Deteriorated Lives

Deteriorated Lives

No one realizes the emotional impact a war can have on a man. 'All is Quiet on the Western Front' does fantastic jobs in making people realize that war sucks. Is uses every gruesome, heart wrenching detail to show you how the youth of the men has been stolen from them. A reoccurring theme throughout the book is how the men have been stripped of love and innocence. It is interesting to think that men, straight out of puberty are put in a situation that makes them watch their lives leave right before their eyes. In the text is explains how the men have succumb to the idea and morals of war and cut off their youthful lives, “We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts.  We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war.” (87-8) We start to see that the fact that them men have been pushed into witnessing the horrors of the war before they have properly lived begins to bother them more and more throughout the text. This idea of lost innocence first is seen when a conversation goes on about how the young men have nothing at home, while the elders have a family and children. This will be a progressing theme throughout the book as it connects to the idea that war is a place that causes men’s hearts to burst. Most of the soldiers in the war have witnessed more in a day than any one person would witness in their lifetime, through hard training they men start to being in the war. No soldier knows his fate, so they are forced to leave what they thought would be happy, educational and strong lives to shooting down the world. It is depressing to think that men just 2 years older than I have to go through not knowing their potential of life. They grow into cold blooded men who often never come out of the horrors they witnessed in the war. The theme of lost innocence will continue to reoccur throughout the book and is extremely important.

Deterioration of "Youth"

Choose 1 out of the 2 quotations and respond. In your response,  find an angle that you find interesting and write. there are lots of sub questions to ask yourself:  What thematic elements are pertinent to discuss?  Are we seeing something new in the characters and/or their thinking?  Can you connect this to other ideas we have been talking about to this point in novel?  

1) "We remember mighty little of all that rubbish. Anyway, it has never been the slightest use to us.  At school nobody ever taught us how to light a cigarette in a storm of rain, nor how a fire could be made with wet wood--nor that it is best to stick a bayonet in the belly because there it doesn't get jammed, as it does in the ribs" (85).

In chapter 5 of "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque the soldiers are easing off together and start talking about their plans after the war and also contemplate about their past lives. Müller, Kropp and Paul all start to ask each other about topics that they have learned about in school, when Paul, a bit by surprise shares a thought on page 85; "We remember mighty little of all that rubbish. Anyway, it has never been the slightest use to us.  At school nobody ever taught us how to light a cigarette in a storm of rain, nor how a fire could be made with wet wood--nor that it is best to stick a bayonet in the belly there it doesn't get jammed, as it does in the ribs." This thought from Paul reveals how after one joins the army and the experiences you go through after joining the army during wartime change your thoughts. Here Paul explains that from the schooling that he received, not much is very useful when it comes to real life situations. The quote from page 85 can also display the soldiers continual deterioration of "Youth", which is described in this book as (sorry I do not remember the page or exact passage so I am merely trying to paraphrase from memory) adventurous and optimistic. The passage evidently reveals this because the Paul's thoughts being so negative on what he had learned in school.

I

“We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts. We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war” (87-8).

“We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world, and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts.  We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war” (87-8). The narrator in the story "All Quiet on the Western Front" Paul Baumer agree's with the idea on how the so called "Iron Youth" has crumbled upon the crew. Alberts message provides a very enthusiastic view based on what makes the crew lose their sense of innocence, despite the fact that the majority are not officially in their adulthood yet. In other words they are unexperienced. While the passage also discusses the importance of growing up, with the idea that "We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world, and we had to shoot it to pieces." the likelihood of being innocent and young is not an excuse you could use. However Paul Baumer enrages a fundamental question associating back to the critical themes of the story. Growing up is part of being able to strive and dream about the future, but is it in the sense that the soldiers no longer "want to take the world by storm"? Or is it just relying on your own personal decision making in times of war? These questions engages the readers and make them think as it relates back to the idea we discussed in class on whether the crew are indeed an "Iron Youth." or they are mature enough to make their own decisions. According to the view point of Paul Baumer, the concept of accepting maturity is displayed greatly throughout the context of the passage. The use of imagination converting it into real life examples shows the depth on how the soldiers are ready to accept death.  

Response to question 3, quote 2.

