All Quiet on the Western Front Themes - 1023 Words

All Quiet On the Western Front: Themes All Quiet on the Western Front is a graphic depiction of the horrors of war. In the short note before Chapter One, Remarque lets the reader know exactly what themes he intends. War is a savage and gratuitous evil, war is unnatural, and war is responsible for the destruction of an entire generation. Remarque is very clear on the strength of his themes, and uses graphic imagery to convey to the reader the physical and psychological impact that war has on humanity. But Remarque uses more than graphic description to support his themes. Remarque also utilizes a very defined nature motif, with the forces of nature constantly rebelling against the conflict it plays battleground to. With the†¦show more content†¦Only the mist is cold, this mysterious mist that trails over the dead and sucks from them their last, creeping life. By morning they will be pale and green and their blood congealed and black. Once again, Remarque uses metaphors with notable success. The mist, which behaves abnormally, is the manifestation of nature. Nature is slowly and quietly erasing the traces of its former anguish. In this instance, nature is at work decaying the dead; beginning the relentless process of repairing itself. This final stage in natures condemnation of war can be seen consistently throughout Chapter Eleven, where the war toils on, but the seasons pass indifferently as the dead pile up. Natures victory can be seen as the simple ability to outlast its tormentors. The novel ends with the wars conclusion, and at the same time, the rejuvenation of the Earth in those tortured regions. What then does Remarque accomplish by demonstrating these three stages? Staying consistent with his themes, Remarque is emphasizing the horrors and pointlessness of war. But where Remarque uses vivid and horrific imagery to make clear the former, the latter is clearly supported in his nature motifs. By observing the three stages above, the reader realizes the insignificance of war. Nature is above it, and greater than any war. Despite the immeasurable impact the war had on those involved, it was but a minorShow MoreRelatedThemes In All Quiet On The Western Front1397 Words   |  6 Pagesanything. A great loss could be a loss of innocence, loss of close ones, or a loss of a sense of direction in life after a tragedy. Specifically, these deals of great loss were brought together in the novel, â€Å"All Quiet on the Western Front† by Erich Maria Remarque. The novel exemplifies all the loss that war has to bring to a young boy, and his fellow comrades. Paul Baumer, the main character in the novel, joins the war at nineteen years old with his friends from school, thinking that war would beRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front Theme Analysis741 Words   |  3 Pagesmen in All Quiet on the Western Front. Paul, the narrator and a German soldier, along with fellow classmates, join the army after being persuaded by their teacher. Based on their teachers descr iption of war, they enter believing war will be a glorious experience. Their beliefs quickly shatter when they witness the first death. Throughout the novel Paul loses many of his friends and sees firsthand how war affects soldiers. Paul soon realizes how war dramatically changes men. In All Quiet on theRead MoreThe Guns Of August And All Quiet On The Western Front1633 Words   |  7 Pagesthe countries involved were unprepared for one of the worst wars in history. Two books, The Guns of August and All Quiet on the Western Front address and highlight major themes of World War I. The books offer insight to the political and military strategies of France, England, and Germany during the first month of the war, as well as the emotions of a German soldier on the Western Front in the final days leading up to the German Armistice. Each book uniquely describes an aspect of war and createsRead MoreAll Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Essay1131 Words   |  5 Pages Throu gh the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, novelist Erich Maria Remarque provides a commentary on the dehumanizing tendencies of warfare. Remarque continuously references the soldiers at war losing all sense of humanity. The soldiers enter the war levelheaded, but upon reaching the front, their mentality changes drastically: â€Å"[they] march up, moody or good tempered soldiers – [they] reach the zone where the front begins and become on the instant human animals† (Remarque 56). This animal instinctRead MoreYoung Men During World War I in the Novel, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque922 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Remarque discusses themes including patriotism, honor, bravery, and war. 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Also, theRead MoreLost Generation Theme745 Words   |  3 Pagesmen in All Quiet on the Western Front. Paul, the narrator and a German soldier, along with fellow classmates, join the army after being persuaded by their teacher. Based on their teachers description of war, they enter believing war will be a glorious experience. Their beliefs are quickly shattered by the first death they witness. Throughout the novel Paul loses many of his friends and sees firsthand how war affects soldiers. Paul soon realizes how war dramatically changes men. In All Quiet on theRead MoreHorror, Effects, And Nationalism1076 Words   |  5 Pagesour country. Three themes in All Quiet on the Western Front are horror of war, effects on war on the soldier, and nationalism. World War I all started because of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand the archduke of Austria-Hungary. A group of alliances between major powers was blamed and went to war. All Quiet on the Western Front was about this teenager named Paul Baumer and several of his friends being enlisted into World War I at 19 years old and they all started on the front line. They experienceRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front1313 Words   |  6 PagesDustin Chapman Mrs. Smith English IV Honors January 10, 2015 Symbolism in All Quiet on the Western Front It’s no surprise that soldiers will more-than-likely never come home the same. Those who have not served do not often think of the torment and negative consequences that the soldiers who make it out of war face. Erich Remarque was someone who was able to take the torment that he faced after his experience in World War I and shed light on the brutality of warRead MoreAll Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarche830 Words   |  3 PagesAll Quiet on the Western Front is a fictional war novel written by Erich Maria Remarque which follows the main character Paul Baumer, a German solider in World War I. Paul, the nineteen year old protagonist, narrates the novel as he and his classmates fight on the German and French front. The young men volunteer to join the German army after being persuaded by the nationalist words of their teacher, Kantorek. After only fighting for two weeks, eighty men remain in the company of the once one hundred