Paul is a 19-year-old volunteer in the German army during World War I. He and his classmates join fresh out of high school into military service, believing in what their devoted schoolmaster named Kantorek drilled into them as being the right thing to do for their country. Not all of them wanted to enlist, but they felt they had to in order to save face with their friends and classmates. After enlisting, they were sent to boot camp, w

here their life was still a young, inexperienced boy’s laughter and games. “Where are all the medals?” they thought. “Just wait a month and I’ll win my medals,” thought some of the others. They really didn’t know what they were saying because they were about to go from boy’s to men on the battle field.

But as the war continues and Paul’s friends die on the battlefield, first Kemmerich, then Westhus and then Muller, Paul’s hope that he will make it fades. After recovering from his wound, he starts to think about returning home on leave. He wants to return to his boyhood days of civilian clothes, family, and childhood memories. Arriving home, Paul recognizes that he doesn’t “fit” in his old life nor can he fit into his old dress suit. He decides to return to what he now believes is his “home” on the front, he finds out about the death of another friend. After the deaths or serious injuries to his classmates, other soldiers in arms, and finally his best friend Katczinsky, Paul talks of being “broken, burnt out, and rootless.” Ironically, the day before the end of World War I, Paul is killed. Although his life was short, he

Some topics in this essay:
Corporal Himmelstoss, Paul Paul, World War, Paul Baumer, Muller Paul’s, Katczinsky Paul, War Paul, Maria Remarque, Gerard Duval, Western Front, boot camp, quiet western, paul friends, corporal himmelstoss, respect authority, quiet western front, western front, world war,