set in World War I, centers around the changes wrought by the war on

one young German soldier. During his time in the war, Remarque's

protagonist, Paul Baumer, changes from a rather innocent Romantic to a

hardened and somewhat caustic veteran. More importantly, during the

course of this metamorphosis, Baumer disaffiliates himself from those

societal icons-parents, elders, school, religion-that had been the

foundation of his pre-enlistment days. This rejection comes about as a

result of Baumer's realization that the pre-enlistment society simply

does not understand the reality of the Great War. His new society,

then, becomes the Company, his fellow trench soldiers, because that is

a group which does understand the truth as Baumer has experienced it.

Remarque demonstrates Baumer's disaffiliation from the

traditional by emphasizing the language of Baumer's

pre- and post-enlistment societies. Baumer either can not, or chooses

not to, communicate truthfully with those representatives of his

pre-enlistment and innocent days. Further, he is repulsed by the banal

and meaningless language that is used by members of tha

speak; he can only weep (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 140). When he and

Second Company mate, Stanislaus Katczinsky. This scene, with its

at home where he chooses not to speak with his father and makes an

he, and others, were fooled by this rhetorical trickery. Parents,

head and say: "No, Mother, not so very. There are always a

feeling a part of his old society by speaking with his mother and his

During the course of his leave, Baumer also sees his father. The

much, but I believe we have a more complete communion with one

the schools, and the church. Moreover, the war is so chaotic that it

would do it willingly, but it is too dangerous for me to put

describing it would have to be correspondingly immense and, with their

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 3310
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)