Novel “All Quiet On The Western Front” Essay Example

extensively annihilated. At the beginning of the story, Baumer observes how his elders used to effortlessly manipulate words before he joined the military. Specifically, teachers and parents passionately employed words to convince him and other young men to join the war effort. After recounting a teacher who encouraged his students to enlist, Baumer remarks that "teachers always carry their feelings ready in their waistcoat pockets, and trot them out by the hour." (Remarque, All Quiet I. 15)

Baumer acknowledges that he, along with others, fell for this rhetorical deception. Parents were also not hesitant to employ words to shame their sons into joining the military. "At that time even ones parents were ready with the word coward" (Remarque, All Quiet I. 15). Reflecting on those times, Baumer claims that his war experiences have taught him the hollowness of using such words. In fact, early in his military service, Baumer understands that although authority figures preached that duty to one's country is the most important thing, we already knew that death is more powerful.

But for all that, we were not mutineers, nor deserters, nor cowards—they were very liberal with using those terms. We loved our country just as much as they did; we bravely embarked on every mission, but we also learned to discern between falsehood and truth; we had suddenly gained the ability to perceive. (Remarque, All Quiet I. 17) Baumer and his fellow soldiers realized that the language and phrases used by society's figureheads did not accurately depict the true nature of war and one's involvement in it.

As the novel progresses, Baumer himself employs words in a deceptive manner. Several instances of Baumer's own misuse

of language occur during a significant episode in the novela period of leave when he visits his hometown. This leave becomes catastrophic for Baumer as he realizes that he is unable to communicate with the people on the home front due to his military experiences and their limited understanding of the war, or lack thereof. Upon entering his house, for instance, Baumer is completely overwhelmed by being home. The intensity of his joy and relief is so great that he is rendered speechless; all he can do is weep (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 140).

When he and his mother greet each other, he immediately realizes that he has nothing to say to her. He expresses gratitude that she asks nothing (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 141). Eventually, she breaks the silence and asks him if it was very bad out there, Paul (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 143). At this point, he lies in response to protect her from hearing about the chaotic conditions he has just returned from. Inside his mind, he ponders what answer he should give to his mother's question, knowing that she would never understand or comprehend it.

And you will never understand it. Was it terrible, you inquire. You, Mother,--I shake my head and say: "No, Mother, not quite so. There are always many of us together so it is not as terrible." (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 143) Even while attempting to shield her, by employing deceptive language, Baumer establishes a divide between his mother and himself. Evidently, in Baumer's perspective, such understanding is not meant for the inexperienced.

On a different level, Baumer is unable to answer his mother's question because he recognizes that

the experiences he has encountered are too powerful to be conveyed through ordinary language. He understands that attempting to describe the horrors of war using words would be futile, so he resorts to being dishonest. Revealing the truth would only diminish its true nature. Additionally, during his time off, Baumer comes face to face with his father.

Baumers rejection of communication with his parent reflects his departure from conventional family structures. According to Baumer, his father's curiosity about the war is both foolish and troubling, resulting in a complete disconnection between them (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 146). By contemplating his father's insistence on discussing the war, Baumer recognizes the futility and peril of conveying the true nature of war through mere words.

There is nothing he likes more than just hearing about it. He does not realize that it is dangerous to talk about these things. I would do it willingly, but the risk is too great. I am afraid that the words describing these things might become uncontrollable and meaningless. (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 146) Baumer again acknowledges the impossibility of expressing the experience of war through words. The war is too immense, and the words describing it would have to be equally immense. With their symbolic size, they could become uncontrollable and, therefore, meaningless.

Baumer encounters other men during his time with his father who are confident in their knowledge of how to fight and emerge victorious in the war. Eventually, Baumer expresses his opinion about his father and these men, remarking that "they talk excessively from my perspective ... They may indeed comprehend and concur, they might even experience it similarly, but solely through words,

solely through words" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 149).

Baumer distances himself from the older generation because he realizes that their words are empty and do not accurately portray the true nature of the world and the war, which Baumer has come to comprehend. Additionally, while on leave, Baumer pays a visit to Kemmerich's mother, where he deceives her, similar to how he deceived his own mother, in order to spare her the painful truth of her son's prolonged suffering and impending death. Furthermore, during this conversation, Baumer exhibits his rejection of another societal norm: religious orthodoxy.

According to Remarque's All Quiet VII. 160, Frau Kemmerich refuses to believe the soldier's assurance that her son died instantly and without pain. The soldier claims that her son's face appeared peaceful, but she remains doubtful or simply chooses not to accept this information.

