Preview

In What Ways Are Paul and Pechorin's Character a Product of Their Time

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1512 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
In What Ways Are Paul and Pechorin's Character a Product of Their Time
In what ways are Paul and Pechorin’s character a product of their time. ‘A Hero of Our Time’ and ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ present the decay of the human spirit, as both novelists propose the corrosive effects of war, with Erich Maria Remarque focusing more on the after-effects and Mikhail Lermontov on the process in action. The characters Paul Baumer and Pechorin can, in some ways, be considered products of their time. The characters in All Quiet on the Western Front, including Paul, are trying to survive and cope with the lifestyle the war entails, as well as trying to cope with the issue of death, which constantly touches their lives. They find coping with this easier by acting indifferent to what is happening around them. There is a strong sense of a ‘lost generation’ as Paul, representing this generation, does not feel happy at war or at home. They all feel like they have nothing to get back to, as they went straight from school into the army, reflecting that they are a result of their time. Paul used to be a very sensitive and compassionate young man, who used to enjoy and write poetry before the war. However, all of this changed, as his time in the army made him completely detached from his feelings, disenabling him to experience certain feelings and emotions in the future. Paul describes his new self by saying, “We are dead men with no feelings, who are able by some trick, some dangerous magic, to keep on running and keep on killing.” Paul learned to take his mind completely off his feelings and emotions due to the terror of the war, and the shock of several events he witnessed, and insinuates that they have been transformed into ‘killing machines’. This once again demonstrates that Paul is a character of his time, as he demonstrates intense emotional coldness. The first indication that Paul is unable to mourn his comrades is found when Kemmerich’s death brings him down, but he is still not as depressed as one would be with the death of a
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Summary Of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front
    • 185 Words
    • 1 Page

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

    Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front is a World War I anti-war novel that uses different objects that all symbolize different themes that impact the story. The leaves and different seasons impact the storyline to show the point in the lives of Paul and his comrades and to represent their feelings. The beginning of the novel takes place in late summer while everyone is experiencing a short period of lighthearted fun (9). The end of summer is usually associated as a time that people begin to wonder what had happened to the time that had previously appeared to be everlasting. Paul is faced with the stripping of his childhood due to being exposed to the harshness of war immediately after he was living without a care. Paul reports…

    • 185 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Analysis Of Erich Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front
    • 1709 Words
    • 7 Pages

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

    “All Quiet in the Western Front” is a social commentary on how soldiers are effected emotionally and socially throughout the war and are conflicted on how to readjust to their lives after the Great War. Soldiers are conflicted by their character and do not know whether to pick back life up as a youth or as adults who have endured hard circumstances. The book does not focus on battles and it does not focus on a specific time frame, it rather evaluates what goes through the minds of a soldier. These men are literally being bombarded in the war front by explosives and in the home front by misinformed public who want to know the extremity of the war. Bystanders set High expectations for soldiers to be tough and to know how to behave in order to survive, yet those who did not participate in the Great War could only speculate what was going on in the soldier’s minds. The Great War damaged these soldiers physically and mentally, however certain elements gave the survivors the ability to pull through the war. The youth shifted its mentality and lost its innocence in the Great War. Therefore, Remarque did not focus his book on the combat that took place during the Great War, rather he presents social issues, which does not belittle his experience rather it presents a different view of the…

    • 1709 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Summary Of All Quiet On The Western Front
    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page

    Summary Of All Quiet On The Western Front

    There is death everywhere, it is clear to me that Paul will never forget the true destruction of what war brings. The last scene that really stuck with me is when Paul stabs Cierard Duval.…

    • 204 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis: All Quiet On The Western Front
    • 114 Words
    • 1 Page

    Analysis: All Quiet On The Western Front

    Contrary to other literary history works, “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Remarque Erich Maria is so unique because of the way it displays such a realistic view of war and the associated loss of humanity, innocence, and emotion that accompany it. Throughout this novel, Remarque proves his point that war is unnecessary, and dishonorable. The novel really emphasizes on the accumulating body count everyday, showing every aspect of how war is absolutely gruesome and such a waste of pure lives. Also, “All Quiet on the Western Front” shows how the position of being in war can change a person dramatically preventing them from returning to their previous lives, and scarring them permanently.…

    • 114 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Summary: All Quiet On The Western Front
    • 142 Words
    • 1 Page

