... a man named Kantorek, told them that enlisting was their duty. The leader of their welcoming party was Corporal Himmelstoss. This pitiless man abhorred Paul and Co. and made their lives miserable. Himmelstoss forced the men to do taxing drills in the mud and rain. Although the men resented ... to die. Paul felt horribly about what he had to do, especially after seeing letters and pictures that were carried close to the man's heart. After a short period of luxury, Paul and his close friend Albert Kropp are injured. After being treated, Kropp runs a high fever and Paul deceives the nurse...

• Word Count: 902
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... removed from society, have become animalistic. Not only do they eat out of a ditch, they go to the bathroom in shared outdoor latrines, which Paul deems better than any "palatial white-tiled 'convenience. " Although he describes the outdoor experience as tranquil and natural, one gets the sense that the ... the soldiers and the effects that power has over them is present throughout the novel. Katczinsky, the wise, 40-year-old unofficial leader of Paul's company relates the entire life of military power to the battles in the animal kingdom, and the companies attack on Himmelstoss is simil...

• Word Count: 1190
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... still think about it every waking moment of their lives. The war sticks to them like a scary movie. The third theme is Nationalism. Nationalism is what gets Paul and the others to join the army. It tricks them into thinking the war is great and everything the war really is not. The several themes in this ... land they had never been before and have to cope to their surrounding and live there for a while. Paul, the narrator of the book, went to the war alongside of some of his friends Tjaden, Muller, Kropp, and some others. Paul and his friends were told that the war was a great and heroi...

• Word Count: 1206
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School