“We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world, and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts.  We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war” (87-8). Paul Baumer, the narrator of "All Quiet on the Western Front," agrees with Albert's idea on how the so-called 'Iron Youth' has deteriorated upon the crew. In other word's Albert's message provides a compulsive view based on what makes the crew/squad lose their sense of innocence, despite the fact that the majority are not officially in their adulthood yet. While the passage also discusses the importance of growing up, in the sense that "We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world, and we had to shoot it to pieces.", the presumption of being innocent and young in the face of warfare is not something to favour. Paul Baumer, however, provokes a fundamental question associating back to the critical themes of the story. Growing up is very much based on the striving and dreaming about the future, but is it in the sense that the soldiers no longer "want to take the world by storm,"? Or is it just the lack of personal decision making in times of war? The question engages the reader in thinking mode as it relates back to the idea discussed in class on whether the crew are indeed an "Iron Youth." or boldly mature men. According to the passage from Paul Baumer, the concept of accepting maturity is displayed greatly throughout the context of the passage. The use of imagination and determination explain in-depth on how the soldiers are ready to accept death and sign a contract with the devil, they are prepared for the worst and are willing to take it. And that's what makes this quite interesting to me personally

Esprit de Corps

Paul offers a strong, practical sense of esprit de corps which in the field developed into the finest thing that arose out of the war. This esprit de corps is demonstrated throughout the novel and is a central theme. These soldiers are subject to consistent harm to their physical bodies without thought of the effect it has on their mental aptitude. This unromanticized version of war takes the reader and introduces them to the primal fear of being on the front. Remarque portrays the war as a constant state of panic, and through this, his characters don't accept the conditions nor do they disconnect from their normal lives, but instead form bonds that are very strong. I predict that these bonds will become weaker as the novel progresses as more lives are witnessed passing. This is foreshadowed by the pressing question of Kemmerich's boots in the beginning of the novel and the darkness hinted at in the fourth chapter. As of now, these feelings are the only things preserving the soldiers humanity, and without humanity what is the point in being human.

Source

Comradeship

2. Several times in the novel, Paul and his friends mention that the war was brought about by men who are power hungry, and those longing to exert their power.  Do you think the combatants on both sides see things the same way? Are all wars brought about by petty, power-hungry nameless men? Can both sides be right about the reason for going to war, for defending their fatherland? 

Many questions were thought of while reading the novel "All Quiet on the Western Front" about why nations went to war and what were their motives. I feel that the combatants on both sides of the war do see the war in the same way. They bother were put there to fight against each other and most of them don't even know why they are fighting. They just take the training and follow orders by higher ranks. All wars do seem to be brought by power hungry men. These men in the nations don't care about their soldier's lives. They force them to go through brutal training and dump them in the worst of the facilities. Completely brain washed about their past lives. Both sides can be right about war depending on their motives. It only depends on why they feel they are fighting. Some say that they go to war to protect their country. This can go for both the home country and enemy country (relative to the nation). Therefore both nations can go to war for the same reasons. An example of one would be a soldier fighting for pride and having faith in themselves to protect that pride. In other words, "Espirit de Corps". 

Comradeship

        

One of the main concepts in All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is comradeship. Comradeship is very important during war because it can be the difference between life and death. In war there is very horrific images and scenes that can cause any strong willed man to be in complete fear. With comradeship people can overcome these problems. In chapter 4, a new young recruit becomes frightened during his first battle from the gunfire and explosions. The recruit goes to Paul and buries himself in Paul’s chest. Paul tells the recruit soothingly that he will get used to it. By having comradeship, the recruit was able to feel better and safer during the battle. Another example of comradeship was in chapter 3. Paul and his friends decide to ambush and beat on Himelstoss for his harsh punishments toward Tjaden for bed-wetting. Together, the group of boys display comradeship by working together to serve justice to Himelstoss. Lastly, comradeship is shown when Kemmerich is dying in chapter 2. Paul shows compassion and tries to cheer Kemmerich up despite the fact that he is slowly dying. Paul even tries to look for a doctor to treat Kemmerich, but by then Kemmerich has already died. In conclusion, comradeship is a vital part in an army. Without it, war would be very difficult and death would be more likely.

The Different Sides Of The War

Throughout the book, the cause of war and the people of power is talked about a lot. For the causes of the war, it is clear to me that war is not just about a fight between power-hungry individuals, it is a fight between disagreeing countries, for the most part. The book is talking about WW1, which is a perfect example of a war between the people of countries, not just high ranking individuals. Serbian nationalists killed the archduke of Austria-Hungary because they wanted their country back. No high ranking individual was described from either country, it was a large disagreement that threw them into the mix of the war. On the other hand, the encouragement Austria-Hungary received from Germany seemed as though it was a simple want for power. Germany pushed Austria-Hungary into war, as they felt they could get something out of it. Germany's part in starting the war was between power hungry officials, yet the war overall was because of a disagreement and alliance systems. Wars are not always based around the lust for power, yet it plays a role in some of them. 

During a war, it is safe to say that different sides may have similar views. Most of the war was fought between larger countries such as England, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States, even though none of these 5 were directly involved in the conflict that started this war. All of the armies for these sides must've had similar thought processes as they were all fighting a war that wasn't theirs. They were all coming from a similar spot, going through similar training, and fighting the same war. During that time, the glorification of war was a worldwide motion, not particular to a single country which gives the indication that all of these countries would've been thinking the same thing. This book shows the specific perspective of the German side, yet the British and French may not have been much different, with similar individuals, just different names.

