All Quiet on the Western Front focuses on a generation of bright young men, who for a while survived the war physically, but were destroyed psychologically due to the extreme conditions they were forced to live in. Although soldiers and war are portrayed as glorious and heroic by many different sources in those times, war was infact a vicious and horrific time where innocent lives are lost and destroyed. A whole generation lost their lives without anyone stopping to mourn or remember them, but they were only replaced with even younger untrained boys. Everything that they were and accomplished or hope to accomplish in life was lost in an instant. Their futures were brutally stolen from them in the name of protecting their homeland, but as these
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From this point on, the group no longer seems to be responding to the “fight for the fatherland” ideology. ** Kropp Quote The soldier life is not one of fame and glory, in reality they are nothing but able bodies and instead of being recognized for their sacrifice’s, they live in inhumane conditions and are mistreated by authoritative figures like Himmelstoss. This effect that power has on a person is not only displayed by the commanding officers throughout the book, but it is also demonstrated by the soldiers as well. An example of this was when Paul’s group attacked Himmelstoss or when they mindlessly kill their enemies on the battlefield, something no civilian would have been likely to do if not for the war.
As the months go by the battle continues back and fourth. Days on end with lack of food sleep and water means the men are all exhausted, but must go on for their lives and the lives of their comrades depend on it. There is no other option and the mental burden of being killed at any moment by a falling bomb, gas, or attack is another common example of the horrors of war in this novel. It describes what these soldiers go through and what brings them to this kill or be killed attitude as they anxiously wait for an attack that could kill them
From this point on, the group no longer seems to be responding to the “fight for the fatherland” ideology. ** Kropp Quote The soldier life is not one of fame and glory, in reality they are nothing but able bodies and instead of being recognized for their sacrifice’s, they live in inhumane conditions and are mistreated by authoritative figures like Himmelstoss. This effect that power has on a person is not only displayed by the commanding officers throughout the book, but it is also demonstrated by the soldiers as well. An example of this was when Paul’s group attacked Himmelstoss or when they mindlessly kill their enemies on the battlefield, something no civilian would have been likely to do if not for the war.
As the months go by the battle continues back and fourth. Days on end with lack of food sleep and water means the men are all exhausted, but must go on for their lives and the lives of their comrades depend on it. There is no other option and the mental burden of being killed at any moment by a falling bomb, gas, or attack is another common example of the horrors of war in this novel. It describes what these soldiers go through and what brings them to this kill or be killed attitude as they anxiously wait for an attack that could kill them