María Elena Marqués

Gatsby’s Illusion The state of people’s mental health often negatively affects their relationships with the people surrounding their lives. Gatsby’s mental state throughout The Great Gatsby is certainly not impeccable after he serves in World War I, because he has to leave his girlfriend, Daisy, behind to serve in the army. Like countless other soldiers of this time period, Gatsby’s mental state changes during the war and he holds onto the good memories and perfects them in his head. He…

War has a dark, funny way of underlining the incongruities of warfare. Irony has a strong presence in Erich Maria Remarque's novel, All Quiet on the Western Front. Set in the German lines of the Western Front in the First World War, Paul Baumer and other young men, such as Albert and Müller, volunteer to be soldiers after their schoolteachers persuaded them. At the front, they admire Kat for his practical skills and reliable instincts. On the opposite is Himmelstoss, a largely inept leader who…

Change In the novel “All Quiet on the Western Front”, Erich Remarque shows that the war forced change. It is a recurring theme in the novel for things to be different than they used to be. Whether it was a change in men or relationships, the author showed how the soldiers were forced to adapt to the reality of the war. The war robs men of their previous selves by ripping away everything that they once were. A perfect example of this is when Paul says “We are not youth any longer...We were…

20 million wounded; the survivors were left to live with the effects of being dehumanized because of all the death they saw. Within three great works about WWI, “Suicide in the Trenches” by Siegfried Sassoon, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway, there is an universal idea of the dehumanizing aspect of war is shown during the war, at home, and after the war. “Suicide in the Trenches” by Siegfried Sassoon, tells about how the men at war…

World War I was the war to end all wars. Many young men went of to war filled with romantic notions of war and patriotism for their country. In the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, we meet Paul Baumer, the narrator of the story. Paul and his friends were convinced by parents and teachers, that they had a duty their country. Their duty was to enlist in the Army and fight in the war. They came to realize, these people they trusted had betrayed them. War has come at…

In Erich Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, the author uses metaphor and personification to convey Paul Baumer’s loss of self. Paul Baumer, the protagonist of the novel, joins the war as an innocent twenty year old boy who enjoys writing poetry, but transforms into a detached, stiff man who finds trouble relating to normal, innocent civilians. After witnessing plenty of bloodshed and catastrophe, Paul’s emotional connection to his humanity gradually dissolves. The burdens of war…

World War I is considered as the war that destroyed men physically and mentally. The novel All Quiet on the Western Front, is based on a German soldier’s view during World War I. This novel is based on how it is to be human in all situations, including war. It is clear that based on his personal experience in the war, Remarque felt the war was unnecessary and without cause, due to chain of events over a conflict. After reading the novel, I feel that World War I should have not happened. As a…

All Quiet on the Western Front, written by Erich Remarque, and A Long Way Gone, written by Ishmael Beah, are both stories telling one of many otherwise overlooked tragedies of war. Those who are not forced to fight never see the true horror of the war. Many think of war as something heroic and honorable, and focus on the idea that it is bringing justice and fighting for one’s country. They only see the patriotism fighting. However, people lack the understanding of the horrors that war brings.…

Soldier’s Heart Essay~ Gary Paulsen Is Life in the army what Charley expected? No it wasn’t what Charley expected. Nobody thought it Would be so bad. All of the politicians and newspapers said it would be a month or two, no longer than that. They said it would be over by the fall.So, Charley thought why not? Charley joined the volunteer army at 15, And came out at 23. He enlisted in the Union Army during the civil war, saying it will be more exciting than a…

In All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, symbols are used to help better the understanding of the idea of how the brutal ways of the war have affected the soldiers by making them change their views and morals helping them survive the war. There are many cases in which objects and ideas have been symbolized to demonstrate the theme. Remarques boots, the horses, and the potato cakes are some of the symbols Remarque has used to manifest the theme. Wars all over the world are still…