During a war, both sides are normally right. The perspective of something 'right' is country specific. If many individuals are willing to fight a war at any scale, then their must be a reason behind all of that. If they are risking their lives, it is a reason they find is 'right'. On the contrary, some countries may be forced into a war as they have been attacked by the opposing side. This means that they are right in their attempt to join the war as they are trying to protect their homeland, which is something that all people of all nations should strive towards. Overall, a country is 'right' in why it joined the war almost every time.

Who's War Is It, Anyways?

  
      The idea that the war is not for the soldiers, but instead those "longing to exert their power", is one that demands to be explored. When thought about, everything about it is rings true. So far, most of the conversations the soldiers have with one another is to complain (and rightfully so) about some aspect of the war. Not one of them wants to be there, and no one has thus far said that they are proudly there for their country. There has, however, been a moment when a soldier broke his arm at the front lines, and Paul's inner monologue narrated mentioned that the soldier was lucky, because that injury would send him home, yet not kill him.  
      While of course not every single soldier will feel the same way about the war, it does see to be a reoccurring thought on at least the German side. Seeing as most of the soldiers in the war were either drafted or coerced, it is very probable that all sides felt the same hatred for the war they fought. They left their homes, their families and their futures in order to fight something that they themselves did not start. 
     That being said, it could also be concluded that most wars are brought on by powerful men who will not actually fight in the war, but rather sit at a desk and make battle plans and speeches to remind people why they are supposedly in this war. All or most of these men believe they have good intentions, and therefore they are not doing it for petty reasons. This of course, is often not true. Powerful yet power hungry men rarely send millions to die for a noble and justifiable cause. And when the draft has to be used in order to get enough soldiers, then that war should not be. If not enough people believe in the war to volunteer for it, then that war is pointless, and governments forcing young people to die in that war is therefore cruel and beastly. 
      Can both sides be right about sending people to war if the reason is to "defend the fatherland?" No. The idea that an entire war would start, involving half the world, only to defend your home country, is disgusting. War should have a much better reason than simply being loyal to a piece of land. When having a legitimate reason to join/start a war, then perhaps that war, with all its blood and gore, would be justifiable. But simply saying that one must be shipped off to war in order to pay respects to the dirt on which you live, is not enough. 

Growing Sense of Esprit de Corps

1. Paul offers 'a strong, practical sense of esprit de corps which in the field developed into the finest thing that arose out of the war - comradeship" (26-27) - Examine this concept through the first 4 chapters of the novel.

In "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque, the word esprit de corps is brought up multiple times. Esprit de corps is a feeling of of pride shared by a group. This word could be understood as companionship. In the story, the feeling companionship is always increasing between the soldiers, at first during training and even after it. During training the soldiers were put on the "same level", meaning they were all treated harshly and beaten down until no ego stood out. After this phase in their training the men are "brought back up" and a feeling of esprit de corps comes out of the training, just as the narrator Paul Bäumer says (26-27) "It awakened in us a strong, practical sense of esprit de corps, which in the field developed into the finest thing that arose out of the war—comradeship." Another time which expands on the idea of esprit de corps is the scene in the hospital with Kemmerich and Paul. As both men come to face reality Kemmerich hands over his boots to Paul and Paul realizes that Kemmerich only has a few hours left to live. Unable to let Kemmerich die alone Paul stays to comfort the now crying Kemmerich as his life slips from him. Both Paul and Kemmerich here show companionship with Kemmerich handing over his boots to Paul and afterwards Paul watching over his friend as his life ebbs out of him.

Comradeship

          In All Quiet On The Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, on pages 26-27, Paul Baumer, the narrator, says "But by far the most important result was that it awakened in us a strong, practical sense of espirit de corps, which in the field developed into the finest thing that arose out of the war - comradeship.". This is shown throughout the first four chapters of the novel quite well. Each of the boys have their own special traits and characteristics, and help each other out. For example, when Katczinsky got his hands on some haricot beans because "by trade he is a cobbler". Espirit de corps is a feeling of pride and mutual loyalty shared by the members of the group. This is a constant theme of this book because no matter where they go they always stick together, and no matter what situation they are in, they will always overcome it together.

