All Quiet On The Western Front Critical Analysis

World War I was one of the deadliest wars in human history, killing sixteen million soldiers alone, with a total of thirty seven million casualties including civilians. Mankind has been shaped by war throughout its existence. War can vary with type such as guerrilla or nuclear warfare. However, one aspect of war that remains the same is its ability to lay waste to all in its path. War has killed, not only the promising young men and women, but it has killed their dreams and goals. The horror of war is not only felt by the soldiers, but the civilians who also experience its horrors although not perhaps to its fullest extent. War does not distinguish between civilian or soldier, its horrors spread and cause physical and mental detriment. In the novel, All Quiet on …show more content…
“Shouldn’t we just take a revolver and put an end to it?,” (Remarque 72). At this point in the book, Paul and his company have just recovered after a bombardment in the graveyard. Paul and Kat find a the fair-haired boy that Paul saved severely wounded with a hip and arm injury. They debate on whether or not to kill him and save him from more pain. Although at this point in the novel Remarque is referring to mercifully killing a soldier, there is a double meaning behind this. When Remarque uses “shouldn’t we…” he is bringing up question of life to display the hopelessness of the soldiers. Although Remarque is asking whether or not to kill the soldier he is questioning whether or not the wiser choice would be to end his own life and escape the atrocities of the war. Remarque also utilizes this detail to emphasize how the war has desensitized the soldiers to death. Remarque uses this detail to confront the system of recruitment in the army and how young men, some not older than eighteen are allowed to give their lives for a freedom that they will never be able to fully