A fictional novel can serve as a useful source for historical information if it the right one. It just depends on the novel and the author who has written it. Also, it makes a difference if the author actually had experience with what they have written about. All Quit on the Western Front, for example, can be used to show the troubles of War World I. The author Erich Maria Remarque himself had been in the war. Nevertheless, there is one negative thing about using nonfiction. For example, a person would still have to do research. A nonfictional novel could be used for historial information depending on the author and their experiences, and if the author has used factual information; however, extra research is still needed. All quit on the western Front is centered in Germany during world war I. World War I had started in 1914 and ended in 1918. The rivalries that were going on between the European nations are one of the reasons War World I had started. According to the authors Dennis Sherman and Joyce Salisbury in the book The West in the World they state, “The outburst of the imperialism in the decades before 1914 pitted these rivals against one another in a race to acquire colonies and expand their arenas of influence against the world” (692). The assignation of Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the main thing that had caused the War. This had led the other European nations into war with one another. According to Martin H. Levinson in the article “Mapping the Causes
In All Quiet on the Western Front, the author paints a realistic and gruesome tale of war. Many people believe that war is a glorious event. The author succeeds to show how gruesome and devastating war actually is. In many books, movies, and TV shows, war is described as glorious and good. War is not glorious or good from the beginning of time people have been at war and from that people have died. War is shown as the thing that gets the girl or the thing that makes people see you as a king and that people come back untouched. That is the false way the Hollywood and others have butchered the reality of war.
While analyzing the film,“ All Quiet on the Western Front “, I will be addressing the film in its general terms, as well as, its plot and setting. In addition, we will be discussing major themes that occurred in the film. The evaluation of the film for its quality and interest, as well as, its historical accuracy will also take place. Moreover, the strengths and weaknesses in the film will also be discussed. First and foremost, “All Quiet On The Western Front”, is set during World War I, in perspective of the Germans.
Erich Maria Remarque utilizes many symbols in chapter 6 of All Quiet on the Western Front to help emphasize the importance and meaning of certain aspects in the book. Within the abundance of symbols used, two that exceedingly stood out were the broken down schoolhouse and the butterflies in the battlefield. At the beginning of this chapter, the soldiers describe “a shelled school-house.” (99). The destroyed schoolhouse signifies how useless their prior education is in their current situation. As they walk past the building, there is a constant reminder that their knowledge of the outside world and how it works cannot help them on the front lines, and many of the soldiers will not make it home in order to even have any hope of receiving an education
The Western Front was the main location of war during World War 1. The outcome of the battles resulted in the formation of a battle front, which saw three years of warfare in 1915, 1916 and 1917, with only a few months of mobile warfare at the start and at the end of four years of fighting.
“We developed a firm, practical feeling of solidarity which grew on the battlefield, into the best thing that the war produced - comradeship in arms” (Remarque 19). In the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front the men are faced at the decision of life and death, protecting each other so each individual will make it home. Facing horrific images while being put at risk on the line in the front. Comradeship plays an important role in All Quiet on the Western Front, by being able to survive, build a brotherhood bond, and restoring comfort and courage.
The novel, All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque describes the grim reality of WWI. The poem, The Target by Ivor Gurney also talks about the war, and the thoughts a soldier has after killing his enemy. Both works of literature share many similarities.
Erich Remarque uses compelling symbols in chapter six of All Quiet on the Western Front, many of them have a significant meaning, only two have a powerful meaning. A shelled schoolhouse, in a sense brings the reader this sort of comfort because the feel of school brings them back to the good ole days. It is the days when you did not have to worry about things because mom and dad were there. The shelling part is another thing, it is showing the amount and the type of war going on. The violence in this time and place is unimaginable and the shelled schoolhouse is an example of the violence is being revealed. Remarque is trying to display to the reader that in this day and age of war they did not care about what they destroyed. He describes many bloody situations because he wants the reader to feel the pain and suffering how
To soldiers, fighting on the front lines is a life changing event that can forever alter the way they look, think, and feel. By using juxtaposition, Erich Remarque is able to capture how feelings and behaviors can change while trying to become free from the war experience in Chapter Seven of All Quiet on the Western Front. The main character, Paul, faces three events that make him yearn to rid himself of the terrible weight of war on his shoulders. It is clear that you can never truly understand what it is like in a war until you are the one doing the fighting.
