All Quiet On The Western Front Quotes Analysis

Youth and Innocence are a Thing of the Past
In Erich Maria Remarque’s novel All Quiet on the Western Front Paul and other soldiers lose their sense of innocence and youth before they are prepared. Paul, a young man enlists in the German Army of the First World War with some of his classmates. These young men become enthusiastic soldiers, but incidents of horror break them down. Paul and other soldiers lose their sense of innocence and youth when they discern the poster of a beautiful woman in the white dress, when Paul does not feel comfortable in his own home and, when Paul realizes he would not know what to do with his youth if he gets it back. Innocence and youth do not last long in the young soldier's’ life.
Firstly, Paul and other soldiers
Paul’s thoughts on his youth are “And even if these scenes of our youth were given back to us we would hardly know what to do.” An immense amount of Paul and other soldiers’ youth was taken away from them too soon, even if these scenes of youth were given back to them they could not regain the old intimacy with these scenes. This quote also shows Paul’s loss of innocence. Paul has become wiser during the war, but this wisdom is leaving him with no hope in his future. Paul also says that if the scenes of their youth were given back to them “...it would be like gazing at a photograph of a dead comrade…” This quote shows how much Paul misses his youth but there is no way for him to connect with it. Youth and innocence is nowhere to be found for Paul and other
The poster of the beautiful woman, Paul’s realization of soldiers not knowing what to do with their lives after war and not feeling at home in his own home are events where the disappearing of youth and innocence occurs. Paul and his comrades are not destroyed by shells and bullets but by their own emotions. Emotions make wars harsh, not the shells and bullets. For Paul and other soldier’, youth and innocence are a thing of the