She tells him to promise "by everything that is sacred to" him (meaning God) that what he says is true. He agrees readily since he does not consider anything sacred. By distorting this promise, Baumer reveals his reluctance to communicate honestly with someone from the home front and his rejection of the society's God.

Another break with Baumer's pre-enlistment society is achieved through his conscious misuse of language. During his leave, Baumer realizes the emptiness of words in his former society when he is alone in his old room at his parents' house. Unable to reconnect with his old society through conversations with his mother, father, and their friends, Baumer tries to re-establish his connection by immersing himself in the familiar surroundings of his former home. Surrounded by memories like pictures and postcards on the wall and a comfortable

brown leather sofa, Baumer waits for something that would make him feel a part of his former world. Among these reminders is his collection of old schoolbooks that symbolize a more reflective and non-military time, which Baumer hopes will bring back his innocence and bring him closer to the way he used to be. He yearns for that peaceful ecstasy once again.

I desire to once again experience the powerful, nameless urge that I did in the past when I turned to my books. I want the breath of desire that used to arise from the colored book covers to fill me, melting the heavy, lifeless feeling inside me and reawakening my impatience for the future and the joy of intellectual pursuits. I want it to restore the enthusiasm of my youth that I have lost. I am sitting and waiting. (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 151) However, Baumer continues to wait and doesn't receive the sign he is looking for; the quiet joy he longs for doesn't happen. The room itself, representing the world before he enlisted, becomes unfamiliar to him.

"A sense of foreignness abruptly overwhelms me. I am unable to retrace my steps" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 152). Baumer comprehends that he is irreversibly disconnected from the basic, militaristic, non-intellectual realm of the war. Ultimately, the books hold no value as the words within them lack significance.

"Words, Words, Words... they do not reach me. Slowly I place the books back in the shelves. Nevermore" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 153). Through his encounters with conventional society, Baumer corrupts language, the very element that distinguishes humans from animals, to a degree where it becomes devoid of

significance. Baumer demonstrates his defiance against this conventional society by either refusing or being incapable of adhering to the norms associated with its language.

Contrasting with Baumer's experiences during his visit home are his interactions with his fellow trench soldiers. Unlike how he feels at home, refusing to speak with his father and making a hollow promise to Frau Kemmerich, Baumer is capable of genuine communication, both verbal and spiritual, with his comrades in the trenches. In this group, words hold significance and provide comfort and revitalization. Shortly after coming back from leave, Baumer and some of his fellow soldiers embark on a patrol mission to determine the enemy's force.

During this patrol, Baumer experiences a distressing situation in a shell hole where he loses his sense of direction and suffers from a panic attack. He describes feeling tormented and terrified, envisioning a menacing rifle muzzle that silently follows his every movement. It is not until he hears familiar voices coming from behind that he is able to regain his composure. Recognizing that he is near his comrades in their shared trench brings solace to Baumer. Remarkably, the impact of his fellow soldiers' words stands in stark contrast to the empty words of his father and his father's friends, which have no reassuring effect on him.

Upon hearing these voices, a newfound warmth immediately envelops me, relieving the overwhelming solitude and anxiety that had nearly consumed me. These voices, with their gentle words, serve as a tether that swiftly rescues me from the gaping maw of death. They hold a significance greater than mere existence - surpassing even the nurturing embrace of a mother and the crippling grip

of fear. In fact, these voices from my fellow comrades are the epitome of strength and solace; an unwavering source of comfort that can be found nowhere else.

I am no longer alone in the darkness; I belong to them and they to me; we all share the same fear and the same life, we are nearer than lovers, in a simpler, a harder way; I could bury my face in them, in these voices, these words that have saved me and will stand by me. (Remarque, All Quiet IX. 186) Here, Baumer recognizes the revitalizing impact of his comrades' words. Remarkably, unlike the hollow words of his town's citizens, the words of Baumer's comrades transcend their literal meanings. In other words, while Baumer realizes that conventional words hold no significance, the words of his comrades possess greater meaning than they even realize.

In the world of war, true communication can occur without the need for many or any words. This is exemplified in a scene from the novel involving Baumer and his comrade, Stanislaus Katczinsky. This scene, which has religious undertones, can be contrasted with Baumer's meeting with Kemmerich's mother. During that meeting, Frau Kemmerich insisted on verbal confirmation of Baumer's spiritual beliefs. However, Baumer is willing to provide this confirmation because the words he uses hold no meaning for him. The situation is different with Katczinsky, as the spirituality of their interaction eliminates the need for words. In fact, words would only hinder the deep connection that Baumer and Katczinsky have achieved.

