The Role Of Kantorek In All Quiet On The Western Front

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

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

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 young soldiers depicted in Erich Maria Remarque's text All Quiet on the Western Front represent a generation without precedent, constancy, or forethought. The men, answering their elders' calls to become national heroes, have lost their innocence on the battlefield and remain forever altered in belief and spirit. Remarque contrasts the cold realities of war in the present to the tranquility of the past in order to illustrate the psychological transformation of the men stationed on the frontlines. The soldiers appear trapped in the present and alienated from their pasts; however, deconstruction of the text rejects the present and past as opposing states of

The delusion that most war novels advocate is that a young man should be eager and enthusiastic to fight for his country’s honor. While this may temporarily be the case, “All Quiet on the Western Front” depicts young men that would like nothing more than to leave the senseless violence of war. Earlier on in the novel, Remarque raises the argument that war is utterly senseless. Paul and his company soon come to the understanding that their superiors mislead them about the truths of war, “While they continued to write and talk, we saw the wounded and dying. While they taught that duty to one’s country is the greatest thing, we already knew that death-throes are stronger” (Remarque, 13). The

     “I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another (263).” Powerful changes result from horrifying experiences. Paul Baumer, the protagonists of Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front utters these words signifying the loss of his humanity and the reduction to a numbed creature, devoid of emotion. Paul’s character originates in the novel as a young adult, out for an adventure, and eager to serve his country. He never realizes the terrible pressures that war

“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.

Throughout history, there has always been war, in which survival has been one of the most important aspects. For an individual soldier fighting for a cause, the need for survival is vastly heightened. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front camaraderie plays a huge role in helping the soldier survive for several reasons; sanity, sense of understanding, and to be at ease. This seemingly small aspect of a soldier's life can be very important and as Lake Bell puts it “The finest lesson I've learned with age is that all I need is a small team of comrades who inspire me, try not to judge me, and remind me when I'm judging myself.”

World War one was a war of severe tribulation. resulting in over 50 million deaths, it was one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. Known as the “Western Front”, the border of Germany and France was the site to some of the bloodiest battles of the war. There are very few novels that truly exemplify the events that took place along this front. Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Displays important themes, imagery, and symbolism, that help show how this great war affected the soldiers, the countries involved and the world.

The young soldiers are miserable over their plight and cast blame on Kantorek. All of them have been in the midst of battle on the Western Front and have seen the horror and

All Quiet on the Western Front is a book that describes the different struggles of World War 1 from the perspective of someone who was there but may have not necessarily experienced it all. In the book, there is a man named Paul. “…Here hang bits of uniform, and somewhere else is plastered a bloody mess that was once a human limb” (208). When Paul is at home, he is having fun with friends and thinking that going to school is so difficult and then he goes to war, and he sees a person blown into pieces and watches thousands of men dying. It is a very different life.

The men who went into World War One risked their lives to save other innocent lives, even though they were afraid. Day by day went by, not knowing how long they would survive. All Quiet on the Western Front is about the horror, loss of innocence, and comradery of war during World War One, because it shows what war was like, and how the men and women had to cope with it.

Chapter 11: The war continues and the German forces are weakening. Muller dies and gives Paul his boots. No one hears of Detering ever again after he tries to escape back home. Leer dies because of a thigh wound. Kat eventually dies too because of an exploding shell fragment landing on his head.

It is oftentimes the most difficult route to challenge what is popular in a society, for this struggle commonly leads to social gaps and divisions. In All Quiet on the Western Front, by Remarque, Paul feels this internal struggle as he holds differing ideas from the majority on war. In our society and in Paul’s, glory is given to war and honor falls upon those who have fought in the war. Contrasting, Paul feels that war is barbaric and trusts more and more in this belief as he sees the horrors of World War I from the front lines. As he and his classmates were encouraged to fight in the war by their teacher, Kantorek, Paul explains, “There were thousands of Kantoreks, all of whom were convinced that they were acting for the best” (12). This

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.