Fatigue. Explosions. Blood. Guts. Death. These are only a few of the horrid images that the World War I soldiers endeavoured. Serving in war is not for the faint of heart or those considered not able to stomach the sight of gore and dead bodies every step. In the story, All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, this story depicts these exact horrors during Remarque’s time spent on the German battlefront. Deaths are of the norm. Soldiers become immune to the smell of rotting bodies and bits and pieces of flesh everywhere.
Although comradery is a positive aspect of war, corruption and lost youth utweigh comradeship, therefore making war a negative circumstance. Comradeship is shown throughout this novel numerous times. Remarque’s character, Paul Baumer, is depicted to have several friends and classmates that join his journey in the war. Knowing that despite seeing gruesome and horrid acts, Baumer knows he can turn to his friends if he needs a good laugh or someone to reminisce with. Being that Paul and his friends are still teenagers, they can crack jokes and banter with each other during the hardest of times.
But by far the most important result was that it awakened in us a strong, practical sense of sprit de corps, which in the field developed into the finest thing that arose out of the war-comradeship” (26-27). The french word, esprit de corps, translates to “Spirit of Men” which is very relative to the story. The only way to survive mentally and emotionally is to take comfort from fellow men, otherwise, one would lose their minds. As Paul sees the effects of war, his friends remind him that they will be there for each other as a “pact’and they can all make light of the horrors of war.
Knowing that you have the support from your friends is a comforting thought, especially to remember whilst serving on the attlefield. “I open his collar and place his head more comfortably.. I climb down, take out my handkerchief, spread it out, push it under and scoop up the yellow water that strains through into the hollow of my hand. He gulps it down. I fetch some more. Then, I unbutton his tunic in order to bandage him if it is possible… I want to help you, Comrade, camarade, camarade, camarade” (219-220).
These quotes depict Paul’s willingness to help an opposing soldier, despite fighting and killing their men. Baumer was struck with the thought that he was being way to barbaric and it was unacceptable for him to latantly attack the frenchman, despite their differences. He tries everything that is humanly possible to try and save the dying soldier by addressing his wounds, fetching him water, and trying to talk to the man despite a language barrier. Comradery is shown by the fact that he is willing to be shot down by the other front in order to save this guy he has never met.
As well as this, after the frenchman passes, he believes that he must write to his family posing as him and tries to feel better for himself because he had taken another man’s life, and feels an immense amount of guilt. Despite comradeship being a positive aspect or outcome of the war, that is the only good thing. There is so much tragedy throughout the war, that comradeship is proven to be a temporary relief from the nightmarish events. Another very important theme throughout the novel was the corruption that came out and during the war.
The lack of remorse that some of the soldiers and higher ranking officials showed, is very disturbing. It seems that some officials could not care less about the well being of the soldiers. “He has not had a war up till now. And every full grown emperor requires at least one war, therwise he would not become famous… To make matters worse, we have to return almost all the new things and take back our old rags again. The good ones were merely for the inspection” (206-207). This shows how corrupt high-ranking officials can be.
The fact that the kaiser of Germany came to the battlefront, handed them nice clean cut uniforms, only to exploit them and take away their rewards. The kaiser is using the soldiers’ weaknesses to get some fame out of the horrific war. It in’t just the government personnelles exploiting the wretched soldiers, but the people who are supposed to help the feeble nd injured. Doctors. “. but if once the old boy gets you under the knife you’ll be cripples. What he wants is little dogs to experiment with, so the war is a glorious time for him, as it is for all the surgeons.
Every six months he catches them again and breaks their bones afresh, and every time is going to be the successful one” (259/260). This shows the corruption of the poor soldiers who go to the medical personnel to receive treatment and not die, only to be an amputee afterwards. The sadistic doctor and surgeons shows that they completely disregard morals and their jobs to help, just so they experiment on the oldiers as if they were lab rats. From evil kaiser’s profiting off the soldiers despair to sadistic doctors, who hasn’t corrupted the soldiers and their mentalities?
Teenagers are supposed to experience the good and bad of life, by living carefree and having fun. This wasn’t the case for the teenage soldiers that served in the war. Not only did they lose their freedom, but their youth. Going into the war as a teenage boy was rough, but leaving the war, you leave as a changed man, that is if you even make it out alive. “Iron Youth! Youth! We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? Youth? That is long ago. We are old folk” (18). This quote shows that any amount of purity and innocence that is long gone.
It shows that they can’t have or show any emotion, otherwise they won’t be considered strong on the front. It is almost as though they have had to grow up faster than other teenagers. In the quote it looks as if they had to become much more mature even despite their age. “We stick out our chests, shave in the open, shove our hands in our pockets, inspect the recruits and feel ourselves stone-age veterans” (35). For only being in the war for two years, and feeling as if they were older veterans shows that the war has ged them. Forget about being teenagers, they have already grown up.
One can’t imagine what it is like to forget everything in their youth and act like they are emotionless. It is so disheartening that at such a young age, having so much potential and life ahead of them most won’t survive a year on the battlefield. In conclusion, the only way to survive the horrors is to have comrades, but the worst part is the corruption the soldiers’ had to face at such a young age. At such a young age, the soldiers’ were exposed to how horrible humankind can be rather than be naive. Soldiers’ couldn’t guarantee that they ould see the light of day after they go to sleep.
Imagine all the fear they had to endure whether it was the fear that they would be shot or dead. In the movie, A West Side Story, it shows the audience the battles that they would have because they were in opposing gangs, which was like the war. They would avenge their comrades and fight for them until death. One cannot imagine it unless they have served in the murderous and bloody wars. That’s all wars have ever been. Bloodbaths, death and scarring a human. We are killing fellow humans, just because they live in a different country and our country doesn’t care for theirs.
