Horrors of War.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a fictional novel about WWI published in January 1929. Erich yon Remarque wrote this story from the soldier's point of view, unlike most war stories written about WWI prior to this. The main character of the story is a young German soldier named Paul Baumer. The story is about Paul and his soldier buddies, and just how they deal with the many aspects of war. The story's main focus is not on the specific battles of the war, but is more concerned with the environment and temperament in which the war is fought. All Quiet on the Western Front deals more with the characters thoughts and fears, and how their lives are changed during the war. As Stickel states:.
Remarque's novel is a successful portrayal of the truths of war because of his simple language and realistic characters. Instead of fabricating the gruesome scenes that are played out on the battlefield, which often leads to scenarios that only witnesses can understand, Remarque captures his audience with simple vocabulary and believable characters. (2).
With the story being told from the viewpoint of the soldier, and with the uncovering of each character, the reader is able to personalize the feelings of the innocent and sometimes horrified boys. The story uses the thoughts and feelings of the soldiers to provoke various reactions from the reader. It is almost impossible to read the story and not feel the pain that the young men are going through: .
The war has ruined us for everything. He is right. We are not youth any longer. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war. (Remarque 87-88).
The story depicts in rich detail the feelings of these young men. The horror of war can be seen through their eyes.