"All Quiet on the Western Front" Essay Test

Paul says at the end, “I am so alone and so without hope…” (295). Show the major events that caused Paul to view himself this way. Why did he feel this way? ...

            For several years, Paul Baumer has evolved with the war: a fresh, exhilarating start full of hope and enthusiasm that slowly dwindled down to a single spark of light, and eventually, that went out too. Paul begins his journey, “[I am] satisfied and at peace,” (1) but this is a war, and that will not last. The way Paul evolves is simultaneous and parallel to the evolution of the war: enthusiasm and hope to trials and struggles to loss of hope to destruction and surrender.

            From the very beginning, Paul’s close friend Franz Kemmerich experiences the consequences of war face to face and so begins the long line of loss Paul will experience. This initiates the hardening of his heart, to build up his stone cold emotionless wall. Paul experiences a new feeling of grief. He writes, “My feet begin to move forward in my boots, I go quicker, I run…I give him the boots. We go in and he tries them on. They fit well. He roots among his supplies and offers me a fine piece of saveloy. With it goes hot tea and rum.” (33) Away with Paul’s emotions, away with his feelings, or coping with the war will be impossible.

            Battle after battle, front after front, trenches, rats, starvation, blood. Day after day the soldiers’ youth is grinded out of them. They are “forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial – I believe we are lost.” (123) And with that are lost the human-like characteristics of passion and feeling; Paul becomes much like a puppet of war.

            One may not think this is such a bad thing. Paul is strong inside and out, he can cope better, survive longer. That is true. But comes the day his sister calls, “Mother, mother, Paul is here,” (157) the wall crumbles like stale bread. The feelings return in tsunamis and Paul cannot even support himself. His mother is sick – one more loss. But a soldier can not dwell on such things if he wants to survive. It will destroy him.

            Paul returns to war. Paul loses more friends, and with them, hope. All he has left is Kat – his single dwindling light. Nonetheless, “…it has sufficed. Kat is dead. Slowly I get up.” (291) And Paul has nothing left. “Let the months and years come, they can take nothing from me, they can take nothing more.” (295) Paul goes on with no hope, no love, no strength, no will. The war has engulfed and swallowed him; he drowns in the pit of its belly. So finally, Paul too falls, and is glad the end has come.