What was going through Remarque's mind?
Paul is caught in WWI fighting to prove his loyalty to his country. Amidst the war, he struggles to find meaning in the new image he has become. In the beginning, their teacher persuades everyone in the class to enlist in the military to fight the glorious war. Thinking this is an honourable idea; everyone joins even those who secretly fear the battlefield. However, they are forced into volunteering. Not enlisting is like turning their back on their own country. To the teachers, schoolmasters, and older men, going to war is the best thing a man could do for his country. In reality, Paul and his friends do not want to kill or be killed.
After Behm became Paul's first dead schoolmate, Paul viewed the older generation bitterly, particularly Kantorek, the teacher who convinced Paul and his classmates to join the military, feeling alone and betrayed in the world that they had left for him. Paul's generation felt empty and isolated from the......
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Approximate Word Count: 916
Approximate Pages: 4 (260 words per double-spaced page) |