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Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front

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Erich Maria Remarque was drafted into the German army at age 18 to fight in World War I. His first-hand experience in the war had inspired him to write a novel called All Quiet on the Western Front based upon his story and things that he had seen personally. This novel had a large impact upon release, which sold 1.2 million copies in its original language of German, and was then translated into 12 other languages that had similar success. The novel’s extremely positive reviews and widespread praise led to it being one of Remarque’s finest works that is still read to this day. The novel is led by several diverse characters, including Paul Bäumer the narrator, who is enlisted into the war right out of school at the age of 18. His comrades: Tjaden, Albert Kropp, Müller, Leer, Haie Westhus, Detering, Kemmerich, and Katczinsky, and himself all contribute to the thematic ideas, and deeper tones of the book. The story during the war goes from at, and away from the front, generally every other chapter. While away from the front the reader will see Paul and his friends talk about several different things dealing with the war, and experiencing the freedoms …show more content…

Reading a fictitious account of a seemingly depressed soldier and learning of all the hardships that come along with the first World War are truly captivating subjects that readers do not have personal experience with. The soldiers who did not even know what they were fighting for, and had no drive to continue fighting. The soldiers who dealt with the battle against Death on a daily basis, living in fear. The soldiers who had to watch as their friends and comrades died in amazingly gruesome deaths and having no way of saving them. The soldiers who had to fight on low resources of food and water. The soldiers who had to trudge on fighting with little hope for victory. Readers will feel pity for them and find new appreciation for war veterans and service men of this

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