y are also "behind" in social status. Also interesting to note is the fact that as "our friends," these common men are only important or memorable in so much as they relate to Paul and his classmates. The pronoun "our" gives a sense of possession and thus a certain amount of inferiority in comparison to the educated boys.
             As the novel progresses, so do Paul's relationships and respect for his fellow soldiers. Paul quickly learns that experience and wisdom are perhaps more valuable than academics. While reminiscing with his classmates about old school days, Paul comes to the conclusion that in war, intellectual knowledge is almost useless. As students, Paul and his classmates were put through a rigorous and demanding curriculum by their schoolmaster Kantorek. However, the information that they learned now has no practical application. During combat, knowing the purpose of the Poetic League of Gottingen or the number of inhabitants of Melbourne seems worthless to a soldier in comparison to knowing "that it is best to stick a bayonet in the belly because there it doesn't get jammed, as it does in the ribs" (Remarque 85). Paul "[remembers] mighty little of all that rubbish. Anyway, it has never been the slightest use to us" (Remarque 85).
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