One Of Paul's Closest Friends example essay topic

In All Quiet on the Western Front, is a novel that shows all of the horrible things and situations that occurred in WWI. It also talks about "the lost generation" that in fact WWI produced. The main character Paul Baume r and his fellow friends, had spent times listening to their teacher Kantorek's speeches. He talked about how it was the boys' "duty or job" to go out and b patriotic and help fight in the war. All in All the decisions that they had made at this time, still had them pondering on the outcomes their lives would have. Nationalism at this time was seen as a tool used by those in power to control a nations.

By this time, Paul and his friends are "seduced" into the army by the nationalists ideas. They have also realized that their enemy really isn't the others, its the men who had power in their OWN nation. This shows how Paul and the others have indeed themselves involved in the spread of their nationalism which regards to thinking of right and wrong. As the boys continue through the rough training given by Corporal Himmelstoss, they realize what they have gotten themselves into.

In training, Himmelstoss's ideas and drills drag on to make the boys despise him. Even though Corporal Himmelstoss made the boys do horrible things as to stand out in the cold risking frostbite, and gruesome practices and training, they boys have realized what Corporal Himmelstoss has only done the things to make them stronger and without the training, there would be no way they would have made it through the brutal war. But, by the end of the novel, Himmelstoss tries to make amends to the boys, and yet they have realized what Himmelstoss has done for them is what still kept them alive. While at the front, Paul's relationships with his others vary.

It was always an on going battle between him and Himmelstoss because of their differences of opinions. Albert Kropp was one of Paul's closest friends. They were both injured at a time where they were placed in a hospital where they both retrieved treatment. On the bad side, Kropp's leg had been amputated.

They had shared a togetherness. Kat was another one of Paul's closest friends. They were always there for one and other and seemed to have distinctions about what was going on. During a battle Kat gets hurt and Paul tries to help him. While doing this, a sharp piece of shrapnel cuts open Kat's head.

Muller and Kemmerich were also close friends to Paul. Kemmerich was one who had has his leg amputated early in the novel and ended up dying. Muller was a friend of all, but seemed to care only about getting Kemmerich's boots after his death. This shows how unimportant the death of most comrades were. "He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the sing sentence: All quiet on the Western Front. He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping.

Turning him over one saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as thought almost glad the end had come". This is describing the feelings that Paul had after all of his friends had been killed. The emotional disconnection that can b retrieved during war can be very destructive. It impacted Paul's life greatly. He became unable to imagine his future without having the war and couldn't picture what it was like before the war. Paul also loses his ability to be able to talk to his family.

When Paul goes home for 17 days to visit his family, he feels uncomfortable and like he doesn't belong. Because he is sad of how his mothers illness, he's got many things on his mind about that, family and the war. He can't explain his feelings toward them so he feels the need to separate himself from them. While in his town, he goes to visit Kemmerich's mother and tellers her about how her son's death was nothing short of painless, despite the lie, it at least gives Kemmerich's mother lessened nerves.

It was considered that the lost for generation could be seen as misunderstood and wasn't completely described the way it should have been. "Due to a loss of innocence and the awakening of the world, WWI can be viewed as a worldwide turning point that produced a lost generation. Over all, it had said that the point of a lost generation wasn't needed and only added to the drama of America.