Stanley Kubrick directed the movie, Paths of Glory. All Quiet on the Western Front is both a novel, and a movie. The novel is written by Erich Maria Remarque, and the movie was directed by Lewis Milestone. Both Paths of Glory and All Quiet on the Western Front depict “The Great War”, also known as “First World War” or “World War I.” The Great War originated in Europe, it was a Global War that lasted from July 28 1914 up until November 11 1918. involved all the world’s economic great powers, which had all assembled into two opposing alliances. The Allies, which were based on the Triple Entente of the British Empire, France, and the Russian Empire, and the Central Powers which were composed of Germany, and Austria- Hungary. These alliances reorganized and expanded as more nations entered the war. Italy, Japan, and the United States joined the Allies, while the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria joined the Central powers. Both sides of this war were fighting from the trenches, hardly making any progress at all unless one side became brave enough to venture forward and out of the trenches in attempt attack the enemy. The movie Paths of Glory, and All Quiet on the Western Front are both realistic representations of the life for soldiers during this war. However, these two movies differ slightly in the way that the story of “The Great War” is told.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a fictional war story by Erich Maria Remarque that takes place in the First World War. Erich Maria Remarque was a German soldier in the First World War who suffered multiple injuries during his service. Erich Maria Remarque wrote All Quiet on the Western Front based on his experience from the First World War. The First World War is the first war to employ trench warfare, which was the digging of tunnels known as trenches to use as a defensive position on a battlefield, as a military strategy. The use of trenches in the First World War caused many casualties due to the fact that the trenches are good defensive encampments, and the use of trenches caused many stalemates that were very hard to break without losing
In chapter four of Erich Remarque’s book All Quiet on the Western Front, Remarque uses sensory images. Putting extra sensory images into a scene gives the reader more idea of what’s happening “I hear aspirant for the frying pan” (52). By describing how excited the men are when they hear geese Remarque is, in a way, letting the reader know that, to soldiers at war the smallest thing can be the brightest beaken of hope. When Remarque outlines how happy the soldiers get over some simple geese, it really helps to show how while the war has helped the men grow up, they are still young boys. In the previous chapter Remarque used sensory images to make the boys seem more grown up by giving them power while beating Himmelstoss “It was a wonderful picture”
Erich Maria Remarque uses significant symbols throughout chapter 6 of “All Quiet On the Western Front”, all of which hold an important meaning. The objects used throughout symbolize Paul’s fragileness with appreciation for nature, and the death and order happening around the men. One example of Paul’s simplicity comes into show when two brimstone-butterflies play in front of the men’s trench. In comparison to the observation planes, which the men “hate like a plague” (128), the butterflies express the simplicity and joy of nature. Even when the beautiful creature lands on a skull, the bufferlies presence remind the men that the land on which they fight still contains a order of nature. A second representation of the butterflies is that of frailness.
A scene in this book that shows both the protagonist and antagonist sides is when John who is Jethro’s brother and a solider for the Union; Beats up Bill who is a soldier for the Confederate. In this scene, John is a protagonist and Bill is an antagonist. The Confederate soldiers represented by Bill are the enemy; they are the “bad guys”. The Confederate soldiers are opponents to the Union. The Union soldiers represented by John are the protagonist, even though he did something morally wrong he did it for the right reason. Some people might have even seen him as showing
Through the manipulation of point of view Malouf explores the personal journey from innocence to experience and becoming self-actualised. A third person point of view allows the author to narrate as Jim undertakes his journey into manhood and is exposed to the harsh realities of life. Initially he is an innocent bird watcher with his only concern being to discover new species and document them as his own. Although when it comes to life in the trenches, it is not straightforward, writing in his diary Jim notes that he is surrounded by a world of bullets, rifles, machine-guns and bloody, mutilated bodies. Descriptive language is used while describing the horrors of war and traumas the men must face, for Jim was, breathless, and still trembling,
Professor’s Comments: This is a good example of a book review typically required in history classes. It is unbiased and thoughtful. The Student explains the book and the time in which it was written in great detail, without retelling the entire story… a pitfall that many first time reviewers may experience.