Review Of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque is a war novel that reveals the intense physical and emotional struggles of the real people behind the uniform during the intense fight of World War 1. This story’s main protagonist is a young soldier named Paul. The plot follows him from the time he enters the military to his unfortunate death at the end. The story starts with a joyous high school graduation, then slowly spirals to a dark, emotional, bloody war leading Paul to lose many friends along the way. One of the major themes in the plot is clearly the effects of war on soldiers. Coming from a military family I’ve seen with my own eyes the effects but outside of a military town there are so many naïve people who will never understand what that feeling is like. Many people who do not come from military backgrounds don’t quite grasp the intensity of everything that a military person endures. The effects that war had on Paul and his fellow comrades while fighting in World War 1 is very clear. World War 1 was different from any war before and it changed the way most people viewed war. The battles lasted for months and the new technology such as machine guns, poison gas and trenches definitely made the fight more gruesome. Additionally, the soldiers were forced to live in awfully unhealthy …show more content…
One of Paul’s former classmates Albert Kropp serves with Paul during the war and unfortunately is shot in the leg. In the hospital his leg becomes infected and he must have it amputated. Albert struggles with losing his leg very negatively. He questions his own worth as a soldier and as a person without his leg which leads him into a lonely depression. Paul and other friends are very concerned for his mental state of mind. The nun in the hospital assures him that the depression Albert is feeling is completely common for amputees but still, Paul is very worried about his