All Quiet on The Western Front
This novel is written in a first person style. The book revolves around Paul Baumer, a nineteen year old student who enlisted into World War I with his classmates. There were twenty young men in Platoon #9, where he was assigned. Three of his classmates enlisted only due to their fear of being called cowards and all enlisted at the age of nineteen. Some of the names include Albert Krapp, Muller, Leer and also Tjaden, Haie Westhus and Detering. The leader of the group was a forty year old by the name of Katczinsky "Kat". Corporal Himmelstoss was the No. #9 Platoon Commander. Himmelstoss was a little man and was very strict and mean. He did not like the boys and he knew that he had to get rid of their innocence due to the fact he sensed their defiance. Himmelstoss had ten weeks to prepare the boys for war and he felt that the best way was to make them clean in order to understand orders and discipline. The boys had to scrub out Corporal's Mess with a toothbrush, clear all the barracks, and clean off snow using only a dustpan and a broom. They had to stand at attention with their brass rifle at their side without gloves for a quarter of an hour while Himmelstoss watched for
He felt that the preparation would make them ready to face the difficulties that would be encountered on the front line or the war in general. He had just witness and experienced too much for the average person to comprehend. The medical technology was clearly not what it should have been and the procedures were hurried and not accurate due to the mass amounts of soldiers that desperately needed care. Paul's mother becomes ill with cancer again and he is given the opportunity to return home for fourteen days. They were taken to a Catholic Hospital to be treated and soon found that due to the large amounts of soldiers in the hospital, treatment was rendered slowly. He is nervous about traveling home, but when he gets off the train, his sister is waiting to greet him and takes him to visit with his sick mother. The book describes Paul laying within his hole and his thoughts wondering often to home. The boys did not understand the behavior, which they viewed as cruel, was only their Commander trying to prepare them for the circumstances that they would face in the future. The war he felt had ruined him and had forced him to become a "wild beast" that killed with "mad anger". The luck of the platoon soon changed as the French began shelling the village with great might. Troops stated that once they reached him, his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad that the end had come. The ten weeks of training was finally over and the boys were deemed as ready for the front lines. Once again Paul's thoughts would be stopped by bombardments and remembrance of the war at hand. The Platoon had bonded throughout their many events within the war, and often wondered who would be next to lose their life.
Common topics in this essay:
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World War,
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Acceptance Essays
