Many people think that death is the worst thing about the War. Is this true? What about the suffering of losing a future idealistic after having experienced all that war can do to your worldview? In Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet In The Western Front novel, themes are explored of the horrors of war and the disillusionment that is the dark part of war. Paul and friends are forced into war by the teacher in the beginning. Paul loses more and more comrades as the war progresses. Paul dies at the quieter front in the end. The most important theme is that the wars are a terrible thing for young people, as they make them want to go home, but instead, cause them to be lost in loneliness, disillusionment and violence.
The young soldiers are isolated from the normal world by the war. Paul’s hometown station is where a girl greets him. “I turn back, she smiles so foolishly. She seems to be obsessed with her importance. “Look, I am serving a soldier coffee!” – She calls me a “comrade”, but I refuse. Paul has spent a lot time in the front, and is experiencing some terrible feelings. This makes him have difficulty with civilians. The girl tries to please Paul but he is not happy about it. He thinks that she’s using him for her own gain. Paul is suspicious because of the war and needs time to adjust to normal life. Paul’s curiosity about the war is evident when people approach him at the bar. Audiences can tell from this quote that Paul is not feeling any warmth because people only care about the war. Paul is on leave and wants to forget the horrible memories of the war. Paul is also made to feel desperate by the indifference from others. Those who want only to satisfy their curiosity, and not those who feel isolated by the war, are the ones that also make Paul feel this way.
The war has left a generation of people disappointed with their lives. Paul recalls the past when he’s in the ER. “I was young. I was twenty years old. And yet, I knew nothing of my life other than despair. Death. Fear. And fatuous superficiality thrown over an abyss. The quote shows that Paul’s war was not just physically painful, but also emotionally. Kantorek’s words about Paul being an “iron youth” are what makes him feel despair. Paul does not feel solid when he sees more people die in front him. Also, as a young twenty-year old, he deserves a life filled with adventure and beauty. Paul is also entitled to the best life of his entire lifetime. The war, however, has taken all of Paul’s hopes and dreams away. Paul also feels helpless and lonely in his head. Let the years and months come. They can’t bring me anything more. I’m so hopeless and alone that I don’t even fear them. It is in my eyes and hands that I hold the life which has brought me to this point. “Whether I’ve subdued It” Paul’s future is no longer a source of hope for him. Paul’s dream is dying and he can barely breathe. Paul, who is still alive today, has already accepted that death will happen one day. So, the author wishes to inform the audience that frontlines bring permanent disillusionment for the lost generations.
The tragic events that occur to the youth as they flee and become lost in the war are not forgotten. Paul cannot escape his fate after witnessing the deaths of so many of the men he loved. The quote is ironic. Paul survives the bombardment and dies in peace. Paul’s death reflects the confusion of other soldiers in war who are unsure what to do when they find themselves in a quiet environment. The audience will know that his death is a sign that he was finally able to escape the hellish war.
The war has ruined the lives of young people and made them suffer from disillusionment. In addition, they will only be able to find peace when their life is over, which can be very depressing.
