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

comes about as a result of Baumer's realization that the pre-enlistment society simply does not

reality of the Great War. His new society, then, becomes the Company, his fellow trench soldiers, because

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

pre- and post-enlistment societies. Baumer either can not, or chooses not to, communicate truthfully with

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

language that is used by members of that society. As he becomes alienated from his former, tradit

Indeed, early in his enlistment, Baumer comprehends that although authority

me. I cannot find my way back" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 152). Baumer understands that he is irredeemably

part of his pre-enlistment world. It is his old schoolbooks that symbolize that older, more

conversation, we see Baumer rejecting yet another one of the traditional society's foundations: religious

that he cannot speak; he can only weep (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 140). When he and his mother greet each

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2724
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)