soldier. A wounded soldier’s items are cared more for than saving the life of the wounded. On a deeper level, it symbolizes how the soldier no longer has any time left.
What assignment are Paul and his comrades given?
Paul and his friends are given an easy assignment: for three weeks, they are to guard a supply depot away from the fighting. When the next battle takes place, Paul and Kropp are wounded and forced to bribe a sergeant-major with cigars in order to be placed on the hospital train together.
What’s happened to Paul and his friends at the end of the novel?
Paul and his friends survive nearly three years of trench warfare, only to die within months of the peace agreement. Paul dies in October 1918; the armistice that ended World War I was signed in November. His death marks the end of a generation of young men from his town, who represent the lost generation as a whole.
What lesson did Stanislaus Katczinsky learn?
During the fighting, Kat speaks with authority on what the sounds of the war mean and where bombs will be dropped, which reassures Paul and the other young soldiers, and teaches them to be able to recognize the important sounds themselves.
What does Paul learn about patriotism in All Quiet on the Western Front?
Paul reflects on seeing the gung-ho nationalist ideals he was taught fall away as he was further immersed in actual war. Those who pushed him to enlist claimed that going to war for your country is a glorious cause, and acted as though they respected the soldiers.
Who was the author of All Quiet on the Western Front?
All Quiet on the Western Front, novel by German writer Erich Maria Remarque, published in 1929 as Im Westen nichts Neues and in the United States as All Quiet on the Western Front.
Why was All Quiet on the Western Front burned?
All Quiet on the Western Front was one of the many books burned by the Nazi Party after Hitler took power, because of its representation of German soldiers as disillusioned and its perceived negative representation of Germany. The book was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.
What happens to Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front?
After the Kaiser leaves, Paul becomes lost at night during battle and, while hiding in a shell hole during a bombardment, stabs a French soldier who falls in. He watches as the man dies, desperately trying to help him by giving him water and dressing the wound he inflicted.