FREE ESSAY ON ALL QUITE ON THE WESTERN FRONT ANALYSIS

ALL QUITE ON THE WESTERN FRONT ANALYSIS

Views On Changes of the Human Spirit During War
*All Quiet on the Western Front shows the change in attitudes of the men before and
during the war. This novel is able to portray the overwhelming effects and power war has
to deteriorate the human spirit. Starting out leaving you're home and family pr
d and ready to fight for you country, to ending up tired and scarred both physically and
mentally beyond description. 
*At the beginning of the novel nationalist feelings are present through pride of Paul and
the rest of the boys. However at the end of the war it is apparent how pointless war
really is. 
*All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel that greatly helps in the understanding the
effects war. The novel best shows the attitudes of the soldiers before the war and during
the war. Before the war there are high morals and growing nationalist feel
gs. During the war however, the soldiers discover the trauma of war. They discover that
it is a waste of time and their hopes and dreams of their life fly further and further
away. The remains of Paul Baumer's company had moved behind the German front l
es for a short rest at the beginning of the novel. After Behm became Paul's first dead
schoolmate, Paul viewed the older generation bitterly, particularly Kantorek, the teacher
who convinced Paul and his classmates to join the military. " While they tau
t that duty to one's country is the greatest thing, we already that death-throes are
stronger.... 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."(P. 13) Paul felt completely
etrayed. " We will make ourselves comfortable and sleep, and eat as much as we can stuff
into our bellies, and drink and smoke so that hours are not wasted. Life is short." (P
139) Views of death and becoming more comfortable with their destiny in the 
r became more apparent throughout the novel. Paul loses faith in the war in each passing
day.
* Through out the novel it was evident that the war scarred the soldiers permanently
mentally. Everyone was scared to go to war when it started. Young recruits were first
sent because the veterans knew they were going to come back dead. When we run 
t again, although I am very excited, I suddenly think: "where's Himmelstoss?" Quickly I
jump back into the dug-out and find him with a small scratch lying in a corner pretending
to be wounded." (P 131) Even the big men like Himmelstoss are scared to go 
ght. "He is in a panic; he is new to it too. But it makes me mad that the young recruits
should be out there and he here." (P 131) The soldiers were being crushed and seeing
things get destroyed, but because they had detached themselves they thought t
y were able to handle it. " We believe in such things no longer, we believe in
war."(P.88) That was Paul's motto. Although, as time went on he began to realize
something wasn't right. He tried to replace these feelings with pleasure, so he spent
the
ight at the French girls' house. After he just felt worse and unfulfilled. "...we are
crude and sorrowful and superficial-- I believe we are lost."(P123) When Paul realizes
that we are all brothers, true mental struggle is seen. " Comrade, I did not
ant to kill you...Why do they never tell us you are poor devils like us... and that you
have the same fear of death...If we could just throw away these riffles and this uniform
you could be my brother..." ( P. 223-224). The apparent change in views on 
e war has become extremely apparent.
*In a war there is obviously apparent physical scars. As seen throughout the entire book,
the destruction of war is great, on not only lives and property, but also on the human
spirit. The young men in this book and of those of the times were subjec
to physical torment. Eyes were blinded from such sights as, limbs being blown off, blood
flowing everywhere, and innocent men dying in agony. When soldiers take shelter in the
graveyard, bombs explode all around them; the living hide in coffins and th
dead are thrown from their graves. The destructive power is so great that even the
fundamental differences between life and death become blurred. 
*All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel that portrayed World War I as it actually was.
It is able to show all aspects of the actual war. It told the truth and showed the
effects it had on the human spirit and views of war. It began with pride and e
ed with agony.