    Summary: All Quiet On The Western Front

    In All Quiet on the Western Front, the audience gets to see how Paul Baumer represents his generation, also known as The Lost Generation. In chapter 1 Page 11 Paul states, “The wisest were just the poor and simple people. They knew the war to be a misfortune, whereas those who were better off, and should have been able to see more clearly what the consequences would be, were beside themselves with joy.” Paul describes how he and many other people envisioned war to be, they underestimated the severity that would be displayed into this war. Throughout the story, we get to see how Paul's character shifts from a positive-innocent kid to an emotionless and lost man.…

    • 142 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparison Essay - Quiet on the Western Front & Sunday Bloody Sunday
    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Comparison Essay - Quiet on the Western Front & Sunday Bloody Sunday

    Remarque tells of the dehumanizing effects that are perceived in ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’. When the young soldiers arrive at the frontline its nothing to what was anticipated as they had “just begun to love the world and being in it, but we had to shoot at it.” Remarque’s characterisation of Paul is naive and inexperienced as he only just begins to grasp the understanding, through torment and fatality, that they didn’t “believe in those things anymore; we believe in war” their new objective was to survive. Trained to disregard their conscience and distancing themselves from their own emotions, taught to let go of their former lifestyle. “Keep things at arm’s length” was their innovative technique in being able to endure the horrors of war. The audience is alarmed by the lack of emotion deemed by the young soldiers through Paul’s metaphoric language that “we have become wild beasts” enlightening context to the overall traumatic experiences that were inflicted. Remarque continues to portray the emotional state in a distant tone that “we are dead” convincing the audience they are completely detached…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Character Analysis Of Paul In All Quiet On The Western Front
    • 223 Words
    • 1 Page

    Character Analysis Of Paul In All Quiet On The Western Front

    Paul is an emotional character that goes through many hardships in All Quiet on the Western Front and hardly ever catches a break throughout the novel; however, being on the front line one should expect that when joining a major war especially if that war happens to be World War 1. Paul is a very dynamic and versatile person with much variety in his emotions those being sensitive, brave, and youthful. Paul is a character who throughout the novel has been a quite sensitive person. A part of the story where Paul was being sensitive is when he was helping the French soldier out by saying “I want to help you, comrade…...comrade.” (pg 220)…

    • 223 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    All Quiet On The Western Front Character Analysis Essay
    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages

    All Quiet On The Western Front Character Analysis Essay

    The novel, All Quiet on the Western Front is the harshest story about war ever written. This novel was written by Erich Maria Remarque, based on his real life experience about World War 1. It tells a story about a group of companions at war and how they live their life everyday there. After analyzing the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, readers realized that almost all the characters were either very noble or not noble at all. The one character that stood out of all the character for being a noble man was the narrator, Paul. He is the most noble for being loyal to all his companions, for being sensitive to others and for being selfless in difficult times.…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Horror Of War In Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front
    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Horror Of War In Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front

    Throughout history, war has been constantly evolving. Over time, it has taken a new less glorious form. World War One was one of the most devastating and transformative events in human history. In Erich Maria Remarque’s book, All Quiet on the Western Front, he depicts the horrors of “the great war” by showing the complete disregard for human life in modern warfare. This war modeled the way that any future war would be fought. It would shape human history by completely changing the game of warfare and people’s opinions of it. Remarque shows, from his point of view, the terrors that happen on a daily basis on the front lines, and away from it, of World War One. World War One changed the perception of war in a big way and opened the eyes of so many people to the horrors of modern warfare.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of All Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque
    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Analysis Of All Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque

    Throughout the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, the author Erich Maria Remarque, explores the effects of war through both literary and structural techniques. Remarque himself being involved in the war, writes from the perspective of young German soldiers who were on duty during the World War One campaign. Using various literary techniques, Remarque is able to convey the effects of war through the destruction of natural imagery, the displacement experienced by the soldiers as well as the loss of identity which eventually affects the soldiers the soldiers.…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lost Generation In All Quiet On The Western Front
    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lost Generation In All Quiet On The Western Front

    In Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Bäumer and his generation feel separated from the rest of the world. These boys’ lives were drastically changed by the war, and “even though they may have escaped its shells, they were destroyed by the war,” (Remarque Epigraph) describing that even though they survived the war physically,they were mentally destroyed by the dangers and chaos of war. Paul expresses that “he has been crushed without knowing it” and “does not belong anymore, it is a foreign world” (Remarque 168). The generation of men who fought in the war are “pushed aside,” (Remarque 249) as an unpleasant reminder of a war that society would like to disregard. After surviving such dreadful…

