Maturity In All Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque
War can control a person mentally, physically, and spiritually. This is best explained by Paul Bäumer’s statement, “Our thoughts are clay, they are moulded with the changes of the days” (Remarque 271). All Quiet on the Western Front is about a group of newly enlisted German soldiers who quickly find out the reality of war. Throughout the fighting, Paul Bäumer, the main character, vows to fight the hatred that puts men of the same age against each other, if he can survive the war. In Remarque’s novel, he validates his theme of coming of age through the military through the first person accounts of war to show everyday hardships, personal struggles with self-pride to show maturity, and through the brotherhood formed to show how bonds made in the military are forever.
In the midst of World War I, Erich Maria Remarque was drafted into the German army at 18 years old and suffered multiple wounds. After war, he worked as a sportswriter and racecar driver, while working on the novel. In Germany, William II was emperor and declared war on Russia after Austria- Hungary declared war on Serbia, a Russian ally, causing Russia to mobilize. In the German land, the workforce in machine building doubled between 1895 and 1907. In 1901, only 40% of German citizens lived in rural land, a 27% decrease from the birth of the empire. Germany politically, socially, and historically was prepared for the war, but for Paul Bäumer and the troops on the war front, there was an ugly truth in front of them.
Stories can be told and preparation can be done, but nothing will ever compare to witnessing war first-hand. The newly enlisted troops looked up to the veteran troops and authority above them. Paul refers to them as “guides to the world of maturity, the world of work, of duty, of culture, of progress- to the future” (Remarque 12). This idea of authority and protection shadowed the new troops. Paul states in relation to the idea of authority, “was associated in our minds with a greater insight and a more humane wisdom. But the first death we saw shattered this belief” (Remarque 12). The war experience for Paul is going as he expected, until he witnessed his first death. After looking up to the veterans for so long, he had a false image of what war would be like, this was shattered when he witnessed his first death. Witnessing these deaths were going to become normal for him. For Paul, he had to witness a death first-hand before he realized the reality of war. For others, the reality of war can come simply after hearing a story about a murder. In the short story, “The Prescription”, by Yannick Murphy, a mother wants to teach her daughter about the Holocaust, which she is questioning its authenticity. The parents decide to have their daughter read a book about the events, and then watch a movie about it. One day at the orthodontist, the daughter hears a story of a woman that was murdered by her husband. The mother thinks this is better than reading a book about the Holocaust because it, “is about the horrors of mankind in her own backyard”. Paul Bäumer ‘s imagination of war was nothing like the real deal, and he quickly learned the truth about war. Similarly, the daughter in “The Prescription” has trouble grasping the concept of the horrors of war, specifically the Holocaust, until she hears a story about someone that she knew. Whether it be a first-hand account of a traumatizing event, or an emotional story that affects someone, the impact of a traumatic event can change someone’s life forever, especially war.
Certain people, events, or situations build maturity in someone, whether they realize it or not. At this point in the novel, Paul has returned home for one month for retraining. Card games, nature, and friendships are keeping Paul’s mind distracted from the fact that he will return to the front. A Russian prisoner of war camp is located adjacent to the training camp Paul is attending. The prisoners are ignored by nearly every passerby, but Paul does not see them as prisoners, rather indifferent compared to him. Paul frightens himself with the idea that if he were looking at those same prisoners of war on the front, they would be shooting at each other. Shortly after having this thought, Paul exclaims, “‘My heart beats fast: this is the aim, the great, the sole aim, that I have thought of in the trenches; that I have looked for as the only possibility of existence after this annihilation of all human feeling; this is a task that will make life afterward worthy of these hideous years.’” Throughout his time at the front, Paul has been reshaped into a new person, one who disagrees with war putting men of no difference against each other. Paul does not see the prisoners as anything less than he is. His time at the front has changed the way he looks at the prisoners and his opinions on war. Paul’s character was changed in many ways through the time at the front, some in which he noticed and appreciated, and others in which he was not aware of. In All Quiet on the Western Front Literary Analysis and Cultural Context, author Richard A. Firda mentions the difference between the characterization in Paul and his comrades. Paul’s character is more well-rounded, while Katczinsky (Kat), has a more stereotypical army veteran character. Furthermore, Paul has emotions that the other characters do not exemplify. For example, Paul has love for his comrades and for his country, something that no other character shows consistently, if at all. When talking about what Paul has love for, Firda states, “Bäumer’s love for Kat, endangered by war, is a noble human emotion that surely helps to define his character. And Bäumer’s love for his country is a special kind of patriotism that never leaves him, even in his worst hour”. Paul’s unconditional love for his comrades and his country define his character and maturity. Especially on the front, having love for the comrades around him and the country he is from gives Paul a reason to want to survive. This shows maturity in Paul as he knows right from wrong and has his own beliefs and opinions on the world around him. The relationships between Paul and his comrades is made possible by Paul’s maturity, and love for his comrades. Even though every character has their own opinions, the relationships created during war can never be replicated.
