The unbreakable union within the group of soldiers strengthens as the realities of war begin to take full effect. In such a desperate time, the only remaining possession each soldier has is their fragile lives and the unspoken bond they share with one another. Having to muddle through the overwhelming devastation of war, they learn to thrive on each other to keep their physical and mental state alive. In All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, the soldiers rely on one another for emotional relief, substitution of family, and physical dependence on the front.
             The unmerciful nature of the war leave each of the soldiers with a deep emotional wound. They look to each other as the only means of relief in this time of complete loneliness. Paul thinks; "We make grim, coarse jests about it, when a man dies...that keeps us from going mad" (125), exemplifying their avoidance of reality. They seek comic relief to conceal the harsh actuality that surrounds them. The soldiers depend on this daily sliver of relief from one another to survive mentally in the war. Paul's dependency is revealed when he describes his relationship with Kat as; "two minute sparks of life; outside is the night and the circle of death" (87). Kat, his closest comrade, shares an emotional connection with Paul and they rely on each other as an escape from the brutality of life. The way Paul describes outside world refers to his outlook on the entirety of the war. The soldiers' evasion of the thoughts of a grim future is exercised through the comradeship they share with one another.
             As well as comic and emotional relief, the soldiers look to one another as replacement of family. When living in and experiencing the war with one another for so long it is inevitable to form the strong bonds they have. Paul describes his relationship with Kat as: "we don't talk much, but I believe we have a
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