All Quiet of the Western Front by Eric Maria Remarque Novel Review

Subject and Section Professor’s Name Date Title Unfortunately, “war,” as most people understand it, is not what it is. A great example of this is Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, titled "All Quiet on the Western Front” which falls under the anti-war type of narrative that aims at defying the glamourous view of war by portraying the real-life emotions of Paul Bäumer and his friends in the First World War. Yet, despite presenting a relatively strong statement on the effects of war, the novel's message is somewhat tempered by some of the latter's features that can be seen as not fully comprehensible by the modern audience. The war depicted by Remarque revolves around the experience’s young soldiers during World War I and the inhumane side of war, as represented by Paul Bäumer. Remarque’s depiction eradicated all the glamour associated with it. Thus, as the soldiers are subjected to the severest tests of physical and mental endurance, they are shown the seamy side of war, which makes them disillusioned and emotionally scarred for the rest of their lives (Remarque). Here, Remarque contrasts what society told the young men before going to the war and what they found there. This struggle is presented most clearly in the case of Paul Bäumer and his comrades, who come to the war with dreams of heroic triumph, only to find themselves disillusioned by the vicious, purposeless nature of the fighting. The picture of war as glorious is further contrasted with Remarque's elucidation of the degrading impact of war, where soldiers are portrayed as...