All Quiet On The Western Front Character Analysis

Erich Maria Remarque’s war novel, ‘All Quiet On The Western Front’ features a character who appears to have a great vulnerability about them. The main character, a German soldier by the name of Paul Bäumer, uses a very strong survival instinct as a measure to stay alive during the Great War but seems to lose this after going on leave to visit his family. The novel follows Paul and the rest of the Second Company as they go from their barracks, to the Front line for the very first time and the subsequent times after, culminating with consequences of the war.

The reader first sees Paul’s vulnerability emerges when he is sent on home leave after serving on the Western Front. In Chapter 7, Paul and his comrades have returned from the front to a field depot in France. They discuss the emotional toll the war has taken, and the changes they have had to go through to cope - such as becoming less polite and sharper. Afterwards, Paul receives 17 days leave and decides to visit his family, but once he reaches home he quickly realises that he’s not the same man that left, saying:
“I …show more content…
However, this proves not to be the case and he clearly regrets leaving his friends at the Front and reminding himself of home. Paul was previously “indifferent and often hopeless”, two things that were necessary during the fighting to ensure that Paul didn’t crack under the pressure and either desert his post or make a mistake that could kill either him or his friends. His statement of “I was a soldier” is extremely significant as it shows that Paul no longer considers himself worthy, or even capable of committing the acts that he did so freely beforehand. Paul’s main concern is now for his family, namely his mother who is dying of cancer. This would undoubtedly cloud his judgement and divert his attention when he returns to the Front, making him even more vulnerable than he otherwise would have