The Boys Attitude to War in All Quiet on the Western...

Compare ‘Gallipoli and ‘All Quiet on the Western Front in terms of the:  · Boys attitude to war  · Reasons for enlistment  · Experiences on the front How do these change their attitude to war? What does this tell you about the similarities and differences the Australians and Germans experiences? Analysis of Major Characters Paul Bà ¤umer As the novels narrator and protagonist, Paul is the central figure in All Quiet on the Western Front and serves as the mouthpiece for Remarques meditations about war. Throughout the novel, Pauls inner personality is contrasted with the way the war forces him to act and feel. His memories of the time before the war show that he was once a very different man from the despairing soldier who now†¦show more content†¦The inclusion of a seemingly anachronistic literary typeÂâ€"the scheming or dangerous diminutive manÂâ€"may seem out of place in a modern novel. Yet this quality of Kantorek arguably reflects the espousal of dated ideas by an older generation of leaders who betray their followers with manipulations, ignorance, and lies. While they taught that duty to ones country is the greatest thing, Paul writes in Chapter One, we already knew that death-throes are stronger. As schoolboys, Paul and his friends believed that Kantorek was an enlightened man whose authority derived from his wisdom; as soldiers, they quickly learn to see through Kantoreks rhetoric and grow to despise him, especially after the death of Joseph Behm. That Kantorek is eventually drafted and makes a terrible soldier reflects the uselessness of the ideals that he touts. Corporal Himmelstoss Like Kantorek, Himmelstoss does not figure heavily in the novels plot, but his thematic importance makes him significant to the book as a whole. One of the themes of All Quiet on the Western Front is that war brings out a savagery and hunger for power that lie latent in many people, even if they are normally respectable, nonviolent citizens. Himmelstoss is just such a figure: an unthreatening postman before the war, he evolves into the terror of Klosterberg, the most feared disciplinarian in the training camps. Himmelstoss is extremely cruel to his recruits, forcing them to obey ridiculous and dangerousShow MoreRelated All Quiet on the Western Front Essay1388 Words   |  6 PagesAll Quiet on the Western Front The novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque describes the psychological and physical battles of young soldiers such as the main character Paul Baumer who was pressured by the spirit of nationalism and his school master into joining the German army during World War I. In the beginning the young students are glowing with enthusiasm with the honor to be trusted with serving their nation in a time of crisis. 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