Paul Baumer In John Steinbeck's All Quiet On The Western Front

Paul Baumer is the main character and narrator of All Quiet on the Western Front. He joins the war, partly because of his teacher Kantorek, who stressed the importance of joining the war, and partly because of the propaganda of the war, telling him to join. He becomes friends with the members of his squad. At the end of the book, all of Paul’s friends die and Paul is last surviving members of his squad. After realizing the effects the war has on his humanity and his future, Paul soon dies. Paul is a hero in both the book and in real life because he loves his friends and would do anything for them. For example, Paul puts Katczinsky on his back and carries him to the medical tent. Even with shrapnel flying around him, Paul would risk his life for his best friend. Therefore, Paul Baumer is a hero. …show more content…
Other soldiers look up to him, because he can sense where food or danger is. Kat also joined the war because his teacher, Kantorek, urges him to. At the end of the book, Kat gets shot in the shin and Paul Baumer carries him on his back to the medical tent. Before they arrive, shrapnel hits the back of Kat’s head and he dies. In fact, after the death of Kat, Paul has no friends left. Therefore, Paul Baumer becomes devastated over the death of Kat. Kat was a good friend to all the members of the squad. Kat would be a hero in both real life and the book because he was like a leader and father figure to all the soldiers and he employs his sense to find food to feed his friends when they had none. For example, as Kat and Paul are patrolling through the village they find two young pigs to feast on with the rest of their