Remarque succeeds in giving brutal imagery throughout the novel. The reader surely understands the dynamics of this marvelous work. How changed are these young men. Change into veteran soldiers of war with no more foolish thoughts of patriotic bravery. How can they have such thoughts they ask since their former innocence no longer exists and now these words have no meaning if they ever did. The psychological condition of the men preparing for the next battle is made the more real when visiting their wounded comrade. Honor and glory have no meaning in this total madness. Paul’s character is revealed when he went back home, he reminisces: “I imagined would be different from this. Indeed it was a different a year ago” (168). While laying barbed
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Sympathy for Duval follows immediately after his death when Paul finally understands the French soldier’s suffering. This is evident as Paul moves to call Duval comrade. Duval and Paul become ‘us’ and ‘we’ in Paul’s mind. It is direct opposition to the former ‘they’ attached to the concept of enemy that no longer true. Paul realizes the sameness of himself and Duval. The process toward Paul’s enlightenment of cognitive awakening as told in this novel and through the language that Remarque splendidly written manifest when Paul’s confesses:
I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. (Remarque 263) It is from a despondent soul Paul forms these words from the raw depths of his emotions and intelligence. There is no escape and his anguish is complete. Not even running would change the situation. It is the ugly truth – these bared emotions – the purity of heartfelt pain and sadness that plagues Paul and the waste of his young life screams inside him – no honor, no glory, only
Sympathy for Duval follows immediately after his death when Paul finally understands the French soldier’s suffering. This is evident as Paul moves to call Duval comrade. Duval and Paul become ‘us’ and ‘we’ in Paul’s mind. It is direct opposition to the former ‘they’ attached to the concept of enemy that no longer true. Paul realizes the sameness of himself and Duval. The process toward Paul’s enlightenment of cognitive awakening as told in this novel and through the language that Remarque splendidly written manifest when Paul’s confesses:
I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. (Remarque 263) It is from a despondent soul Paul forms these words from the raw depths of his emotions and intelligence. There is no escape and his anguish is complete. Not even running would change the situation. It is the ugly truth – these bared emotions – the purity of heartfelt pain and sadness that plagues Paul and the waste of his young life screams inside him – no honor, no glory, only