Upon his return, Paul revisits his childhood reminiscences of the town he grew up in; however, he is a foreigner to them and they are foreigners to him. He stands out in the crowd, but he is only a representation of the civilian's romantic and patriotic epitome; otherwise, he is nothing more but a "dirty and heavy laden" soldier. By portraying Paul’s weaknesses at home, Erich Maria Remarque conveys that due to the harsh experience on the front, Paul isolates himself from his childhood in order to accept the conditions of the front, making himself anxious to reconnect with his old home.
When Paul arrives at the door of his house he becomes hesitant. In the first sentence of the first paragraph, Remarque creates a visual of surrender by using
When Paul arrives at the door of his house he becomes hesitant. In the first sentence of the first paragraph, Remarque creates a visual of surrender by using