All Quiet in The Western Front: The Disillusionment in War

Many people believe that facing death is the most catastrophic and horrible thing in the War. Is that truth? What about suffering in losing a idealistic future after going through everything that is killing your world view in war? In Erich Maria Remarque’s famous novel All Quiet In The Western Front explores themes of horror of the war and disillusionment, which are the darkness part of the war. At the beginning of the novel, Paul and his friends are forced to join the war by their teacher. In the middle of the story, Paul is gradually losing his comrades during the bombardment at the front. In the end of the story, Paul eventually died at the quiet front. However, the most interesting theme that draws people attention the most, which is the miserable wars shape the ambition of young generation toward going home and causes them lost with solitude, disillusionment, and violence.

First, the catastrophic war leads the young soldiers to isolate themselves from normal life. After Paul gets off his train at the station in his hometown, a girl comes to him and says, “I turn away, she smiles at me too foolishly, so obsessed with her own importance: “Just look, I am giving a soldier coffee!” — She calls me “Comrade,” but I will have none of it”. The quote reflects that Paul spends lots of time at the front and he goes through some horrible senses, so he has difficulty interacting with the civilians. As the girl deliberately please Paul, he receives it with negative attitude because he thinks she making him as a flaunting capital, which cause Paul believes she is selfish. Moreover, the war makes Paul to be suspicious and he needs more time to get used to the normal life. In addition, when Paul at the bar people are curious about the war, “For they all come back to the same thing, how badly it goes and how well it goes; one thinks it is this way, another that”. From the quote, the audiences can know that Paul doesn’t feel any warmth from the people around him because they only cares about how the war is going. However, Paul just has a chance to enjoy the peace on leave, so he doesn’t want to recall the miserable memory about the war. Furthermore, the indifference of other makes Paul feels isolated and also desperate. On the other hand, not only the war make the soldiers feel isolated, but also people who is only want to fulfill their curiosity.

In addition, the generation also turns away in disappointment of their life, after the horrible senses of war. When Paul is in the hospital he recall his life, “I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing about of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow”. From this quote, readers can know that the war hurt Paul not only physically, but also mentally. The feelings of despair is from Kantorek, who pushes Paul to join the army by telling him to be a iron youth. However, more and more people died in front of him doesn’t make Paul feels that they are solid, but fragile. In addition, as a twenty years old young man, he should have a better life that exploring the wonderful and beautiful sides of the world. Paul also ought to enjoy the most amazing lifetime that is within his whole life. But, the war takes everything from him and cause him feel hopeless for the else of his future. Moreover, in Paul’s mind, he feels lonely and helpless, “I am very quiet. Let the months and years come, they can bring me nothing more. I am so alone, and so without hope that I can confront them without fear. The life that has born me through these years is still in my hands and eyes. whether I have subdued it”. At this point, people can feel that Paul has no longer any expectation for his future. The war is killing his dream and making him hard to breath. Although Paul is still alive, he already prepare to face the death and also accept the fact that it will come one day. Thus, the author wants to tell the audiences that the frontline bring the permanently disillusionment to the lost generation.

Last but not least, the tragic catch up the young generation while they escapes and get lost from the violence of war. After watching many death of his comrades, Paul eventually cannot win his fate, “He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that they army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front”. From the quote, people can know that there is an irony within the it. Paul survives in all the bombardment, but dies in a quiet circumstance. His death also reflects that Paul likes other soldiers who fight in the war that confuse about what to do in a quiet setting. However, his death tell the audience that he finally get out of the miserable war and found peace in the end.

In sum, the war wipes out the amazing lives of the young generation and lead them to suffer in disillusionment. Moreover, they can only find peace at the end of their live, which is very miserable.