“All Quiet on the Western Front” should be read by anyone who sees the war as a glorious adventure. In what ways is this book an anti-war novel
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ written by Erich Maria Remarque is indeed an anti-war novel. The book conquers without persuading, it shakes you without exaggeration, a perfect work of art at the time truth that cannot be doubted. The book is narrated by Paul Baumer, first person. Everything is explained in Paul’s perspective and how he sees everything. The enemy, the front is visually well described which shows the bloody and futility of war. The soldiers quite often have conversation when having their meals about the meaning of war. And finally the young soldiers’ alienation must be criticizing the effects of war.
Paul’s description of the enemy delivers the futility and sympathy towards the enemy to the reader which convinces the readers that it is anti-war. The allies and the enemy of war are all the same human beings. The way Paul describes the POWs (prisoner of war) “they creep around our barracks and raid the rubbish bins. Our rations are short and, more to the point, not very good...” (page 134). This proves that Paul has feeling for them. He also shows sympathy towards them, “It is so odd seeing these men – our enemies- at such close quarters. Their faces make you stop and think, good peasant faces, broad foreheads, broad noses, broad lips, broad hands, shaggy hair” (Page 135). Furthermore during the battle at the front Paul accidently kills an English man which he regrets Paul thinks, as being the same kind, that it is the right thing to help him survive. Now that he met his enemy at such close sight, he then realised that there were nothing different between them. “It is only now that I can see that you are a human being like me. I just thought about your hand-grenades, your bayonet and your weapons. Now I can see your wife, and your face and what we have in common” (page 158). The point is that all the...