The setting is uncomplicated. Baumer and Katczinsky pilfer a goose and share a meal in a vacant, makeshift shelter. We are positioned across from

each other, Kat and I, two soldiers in worn-out jackets, preparing the goose in the late hours. Conversation is limited, yet I sense a deeper connection between us, surpassing even that of lovers...

Despite the absence of verbal communication, the act of eating together creates a bond and sense of unity between the two individuals. In Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, Baumer and his companion sit in silence, with a goose between them, experiencing an intimacy and understanding that surpasses words. This primitive and basic activity of acquiring and consuming food allows for a unique communion, a connection "in unison," which contrasts with the word-filled environment of Baumer's hometown. Remarque may be emphasizing that genuine communication can only occur through action, silence, or chance encounters. In a poignant revelation, Baumer later realizes that he himself has fallen victim to deceptive language, as he was manipulated into enlisting. Thus, even he is not immune to the deceitful nature of words.

Following the comforting words of his comrades, Baumer finds himself trapped in another shell hole during the bombardment. In this dire situation, he is compelled to take the life of a Frenchman who leaps into the hole while attacking the German front lines. Baumer is deeply disturbed by his actions, stating, "For the first time, I have killed with my own hands, someone I can see up close, someone whose death I am responsible for" (Remarque, All Quiet IX. 193). This signifies that the war and his role in it have become more intimate as he is now face-to-face with his enemy.

While grieving, Baumer takes the deceased man's pocket-book to uncover his identity and

family circumstances. This revelation makes Baumer recognize that the man he killed is not a monster, but rather someone with a family who is similar to himself. As a result, Baumer starts making pledges to the dead body, such as writing to his family and even going as far as promising to take his place on earth. Baumer states, "I have killed the printer, Gerard Duval. I must be a printer" (Remarque, All Quiet IX).

In Paragraph 197, Baumer expresses his regret for killing a fellow soldier by apologizing to the corpse. He acknowledges that before this event, the soldier was merely an abstract concept in his mind, and it was this concept that he attacked.

Forgive me, comrade. We always realize it too late. Why don't they ever tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death and the same agony of dying? Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy? If we threw away these rifles and this uniform, you could be my brother just like Kat..." (Remarque, All Quiet IX. 195). It is interesting to note that Baumer sees that Duval could have been even closer, like Katczinsky, a member of Baumer's inner circle in Second Company. All of the sentiments and words that Baumer expresses to Duval are commendable, but they are completely untrue. Over time, as Baumer spends more time with Duval's lifeless body in the shell-hole, he realizes that he will not fulfill the various promises he made.

It would be inappropriate for him to write to Duval's family. Additionally, Baumer

no longer feels a sense of brotherhood, as he states "Today you, tomorrow me" (Remarque, All Quiet IX. 197). Moreover, Baumer admits that he no longer thinks about the dead man and he holds no importance to him anymore (Remarque, All Quiet IX. 198).

Baumer acknowledges his own use of meaningless language, stating, "Now merely to avert any ill-luck, I babble mechanically… but already I know that I shall not do so" (Remarque, All Quiet IX. 198). This illustrates Remarque's point that the perversion of language is present even in the context of war. Baumer, who had previously been disgusted by the meaninglessness of language in his hometown, now finds himself using similarly empty words. After the shell hole incident, Baumer admits, "it was mere drivelling nonsense that I talked out there in the shell-hole" (Remarque, All Quiet IX).

199). Baumer's reasoning behind using vacuous words and sentiments, which he has no respect for, is because he feels compelled to lie. This double meaning may only be apparent in English. Baumer explains, "It was only because I had to lie there with him so long... After all, war is war" (Remarque, All Quiet IX.

Ultimately, the only conclusion Paul Baumer and the reader are left with is that war cannot be defined or accurately discussed. It lacks any kind of meaning and embodies a sense of disorder. Erich Maria Remarque portrays this disorder in All Quiet on the Western Front.

This disorder affects fundamental societal institutions including the family, the schools, and the church. Furthermore, the war is so chaotic that it impacts the core abilities of humanity, particularly verbal skills. By revealing how the First World War

negatively impacts the structure of language, Remarque effectively illustrates how the war permanently changes the world's order.