Report on All Quiet on the Western Front
Uploaded by BigC08 on Apr 03, 2006
All Quiet on the Western Front
All Quiet on the Western Front, an action packed novel that conveys the hardships of war, while demeaning the violence, was written by Erich Maria Remarque. The story recounts first hand the experiences of Paul Bäumer in the First World War. The novel depicts Paul’s progression from a young carefree private to the experienced veteran he becomes by the end. It takes place during World War I and is set for the majority of the novel on the Western Front. Through his experiences in the War, Paul makes new friends with his fellow soldiers and becomes closer to his childhood school chums, who have enlisted along with Paul. Not only does Paul develop his friendships during the wartime, he also develops his thoughts and opinions, mostly those directed towards the War. Near the end of the story, one clearly sees that Paul has taken a negative standpoint on the War. This is not just because of the lack of supplies or rest, but also because he has come to the realization that the men whom he is fighting against are not his enemies, but really his brethren. All Quiet on the Western Front is an extremely accurate account of the First World War and provides a truthful in depth look into the mind and emotions of a soldier.
In order to begin the support of the historical accuracy of this book, one must first look at author, Erich Maria Remarque. Born Erich Paul Remark, he grew up in Osnabrück, Germany. At the age of eighteen, he enlisted in the German Army to fight in the First World War. He was quickly sent to the front lines. While serving, he was wounded five times, the last severely, and because of this he was discharged. He wrote the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, in 1929, at the age of 33. It was entitled “Im Westen nichts Neues” (In the West Nothing New). Later, in 1933, the Nazis banned and burned Remarque's works, including All Quiet on the Western Front, and issued propaganda falsely stating that he was a descendant of French Jews and that his real last name was Kramer, Remark spelled backwards. This is still listed in some biographies, although there is no evidence to confirm it. These actions taken by the Nazis show that the book must contain very true accounts of warfare of...