Same Same But Different

The two sides that fight the wars are usually very similar to each other. The reason behind this is that both sides have soldiers, generals, civilians, rulers and basically, people. The way the country determines where these people work and do is the same. The way the country uses these people is also the same. The ruler appoints the people who have a strong background in a higher rank, while the soldiers are made up of all the poor people. Also, the people who have a higher rank and are greedy for power are the ones to want a war, even though they are often not the ones who do the fighting. On the other hand, the lower class, or the poor people, are the ones who would hate to be a part of the war, but have no choice. Both of the sides' combatants feel the same way and almost the same person can be found on the other side except the nationality would be different. If war would be a great thing to avoid, then why is it existing? War is sometimes inevitable as countries might have grudges against each other, but when a dispute happens and they are on opposite sides, a major event can happen. Everyone has a different interpretation of who the war is brought by, but war is not decided only by power-hungry, high-class men. For example, WWI had lots of reasons of why it was inevitable but the one which sparked the war beginning was the assassination of Archduke Franz-Ferdinand. Franz-Ferdinand was assassinated by a lower-class man, so there was a chance of avoiding the war even though it was a slim one. Both of the sides can be right about defending their homeland because if their homeland loses, they will have nowhere to go. Their parents, wives, children and all their friends could be killed when they die and this is what motivates the soldiers to not lose and fight the best they can.

The Two Sides of War

All sides of World War I were being fought by the same kinds of people. While their nationalities vary, most soldiers come from the same background of being relatively common folk. Those who do the most fighting are the lower down soldiers, the common people. Higher ups, like generals, were usually people who had come from a better off background. The generals and others in higher up position do much less of the actual physical fighting compared to the rest. This is a common theme that seems to be portrayed in almost all war situations, just like in All Quiet on the Western Front. 
The army at this time in history was seen as ultra-masculine, strong, and honorable. For a common man to be put into a position of some power within an organization that holds these values, it seems almost certain that he would therefore begin to exhibit more power. Himmelstoss is a prime example. A postman in real life, Himmelstoss has now been given the position of corporal, where he can exert power over other men. If a person is given something they wouldn't normally have, something as invigorating as power, it is not so easily given up. That is why men like Himmelstoss cling to their positions through brutal actions, because their position is the only taste of real power that they will know in their otherwise ordinary lives. 
Both sides of a war can be "right". This is because whatever "right" is, is simply an interpretation. What one side thinks is truly good, the other side may think is bad. When WWI first started, Austria-Hungary thought that they were in the right to have control over Serbia, and that Serbia was wrong. However, Serbia thought that it was wrong for Austria-Hungary to have control over them, and that therefor they were right in fighting for their freedom. While usually a "winner" is the outcome of a war, and their version of "right" is accepted, that doesn't necessarily mean they are truly correct, because "right" is all a matter of perspective. 

All Alone on the Western Front?

All Alone on the Western Front?

Espirt de corps is a feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group. The young soldiers witness this strong feeling though being trained and witnessing the horrors of the war. Paul Baumer suggests that the most important thing that arouse out of the war was comradeship. Understandable since most of their young lives have been taken away from them so they can sit watch their brothers of war die. There are many examples in the text that display the concept of the men experiencing the espirt de corps. In the beginning of chapter 2 the men begin to realize that their plans for the future are non-existent as their fate is unknown. The men were taken away for what “We had fancied our tasks would be different, only to find we were trained for heroism as though we were circus-ponies,” (page 22) broadcasting the idea that the men have been compelled into thinking that war is something to glorify when really it was for display, and is purely cruel. These men have nothing in war, so when they train and experience deadly situations a form of brotherhood is created between them. As all the men are trained, fed and killed the same way there is a sense of common loyalty between them. All men have felt that “[their] early life [had been] cut off from the moment we got here,” where as other older soldiers have families of their own. One example of comradeship is in chapter 4 when a recruit seeks comfort in Paul during the bombardment “He looks up, pushed the helmet off and like a child creeps under my arm, his head close to my breast… I let him be,” (page 61) showing how even when everyone is afraid the men are still looking out for each other. Not only has the war connected them through their rough training with Himmelstoss, but through the loss of their innocence. The men now have similar thoughts on the death of friends and the things they have to do in war. Basically they need to be cold-blooded. From lying with dead bodies to deciding its best to shoot a fellow recruit to put him out of his misery, the soldiers have to feel this difficulty together. Espirt de corps is an important part of the book due to showing the one good thing that comes out of a horrible war.

all quiet on the western front

Several times in the novel, Paul and his friends mention that the war was brought about by men who are power hungry, and those longing to exert their power.  Do you think the combatants on both sides see things the same way? Are all wars brought about by petty, power-hungry nameless men? Can both sides be right about the reason for going to war, for defending their fatherland? according to paul and his friends, the war was started by power-hungry nameless men, and the fact that these men are simply using the youth for their own needs. in training for defending their fatherland, these young men are forced to relinquish their personalities, and are treated as robots, such that their only goal is to defeat the enemy in the name of their fatherland, even though they might not have been willing to kill for their nation prior to the war. this novel is quite different to most other war novels, as it highlights the horrors of war, and brings about the perspective of how these young men feel towards the authoritative figures who forced them to enter, rather than heroes who simply kill enemies.