Western Front
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Submitted by BWDISEPW on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
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Western Front
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
Essay
All Quiet on the Western Front is written by Erich Maria Remarque and narrated by Paul Baumer. This text is purposely constructed so that readers values are manipulated into taking a negative point of view towards World War One. Remarque's structure of construction consists of characters, language, setting, themes and plot (the way the story is told). These elements are then reinforced by selection of detail and point of view. Paul's values and attitudes that are selected are then portrayed through these two critical components. This selection encourages readers to feel sympathetic towards Paul, and agree with him concerning his opinion of war.
As Remarque consistently manipulates the readers values throughout the book, Kantorek (Paul's high school teacher) manipulated Paul and his classmates/friends values. Kantorek described war as romantic and patriotic and there was nothing better than to serve your country. Even parents used words passionately at times, to persuade young men to enlist in the war effort. If someone claimed war was pointless and they were not going to go, society was always ready with the word coward. If you did not voluntarily enlist, people would never give you a job again, and most likely try and kick you out of Germany. Paul and his friends thought they were mentally prepared for the war, thanks to Kantorek. But after experiencing ten weeks of brutal and cruel training from Coporal Himmelstoss, everyone had already realised that the ideals of nationalism and patriotism were nothing but sickening, false lies. They no longer believed that war was glorious or honourable, and they lived in constant physical terror until the end. As stated in the novel's epigraph, "This novel will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have survived the war, were destroyed by it mentally". This sets up the entire intent of All Quiet on the Western Front.
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