    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    All Quiet On The Western Front Epigraph Analysis
    • 1401 Words
    • 6 Pages

    All Quiet On The Western Front Epigraph Analysis

    War is often viewed as one of the most dangerous and brutal events ever created. It utterly destroys the humanity and mental state of soldiers fighting in the war. In All Quiet on the Western Front, a world renowned war novel by Erich Maria Remarque, the epigraph states that this novel “will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war.” Staying true to this quote, Remarque tells of the horrors of World War I and fittingly describes the effects that war has on humans through the eyes of the protagonist, Paul Bäumer. In his epigraph Remarque says, “this book is to be neither an accusation, nor a confession, and least of all an adventure.” Except for a few notable exceptions,…

    • 1401 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    All Quiet on the Western Front as an Anti-War Novel
    • 2090 Words
    • 9 Pages

    All Quiet on the Western Front as an Anti-War Novel

    All Quiet on the Western Front, written in 1929 by Erich Maria Remarque, is superficially the story of one soldiers’ journey in World War 1 and his eventual death. Beneath this, however, Remarque has composed a literary treasure which, above all, seeks to illustrate war as that which is engrained in the nucleus of humanity and through the hugely negative effects of war depicted, seeks to question humanities apparent advancement through its need to engage in such a futile exercise as war. Remarque’s Liberal Humanist ideology is given expression through the correlation between war and nature, thus emphasizing the innate position of war within man, the ultimate paradox contained within an advanced mankind engaging in primitive conflicts and the ironic search for an omniscient being derived from man’s reduction to the barest quest for survival. In addition through the examination of the negativities surrounding the social institutions and hierarchies set up in the absence of god, All Quiet on the Western Front becomes much more than an emotive and well constructed piece of historical realism. In All Quiet on the Western Front, the connections between war and the natural surroundings in which it is fought give rise to the position of war the collective psyche of mankind. The military jargon of the ‚the white puffs of smoke from the tracer bullets‛ is followed by the natural imagery of ‚the sun shining on them‛ in order to emphasize the apparent synchronization between war and nature. The colour imagery of white of the bullets and yellow of the sun, being light colours, connote the harmonious relationship between nature and war. Through the proximity of phrases describing both war and nature in an endearing fashion we are led to conclude that war and nature, or that which is primitive, are fundamentally linked. The gaian imagery ‚Earth, with your ridges and holes and hollows into which a man can throw himself , where a man can hide‛ is ironic as it takes a man-made…

    • 2090 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    All Quiet On The Western Front And Dulce Et Decorum Est Comparison Analysis
    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages

    All Quiet On The Western Front And Dulce Et Decorum Est Comparison Analysis

    All Quiet on the Western Front focuses on the effect of war on the soldier and his everyday life. In the middle of the novel, Paul is given two weeks of leave from the war. He goes home, and he doesn’t know how to connect with his family, and feels distant from all the civilians. When he goes outside, he mentions “the screaming of the tramcars, which resembles the shriek of a shell” (165). This shows how war has changed Paul so much that now the sounds of trolleys bring him horrific flashbacks. Soon after he returns from his leave, his father and sister visit him to bring him gifts from his sick mother. When they get there, Paul says that they “do not know what to talk about” (196). This is another piece of evidence that shows how the war has distanced Paul from all other realities, such as his family. The theme of Dulce et Decorum Est is the horror of death, which is used to undermine the idea of war as noble. When the dying soldier is travelling in the cart, Owen describes the horrific noises he makes: “If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs” (19). This scene illustrates the painful and drawn - out death that the man is forced to have, and the soldiers all have to listen to it. Next, at the end of the poem, Owen leaves the reader with one last…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Summary Of The Last Sunday In 1984
    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Summary Of The Last Sunday In 1984

    Paul returns to the camp, where he first was trained by Himmelstoss. But he only knows a few people there. On the days he trains his refreshing military drill training and in the evenings he reads a lot. One time he looks around and notes the beautiful nature and how the nature and the colors change between the seasons. Next to Paul’s camp there is a camp with Russian prisoners. They are all really hungry and fearful. Some soldiers are nice and give them food, but others treat them just like enemies. Paul can feel their pain and how horrible they have to life. Paul got soft inside, because he had to see all these terrible things so far in the war. The last Sunday before Paul goes back to the front his sister and father visit him. There…

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics