The novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque tells the story of Paul Baumer and his fellow comrades experience ences during World War I. Baumer and his comrades voluntarily join the German army after listening to their school teacher, Kantorek. The reality of war shatters the glorious and heroic descriptions given by Kantorek. Baumers sensitivity quickly turns into sheer will to live. The brutality of war eats away at the comrades youth. The comrades form an indescribable bond while facing the brutality and harshness of war. Throughout the novel, Remarque uses personification and metaphors to portray the men’s loss of self. Remarque uses personification to portray human qualities to nonhuman objects. Forced to grow up, Baumer’s thoughts turn to fog. In…show more content… Covering them from the brutality at the front. Paul states “The wind plays with our hair; it plays with our words and our thoughts” ( ). In this context, Remarque uses nature to portray the comrades loss of self. The soft non harmful wind turns into a negatively personified figure. The flowery meadows and tall grass surround the men during their rest. The soft wind reminds the men of their time before the war. In the meadow, the men perform normal everyday actions such as reading the paper, reading letters and smoking. By participating in these now “abnormal” activities, it remind the comrades of their past life. The soft wind and beautiful meadow takes away the comrades thoughts about the front. Out of all the comrades, Paul’s the only one who acknowledges this. Baumer’s lost sense of all normality, it has become abnormal for him to think of anything other than war. The thoughts of war overcome Baumer, making him wish they were gone. Remarque uses personification to give war characteristics human qualities. In chapter 1 Pauls says “death is working through from within. It already has command in the eyes. Here lies our comrade, Kemmerich, who a little
