During World War I, young men were forced into battle and were taught to be ruthless and hard. Paul Baumer and his three friends lose the innocence they once had to become tough, hard men, which is needed when they are fighting at the front. The first sign of the boys losing innocence was when they stopped caring about the way they talked, Baumer even made a remark about how surprised their parents and teachers would be if they were to see how much they had changed in such little time. The importance of the boys becoming tough is shown when one boy who went to the restroom his underwear, revealing that he was too innocent for the front, was severely injured before he could adapt. The boys are all aware that their innocence is …show more content…
It caused young men to lose their innocence in a harsh environment. The war made going back to civilian life nearly impossible for the soldiers. It also introduced the negative idea of corruption into the soldier’s life. War caused many issues in society but the worst is the long term effects turama from the war has on the lives of the men fighting for their