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

The Book All Quiet on the Western Front is written by Erich Maria Remarque. The story takes place in late World War I in German and French front line. The Author has written the book combining his own experiences from war. He also tried to educate his readers about brutality, destruction and soldiers' point of views of war.

The protagonist in the book is a young soldier called Paul Baumer. There is no specific character as antagonist but I think the antagonist is the war itself. Even though Paul was excited to join the army at beginning, in the war Paul learns the true meaning of war and oppose it. War only brings destruction and death to many lives. It shatters soldiers' dreams and ruins their lives, especially the youngsters' who haven't
even explored their life. Theme is one of the main parts in every literary work. There are many themes shown through out this book. The major theme is the brutality and destructions of war which is shown in every chapter in the book. Everyday people are dying in combats and being seriously wounded physically and psychologically. Also the author points out the role of nationalism and patriotic idealism and betrayal of the younger generation by the older generation in promoting war. The reasons that men joined this war were nationalism and patriotism, which were soon shown to be false and tools used by those in power to control a nation and conquer piece of land. Paul and his friends were seduced into joining the army by nationalist ideas as their teacher talk about glory of joining the war, but the experiences of fighting quickly teach them about insignificance of nationalism in the face of the war's horrors. It also shows them there is no glory in this war. The every day's combat and bombardment reveals the fear of losing one's life in any moment in the war. We also notice the effect war has on soldiers when Paul has difficulty remembering his past, when he goes back home for few days and can't pick up where he left off before he went to war and he can't share his experiences with his loved ones because they would not understand. All these indicate that alive or dead, the war has destroyed soldiers' lives. It has isolated soldiers from civilian and made them lonely. The one theme that maintains its positive value in the novel is friendship between the soldiers. Their gathering after all day combat and conversation, going to hospital to check on their mates and the emotions they have when one of their comrade gets hurt shows the true friendship is created between them.

The main conflict is Paul and his friends have without knowing entered an unfair war in which hope for survival is just a dream knowing that they have already been mentally scarred beyond recovery. This conflict is taken place because of the power crazed leaders giving out nationalistic and patriotic ideologies to force people to participate in the war just for their self satisfaction to rule another nation and conquer a piece of lands.

This is a conflict which can't be solved by protagonist or me. This kind of conflicts only can be solved by the powerful people or leaders who started the conflict or more powerful leaders who can stop them. So protagonist only hopes for end of this conflict and wait for an armistice. Ironically and tragically he dies two months before an armistice and unable to see the conflict has been resolved. The protagonist couldn't resolve the conflict which he couldn't anyway but unfortunately he couldn't even get to see the armistice. I don't think there anyway protagonist could have solved the conflict. He could only just pray and hope for the best solution and soon which he did or he could have talked to the leader directly which I think wasn't possible for him. As I said before this conflict can't be solved by protagonist or me and where protagonist himself couldn't solve the conflict there is no way I can resolve the conflict. Compare to protagonist I am just a no experienced and more emotional kid.

I think climax in the book is Paul's killing of Gerard Duval in Chapter Nine is his first encounter with hand-to-hand combat. Paul volunteers to be part of a patrol to spy on the allied position and while he was doing that the gun fires starts. To protect himself Paul hides in a shell hole and right that moment a French soldier comes to his trench unnoticing him. Without hesitation Paul tries to kill the French soldier but he doesn't die till next morning when Paul's is awoke by his moaning of pain. Paul regains his humanity and bandage the French soldier but he dies after little while and Paul check for his wallet and promise to write to his family. He also finds a picture of French soldier's wife and child. In this event protagonist or Paul realizes that the French soldier is another human being just like him with family. He is also terrified by the war just like him and his friends. This event makes Paul to go more against the antagonist or the war and nationalist politics played by the nation leaders only to conquer a piece of land.
There are many literary elements used in the book.
One of the common symbols is soft airman's boots, which pass from man to man after each wearer concedes to a violent death. First it's worn by Kemmerich before his injury, then its pass on to his friend Muller, then again when Muller is on his way to deathbed its pass on to Paul. In all, four men possess the boots; none survives the war. Russian prisoners exchange their boots for crusts of bread. All these show the war made things more valuable than one's life. The horses of Chapter Four highlight the change of combat from earlier dependence on beasts to mechanical devices, such as grenades, cannons, flamethrowers, machine guns, balloons, and aerial shells. Death of horses also symbolizes how innocent people and things are forced into war, and forced to face the horrors of warfare, like death. Example of a simile the terrible cries of these wounded beasts are "like the moaning of the world martyred creation, wild with anguish, filled with terror and groaning." We can also foreshadow death of Paul's friends from all the bombardments in the beginning of the book. Women in the novel represent peace, gentleness, and nurturing, as well as sexual release. The poster represents what life used to be like: happy, wonderful and beautiful. Paul's fondness for potato-cakes, symbolize the love and affection for his mother and family. I think it is ironic that Baumer dies only one month before the armistice. Although tragic, his physical death isn't really very exciting because he died in his mind much earlier after witnessing so much violence, especially the deaths of his classmates. The death of Katczingsky is ironic too. It's ironic how he survived all the huge attacks and bombs, and then a small splinter killed him. I think Paul's death also symbolize the end of
war.

I think this story could have taken place in any where in the world and in any century because the story is not about any places or during a time it's about how a war can be so devastating and destructive causing many lives and effecting soldiers lives. There will be not many differences even if the story takes place in different country or different place the main idea will remain the same, only might increase or decrease the destruction of war and number of dead judging the technologies and equipments from the century and the country.

War is curse to human kind there is no good thing can come from war if it's not for a good cause. I think that's what Erich Remarque tried to display in his story All quiet on the western Front. War is mostly famous for its brutality and destruction. A lot of people die and many things get destroyed including natures beauty in war and at the end it becomes all quiet on the front of the war. We should learn from our history and stop thinking about the effects after the war ends and start thinking about how can we stop or avoid wars before its too late.