The Brutality of War in All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque Essay Example

In Erich Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Remarque illustrates the brutality of war through the eyes of soldier Paul Baumer. Remarque constantly exposes the audience to violent and demoralizing scenes, filled with horrifying imagery; in which he builds the reader’s view of war while contrasting it to that of the soldiers who experience war’s violence regularly. The story follows Baumer through his life in the war, taking him to the dangerous front lines, perilous missions and assignments, as well as many other situations wherein his life is endangered. Remarque’s use of imagery and diction makes for a truly terrifying and brutal image of war, shattering romanticized and positive outlooks of the events within. Throughout the novel, Remarque uses many powerful scenes to depict the brutality of war, for instance Baumer and his squad’s arrival at the Front, Baumer’s new perspective of war after leave, and as Baumer kills another soldier named Gerard Duval.

In the opening chapters of the novel, the story follows Baumer and his friends as they are assigned to the front lines of the war. These early chapters are filled with horror and violence that go relatively unnoticed by the characters. The group’s uncaring attitude begins when they first near the line, an officer warns them to put their, “Cigarettes and pipes out.”(58) After the warning, the soldiers witness a beautiful and serene event that Baumer describes as an, “uncertain red glow spreads along the skyline…in perpetual movement, punctuated with the bursts of flame from the nozzles of the batteries.”(58) As the scene unfolds and the group takes in the, “silver and red spheres which explode and rain down in showers of red, white, and green stars,”(58) readers begin to understand more of what the soldiers are truly seeing. An ironic situation as Remarque discloses that this gorgeous and breathtaking sight is the explosions and destruction of a bombardment. Due to the soldiers’ complacency to the dangers and horror of war, they have become numb to such horrible and dramatic events. As the group is hypnotized by the attack, a mentor-like character named Stanislaus Katczinsky says a single word that brings them back to reality, “Bombardment.”(59) Surprisingly as Kat says this, the group remains unphased, to the point that when Baumer hears the shells, he reminisces how, “wild geese flew day after day across the path of the shells.”(59) Once the bombardment ends, searchlights sweep across the debris looking for survivors, the group witnesses as a remaining soldier is spotted by two lights and then gets, “caught between them and tries to escape...He hesitates, is blinded, and falls.”(59) As the situation is illustrated, Remarque exemplifies how desensitized the soldiers have become to incredible danger and death, these terrifying sights have become a regularized and common occurrence in their lives; leaving the group numb to death and destruction. They watch as countless of their fellow men are shelled and murdered, even seeing an individual die alone after the bombardment. Yet despite all these traumatic and horrifying events, the group remains uncaring, numbed by the terror that has been endlessly driven into their minds.

As the novel continues, Baumer is granted the opportunity to go on leave for a short time, able to return to his home and family. During his time at home, Baumer regains a portion of his humanity, and his perspective of war’s common brutality reverts to that of a recruit after seeing his family. Reminded of the people that his life has an impact on, Baumer returns to the war a more cautious and fearful man. To exemplify war’s brutality, Remarque contrasts Baumer’s emotions and feelings to war before and after leave, “I ought never to have come here. Out there I was indifferent and often hopeless-I will never be able to be so again. I was a soldier, and now I am nothing but an agony for myself, for my mother… I ought never to have come on leave.”(185) Having been relieved from the constant stress and pressure of war, Baumer returns more disgusted and fearful of the horrors around him. When Baumer describes bloodshed in his time before leave, he speaks with a matter-of-fact and analytical tone. For instance, as Baumer describes the condition of his injured friend Franz Kemmerich, he explains how his “flesh melts, [his] forehead bulges more prominently, [and] cheekbones protrude. [His] skeleton is working itself through.”(28) Despite Kemmerich’s friendship with Baumer, he speaks uncaringly, numb to the disturbing sight. Yet after Baumer returns to war, he witnesses these events through a more unsettled lens, similar to the view of a reader. In a scene where Baumer and his group venture through a massacred clearing, he describes the area as follows, “Here hang bits of uniform, and somewhere else is plastered a bloody mess that was once a human limb. Over there lies a body with nothing but a piece of the underpants on one leg and the collar of the tunic around its neck.”(208) This scene displays the distress and fear that Baumer now experiences as a returned soldier. With his new perspective, Baumer no longer sees these bodies and blood as objects like he did before, instead, he sees them as real people; people he feels remorse for and wishes he could have helped. Remarque compares Baumer’s emotions to the objectivity of the other soldiers, having a character named Tjaden telling Baumer to not, “get tender-hearted.”(208) Remarque’s use of the other soldiers in contrast to Baumer is an explicit illustration of the brutal violence and terror of war. Baumer’s new perspective of war serves as a direct acknowledgment to the reader’s feelings, depicting how regular people would experience these horrifying events. Throughout Baumer’s time after leave, Remarque utilizes his new perspective in comparison to his past self, using the shift from an objective and impartial understanding of violence to a heartfelt and meaningful one that portrays the true horror of war.

One situation that is particularly brutal is the death of Gerard Duval. During an attack, Baumer hides within a shell hole attempting to escape the danger above. Fearing that an enemy soldier may enter the hole, Baumer prepares himself with a, “little dagger...if anyone jumps in here I will go for him.”(215) Unfortunately, Baumer’s fears become a reality as a French soldier named Gerard Duval joins him. Remarque Develops the grotesque picture of war’s brutality by using disgusting imagery while and after Baumer attacks his target. As Duval enters the hole Baumer describes his actions, “I strike madly at home, and feel only how the body suddenly convulses, then becomes limp, and collapses.”(216) Baumer laments over his actions, regretting what he’s done and desiring desperately to fix his mistake. After the attack, Remarque depicts the revolting and sickening sight that Duval has become, “The man gurgles. It sounds to me as though he bellows, every gasping breath is like a cry, a thunder-but it is not only my heart pounding.”(216) Baumer now feels immense remorse for what he’s done and wishes to help the man, yet he can’t, not until the gunfire ceases. When Baumer is finally able to aid Duval, he takes the chance after seeing the deformed and painful appearance of the soldier, “one arm is half-bent, his head rests helplessly upon it. The other hand lies on his chest, it is bloody.”(218) Despite Baumer’s efforts to save the man, Duval dies, and Baumer feels great sorrow and loss despite not knowing the man. Regardless of his minimal role in the story, Duval served as a direct example of the brutality of war; which Remarque uses to help readers understand how truly gruesome and violent war is.

All Quiet on the Western Front served a multitude of purposes, one of which was to depict the brutality and terror that war exhibited. As a former soldier, Remarque understood how terrible war was, upsetting to him as war was made out to be an incredible experience; during his time, prospective soldiers were told they’d be seen as heroes, but in reality, many soldiers were forgotten about after their service. Propaganda and false advertising about the war painted a picture of war designed to draw in as many people as possible, but that picture was truly much more bloody and violent. By using such specific detail and dehumanizing imagery throughout the novel, Remarque exemplifies the common horror and brutality of war, developing the reader’s perspective of this brutality through the soldiers’ complacent and desensitized view, making that horror all the worse.