Tyler Wiles
October 25, 2012
Schulte
Period 1
The Meaninglessness of War
Fearful, bloody, psychological death, depression, pain, agony, and suffering all describe warfare. In history, trench warfare had been seen in what is known as the Great War. World War I, as people refer to it today, went on from 1914 to 1918 while changing the political landscape of Europe. World War I brought new weapons such as cannons and machine guns into play as well as a different style of fighting known as trench warfare. By bringing this new style of war along the style also brought more blood, gruesomeness, and death. The style of warfare also would have psychological effects on the soldiers. One of the World War I survivors, Erich Maria Remarque, wrote about his take on World War I. In his novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Remarque shared his experience from the war. Some of his experiences included fighting on the battle front, seeing his friends die, and being in the trenches. In the novel Remarque presented the meaninglessness of the war by using irony, symbolism, and conflict.
To begin, Remarque illustrates instances of irony, throughout the novel, to describe the meaninglessness of the war. First, Paul, the main character, does not have the sense of belonging that he feels when he is at war and does not want to be home even though his mother is dying. By not having the sense of belonging, he does not want to be on leave any longer. He says “I ought never to have come on leave…” (185). When Paul says this, it seems as if he wants to be back on the front with his comrades even if he has a chance to die there. Secondly, Paul becomes confused on who the enemy is that he is actually fighting against. Paul comes in contact with Russian prisoners in chapter 8. He thinks to himself, “A word of command has made these silent figures our enemies, A word of command might transform them into our friends” (193-194). This shows Paul that all people are equal and that they are regular human beings. It shows you that the war may change people. Lastly, throughout the novel, there are a pair of boots that are passed down between the soldiers. These boots are significance because whoever posses the boots end up dying. As expected, Paul ends up with the boots and dies in the end. “He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front…” (296). Paul’s death was really ironic because when he dies there is no fighting going on; it was truly All Quiet on the Western Front. Those are some ways that the author, Erich Maria Remarque, illustrates a vast amount irony throughout the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front.