Bonds made through the military can outweigh the negatives of war. Through training, combat, and reunions, the bonds built by the military between individuals or a group of people is one of a kind. An example of these bonds comes between Paul and Kat, the two men go out to an isolated shed away from the other troops and prepare a meal in silence. Paul states, “We sit opposite one another, Kat and I, two soldiers in shabby coats, cooking a goose in the middle of the night. 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”. Paul and Kat hunt, kill, roast, and eat a goose away from the rest of the troop. The two men do not share a word with each other, but both are appreciating the contentment of the situation, considering that they face death everyday alongside each other. In the quote, Paul is comparing the difference between what goes on during the day and what goes on at night at war. Also, it is in this moment that Paul refers to Kat at his brother. For the troops deployed in war, building friendships over time is almost ascertained. For their families back at home, the bond between them grows stronger as well. The 2 million military children left with either one parent home, or in some cases none, have a bond with their family that is unmatched. With communication being limited and possibly going years without seeing a parent, these kids’ lives are unimaginable to a kid who lives with both parents. In the article Military Teens Cope with Wartime Challenges, by Elaine Wilson, Cornelius Madison shares what it is like having his mother serving in Afghanistan. At 16, Cornelius assumed the role of man of the house over his 2 younger siblings. He exclaimed, “‘It’s not easy, but I was brought up to keep going, no matter what,’ he said. ‘I have to do it for my mom. I’m really proud of her’” and, “‘As long I know she’s alive, then, I’m good. But if I ever get that call…’”. The bonds made through the military do not always come from combat. Although never being at war, having his mother deployed has changed Cornelius’ life, and his bond with his family in a unique way. Paul Bäumer’s bond with Kat and Cornelius’ bond with his family were both made through the military and will change their lives forever. Remarque’s ability to create such a relationship between two characters goes to show why he is so well known in literature.
Erich Maria Remarque’s awards reflect the work he has done and continues to do through his work. In 1967, he received a Great Cross of Merit. This award is presented to those who served in the rebuilding of the country in political, socio-economic, and intellectual activity. It is the second highest merit to be awarded, only the German president or a foreign head of state can be awarded the highest class. In 1991, the Erich-Maria-Reamarque-Friedenspreis, was instituted in the city where Remarque was born, Osnabrück. It is awarded to fictional, journalistic or scientific work that deals with inner or outer peace. It is awarded every other year at the city hall. In 1995, the Erich-Maria-Remarque institute at the University of New York was founded by Tony Judt. The institute supports the comparative and multi-disciplinary study of Europe and its near neighbors. Although the institute is named after Erich, his widow made many generous donations to the school and is recognized in the institute as well. All Quiet on the Western Front was banned by the Nazi’s in 1933 for being anti-German. Nazi’s even burned copies of the novel publicly as a form of censorship. Today, the novel is often recognized as the best World War I novel.
The theme of coming of age can be seen in All Quiet on the Western Front throughout the entire novel. The changes Paul Bäumer goes under redefine him not only as a soldier, but as a human as well. This theme is portrayed through the first-hand accounts of war showing hardships faced, personal struggles to show maturity, and through the bonds made in the military to show how much stronger a bond between two people can be. Serving in the military is one way to redefine oneself, and this novel shows one example of that.
