All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel written by Erich Maria Remarque, published in 1929. It is a powerful and poignant depiction of the experiences of soldiers during World War I, and has become a classic of war literature. One of the themes of the novel is the loss of a generation of young men, who were sent to fight in a brutal and devastating war.
One quote that speaks to this theme is, "We are the lost generation." This quote, spoken by the protagonist Paul Baumer, reflects the sense of despair and hopelessness that many soldiers felt as they struggled to survive on the front lines. The war had taken a terrible toll on them, physically and mentally, and they were left feeling disillusioned and disconnected from the world they had known before the war.
Another quote that captures the sense of loss and despair felt by the soldiers is, "I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow." This quote, spoken by Paul, conveys the sense of hopelessness and disillusionment that he and his comrades feel as they try to make sense of the horrors they have witnessed and the sacrifices they have made.
A third quote that speaks to the theme of the lost generation is, "We are the iron youth. We stand on the threshold of life; behind us are the dead, before us the void." This quote, spoken by the character Kemmerich, reflects the sense of loss and emptiness that many soldiers felt as they struggled to find meaning in their lives after the war. They had given up so much to fight, and yet they were left with little to show for it.
In conclusion, the theme of the lost generation is a central one in All Quiet on the Western Front. Through the experiences of the soldiers, the novel captures the sense of despair and hopelessness that many young men felt as they struggled to survive in the face of unimaginable horrors. These quotes serve as poignant reminders of the sacrifices made by this generation, and the lasting impact of war on those who fought in it.
The 25 Best All Quiet on the Western Front Quotes
Many of his classmates also enlisted to be in the war, they were around Pauls age. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony--Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy? Remarque develops the idea of how Paul has also lost his youth through the butterfly collection and old books. Oddly, it is their youth that makes them particularly susceptible to the destruction of war. This affects Paul since he possesses ideas from another point of view that others have no clue about. In Chapter 9, Paul gets lost in no man's land, and when a French soldier falls on top of him while he is hiding in a shell hole, he kills him without hesitation.
Stirring Quotes From 'All Quiet on the Western Front'
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This dehumanizing war affects Paul and the soldiers who fought in it by destroying their physical and emotional well being, changing their views on the meaning of life and death, obliterating their sense of nationalism by betrayal, and Analysis: All Quiet On The Western Front 991 Words 4 Pages In All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, the young men in battle quickly learn that the war is a awful, destructive force that ruins lives. When his leave ends, Paul is almost relieved to return to the front. As Baumer lives through the brutal circumstances, he feels a part of him dying with each day until the knell knocks at his door and he is found dead in the war, with a serene and calm expression on his face, "as though almost glad the end has come. The chooses the people around homemade put him in a position to where her had to either rise up and face everything or stay still and take it. Though Paul often dreams about his life before the war, he knows that he can never return to it. Remarque includes sections throughout the novel that emphasize this deep bond that the soldiers share with one another. It must be all lies and of no account when the culture of a thousand years could not prevent this stream of blood being poured out, these torture chambers in their hundreds of thousands.
33 Best 'All Quiet On The Western Front' Quotes
Technological innovations in planes, tanks, gas, guns, and bombs make killing all the more efficient and gruesome. I yell to him—no answer—a dead man. His knowledge of warfare will change from when he first joined and to the end of his journey. This relates to the lost generation because it asserts the loss of the innocence in the soldiers. In this category, you will also find 'All 22. That speech is the monologue I chose and the message that Dupree tries to give is that not everyone will succeed; some people will languish, but that is okay as long as you stay ready. During the course of his leave, Paul is also reluctant to speak to his father about the war.
