Erich Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel that graphically depicts the horrors of front-line battles in World War I. Paul Baumer is a German soldier; a young man that signed up to defend his nation's cause with his classmates. Their schoolmaster, a man named Kantorek, told them that enlisting was their duty.
The leader of their welcoming party was Corporal Himmelstoss. This pitiless man abhorred Paul and Co. and made their lives miserable. Himmelstoss forced the men to do taxing drills in the mud and rain. Although the men resented the corporal for these tactics, the drills gave them much-needed preparation for war.
The first death that really affected Paul was that of Franz Kemmerich. Infection of a wound caused amputation, but a worse infection finally killed him. The men were worried mostly about who would receive Kemmerich's excellent boots. However, Paul remembered Kemmerich's painful parting with his mother, and knew that she would be broken-hearted upon receiving the news of his death.
Among the others that died were Tjaden, Muller, Detering, and Haie. All of them made an impact on Paul, but he grew increasingly bitter and hardened after each death. Each man was different: Tjaden, with his love for food that frequently went toward greediness; Muller, with his love of books; Detering, a loner who pined for his farm and wife; and Haie, who collected silk parachutes for his girlfriend.
Paul and his friends had a few escapades to break up the gloom of war. At one location, they raided the settlement for food and other objects to pamper themselves with. They had long talks in shell holes and played various games to pass the time. Once, they snuck away to have fun with some women. The time that left them with the greatest sense of satisfaction was, however, attacking Corporal Himmelstoss and getting their revenge. These events were spread throughout the duration of their fight to survive, and some of their friends were unable to take part in some activities due to their demise.
