At first glance, the 1929 novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Ramarque and the 2000 novel Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley and Ron Powers may seem to have little in common other than the fact they are about war. The two books do contain accounts from soldiers in different wars, Remarque 's the events of World War I from the perspective of a German soldier and Bradley and Powers’ the lives of three U.S. soldiers fighting in World War II. However, a longer glance at the two books reveals that there are similarities between the two novels.
Both All Quiet on the Western Front and Flags of Our Fathers serve to point out how the people who stayed at home in their own country and chose not to engage in combat have a different …show more content…
The soldiers also realize that the way war is described and painted for them differed from how it really is. A slight difference between the two books is that the picture is painted by schoolmasters in All Quiet on the Western Front whereas it is painted mainly by the media in Flags of Our Fathers. “This is no joke! This is real war (Bradley, 58)!” This statement is yelled out anonymously from the roof of the KGU radio station in Honolulu during the Japanese’s bombing of Pearl Harbor. In context, it highlights the influence of the media on the American people. The American civilians who chose not to sign up for combat would later receive a distorted image of the war from the media. “It’s funny what a picture can do (Bradley, 275).” Ira Hayes, one of the flag raisers at Iwo Jima, wrote this to his parents at the beginning of the Seventh Bond Tour. He realized that he would be acclaimed because of the famous picture captured by Joe Rosenthal of him raising the flag at Iwo Jima. While what he and the other five marines in the picture had done was heroic, he knew that many others had also showed the same, if not more, heroism than him. Yet, he would be one of the most remembered men from the battle because of how the media chose to depict him to Americans. This event highlights the …show more content…
“It wasn’t a matter of living or dying or fighting. It was a matter of helping your friends (Bradley, 193).” This quote is placed at the beginning of chapter ten in Flag of Our Fathers, and directly links to the overall theme of brother-hood in All Quiet on the Western Front and generally how soldiers feel about their comrades in times of war. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Bäumer is “drawn” to his fellow soldiers by a bond that can only be explained as “brother-hood.” The hope that one day they will be able to return home together is what keep Bäumer and his companions fighting. This is very much apparent when he and Katczinksky (Kat) are emitted into the hospital together. Both keep each other from having surgery, and when they are being moved to another hospital, Bäumer makes it his priority to stay with Kat. However, this theme of brother-hood is not just contained to both of the World Wars. It seems to be experienced by all soldiers who have partaken in warfare. It existed prior to the wars, this can be seen by President Abraham Lincoln’s quote: “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.” Veteran and now motivational speaker Steve Maraboli recalls, “Serving my country was a life-changing experience for me.
Both All Quiet on the Western Front and Flags of Our Fathers serve to point out how the people who stayed at home in their own country and chose not to engage in combat have a different …show more content…
The soldiers also realize that the way war is described and painted for them differed from how it really is. A slight difference between the two books is that the picture is painted by schoolmasters in All Quiet on the Western Front whereas it is painted mainly by the media in Flags of Our Fathers. “This is no joke! This is real war (Bradley, 58)!” This statement is yelled out anonymously from the roof of the KGU radio station in Honolulu during the Japanese’s bombing of Pearl Harbor. In context, it highlights the influence of the media on the American people. The American civilians who chose not to sign up for combat would later receive a distorted image of the war from the media. “It’s funny what a picture can do (Bradley, 275).” Ira Hayes, one of the flag raisers at Iwo Jima, wrote this to his parents at the beginning of the Seventh Bond Tour. He realized that he would be acclaimed because of the famous picture captured by Joe Rosenthal of him raising the flag at Iwo Jima. While what he and the other five marines in the picture had done was heroic, he knew that many others had also showed the same, if not more, heroism than him. Yet, he would be one of the most remembered men from the battle because of how the media chose to depict him to Americans. This event highlights the …show more content…
“It wasn’t a matter of living or dying or fighting. It was a matter of helping your friends (Bradley, 193).” This quote is placed at the beginning of chapter ten in Flag of Our Fathers, and directly links to the overall theme of brother-hood in All Quiet on the Western Front and generally how soldiers feel about their comrades in times of war. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Bäumer is “drawn” to his fellow soldiers by a bond that can only be explained as “brother-hood.” The hope that one day they will be able to return home together is what keep Bäumer and his companions fighting. This is very much apparent when he and Katczinksky (Kat) are emitted into the hospital together. Both keep each other from having surgery, and when they are being moved to another hospital, Bäumer makes it his priority to stay with Kat. However, this theme of brother-hood is not just contained to both of the World Wars. It seems to be experienced by all soldiers who have partaken in warfare. It existed prior to the wars, this can be seen by President Abraham Lincoln’s quote: “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field and serves, as he best can, the same cause.” Veteran and now motivational speaker Steve Maraboli recalls, “Serving my country was a life-changing experience for me.