Paul and the rest of the soldiers spend their time in the trenches. He then realizes that he is going to be stuck where he is for a period of time. His tasks become an everyday routine, there is nothing else for Paul and the other soldiers to do in the muddy and bloody battle zone, so instead they decide to make the best of their time. "Thus momentarily we have the two things a soldier needs for contentment: good food and rest. That's not much when one comes to think of it. A few years ago we would despised ourselves terribly. But now we are almost happy. It is all a matter of habit-- even the

front-line." (pg. 138) This quote discusses that the way of the war had turned Paul and the others to

Remarque explains how soldiers need to turn off a switch of their emotions, if they don't, they'll go crazy. "But so long as we have to stay here in the field, the front line days, when they are past, sink down in us like a stone; they are too grievous for us to be able to reflect on them at once." (pg. 138) The quote talks about the men being in the field during their hopeless days in war, with out any other expectations, but to fight and prepare themselves for the signal to run out of the trenches and attack, and have a very high chance of getting killed. Happy memories of the soldiers home lives are "grievous". Pleasant thoughts are too difficult to recall. Paul learned to avoid being nostalgic because it was too painful.".......terror can be endured so long as a man simply ducks;-- but it kills, if a man just thinks about it." (pg. 138) Remarque compares happy memories to bullets, you have to duck or else it kills you. It is easy to understand why routine and habit take over a man. There is no room for spontaneous thoughts. Soldiers must keep on their strict schedules; eat, drink, smoke, and kill. As long as the soldiers were kept busy with what came next, they didn't have to think.

stabs me: Time and my thoughts." (pg. 221) Every breath that the soldier makes hurts Paul in a way that he wasn't prepared for. His thoughts of compassion feel like stab wounds. He is forced to come to grips with a man's slow suffering and eventual death.

machines and not remain as men. They become as robots and continue their daily routine, instead of act as normal human beings, that has diversity i

Some topics in this essay:
Paul Baumer, World War, Paul Remarque, Paul Baumer's, French Remarque, , human mind, paul baumer, pg 138, pg 138 quote, war paul, comrade comrade, war affected, paul soldiers, life war, story paul, 138 quote,