Change In Erich Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front

Change In the novel “All Quiet on the Western Front”, Erich Remarque shows that the war forced change. It is a recurring theme in the novel for things to be different than they used to be. Whether it was a change in men or relationships, the author showed how the soldiers were forced to adapt to the reality of the war.

The war robs men of their previous selves by ripping away everything that they once were. A perfect example of this is when Paul says “We are not youth any longer...We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces” (Remarque 87). Before the war they were youthfull teenagers, but after all the death and despair, that is no longer true. The men that they once were has been cut away by the violence. One of the first true losses of innocence for Paul is when a recruit is suffering and he says “Yes Kat we ought to put him out of his misery”(72). Before the war, that option would not have even come to mind for paul. Now that he has …show more content…
These men would have nothing to live for if it wasn’t for their comrades. The fact that the men's “Sergeant Major looks after [them] like a mother”(244) is a perfect example of the bonds between men. These men have each others back. That is what is keeping them physically safe and mentally sound. The men who once were fellow soldiers are now “brothers, and press on one another the choicest pieces”(96). They are more than just acquaintances at this point. They are family who would die for one another. When Paul finds Himmelstoss cowering during battle he “knock[s] his head against the wall [and] kick[s] him in the ribs”(132). Beating someone who is on your side doesn't sound like comradery but it is. Himmelstoss is hiding while paul and his brothers are putting their lives on the line and Paul is not going to let that fly. The only thing pulling the men through all the death and despair is the unbreakable bonds between