Esprit de Corps? Comradeship?

          There are many things to care about during the war but truly what is the most important thing to care about? Survival? Becoming a man? Winning the war? The most important thing to care about during a war is Comradeship. The book gives us examples of why this matters, it's the key to survival. When in a matter of life and death you comrades (friends/fellow soldiers) will help you out. Shown during Chapter 2 of the book the character Kemmerich is on his death bed slowly dying in front of his friends. Paul try's to comfort Kemmerich as best as he can even though he knows he won't survive in the end and yet still Paul rushes to get a doctor to see if anything can be done to at least increase his chances if surviving. In chapter 3 our main characters take a stand against Himelstoss who punished Tjaden for wetting the bed. They got together and planned to get revenge for Tjaden. They put a bed sheet over Himelstoss's head so they wouldn't be seen and then they proceeded to beat him up in the name of Justice and Tjaden. They savored the feeling of doing this act, like black pudding. In chapter 4 a side character was introduced to us, a new recruit that was sent to the front lines. This recruit wasn't ready for the harsh conditions and he showed pure anxiety. Paul comforts the poor soldier by making him feel safe and that it'll all be good in the end. These examples shows that these characters help each other out through thick and thin because they are fellow soldiers. They tried to save their dying friend, they got revenge for Tjaden because the harsh punishment for wetting the bed, and simply comforting a recruit. Without comradeship they would be pushed around and most likely be dead only because they didn't have a helping hand. This shows how important "Esprit de Corps" is and why it stands out in the war.