In chapter four, a young recruit becomes gun-shy in his first battle. When he creeps over to Paul and buries his head into Paul's chest, Paul gently tells him that he will get used to war. Additionally, the most amazing scenes of humanity can be found in the story of the goose roasting and the battle where his comrades' voices cause Paul to regain his nerve. In chapter five, Paul and Kat have captured a goose and are roasting it late at night. Paul says, "We don't talk much, but I believe we have a more complete communion with one another than even lovers have. We are two men, two minute sparks of life; outside is the night and the circle of death."" (85) As Paul watches Kat roasting the goose and hears his voice, it brings Paul peace and reassurance. Repeatedly, in scenes of battle and rest, the reader sees the camaraderie of these men. In chapter nine, when Paul is alone in the trench, he loses his nerve and his direction and is afraid he will die. Instead, he hears the voices of his friends: "I belong to them and they to me; we all share the same fear and the same life.I could bury my face in them, in these voices.(they) have saved me."" (219) There is a grace here, in the face of all sorrow and hopelessness, a grace that occurs when men realize their humanity and their reliance is on each other. In the end, Paul's close relationships with his comrades help keep him alive. .
Along with Remarque's theme of camaraderie, his novel is also a profound political statement against war, focusing primarily on the ravaging effects of war on the humanity of soldiers. He takes his opposition to war and creates Paul's narrative by attacking the romantic ideals of warfare. Remarque's preface to his story told his purpose of trying to describe a generation of men who were destroyed by the war. .
In chapter two, Remarque describes Paul and his comrades as the "lost generation."" As Paul describes how "our early life is cut off from the moment we came here.