All Quiet on the Western Front: Ch 1-3

Authors Note:
I wrote about how the adults used propaganda for the young people to go to war and they convinced them all would be good. Although when battling on the front line, they experienced their lives flashing before their eyes and what war was truly like.

Inspiring Quote: “We loved our country as much as they; we went courageously into every action; but also we distinguished the false from true, we had suddenly learned to see. And we saw that there was nothing of their world left. We were all at once terribly alone; and alone we must see it through.“


Dying to Go to War


I’m so proud to go to war,
It’s like nothing I’ve ever done before.

They said there would be food to eat,
As they smiled with deceit.

Now that I am here,
I wish that I could disappear.

Oh the words they spun to sell,
If only I can live to tell.

Bullets fly by my head,
Please, don’t let another friend be dead.

I am no longer a young, and innocent recruit,
As I raise my gun to shoot.

Misery finds me every day and night,
As I see the murderous canons ignite.

I feel my time is coming near,
As I try not to shed a fearful tear.

I pray to God, to save my miserable soul,
So another flag will not be lowered on the pole.

All Quiet on the Western Front: Ch 2

Feelings of sorrow and grief of your fellow men that have passed is astray for the men. You can only mourn for so long. The dwelling only causes harm to oneself. They must stay strong and ignore the inner feelings of sadness. In order to do this you need strength and this kind of strength comes from a pure adult.

War affects oneself physically, emotionally, and mentally, but how one cope’s with all of this, is all in the power of one’s own hands. There was repetition of fighting to the end. One quotes, “We did not break down, but adapted ourselves.” Adapting to the repetitive pain you are enduring is crucial survival key in war, as well as an important valuable lesson to never give up. Paul stays strong while slowly observing Kemmerich fade away;  Kemmerich quickly passes. In remembrance for the lost souls, their boots are given to the men still fighting. The boots are very symbolic in this story because it is their way with dealing with the lost men.

All Quiet on the Western Front: Emerging Motifs

A reoccurring theme/motif in the story was that the young people around eighteen realized that they are starting to develop their independency and have to be a role model for others. In order to show their patriotism, they begin to realize that they must take responsibility and voluntarily join the war. The quote, “And we saw that there was nothing of their world left. We were at once terribly alone; and alone we must see it through”. This embodies their feelings of isolation in the war and how much their perspective on life has changed from this experience. Also Paul feels that Kantorek has sent them to war to die and he felt betrayed; therefore, he has lost trust. It was stated by the younger men, “We had to recognize that our generation was more to be trusted than theirs”. Not only do the younger men have to fend for themselves they have to go against who they thought appeared to be “role models” in their life and become independent.