Review Of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The...

he book All quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque deals with the life altering impact that war has on those who become enveloped by it. More importantly, it addresses the drastic behavioral changes caused by war, how it changes the manner in which people treat one another. Remarque uses a plethora of different symbols to illustrate his tone. Thought, to me; the most effective and powerful symbol is the use of Kemmerich’s boots. Due to how Remarque uses them as a vehicle for which to describe how war changes a person's humanity in war. Kemmerich is a school friend of Paul Bäumer, the main character, and also is with Paul in the second company. Kemmerich suffered a gunshot wound in his upper thigh that contracts gangrene, causing the need for his leg …show more content…
Paul and Müller arrive at the infirmary to check on Kemmerich’s condition; only to find that he has begun to worsen. It quickly becomes apparent that Kemmerich is going to die. Müller sees Kemmerich’s leather boots sitting at his bedside. The boots are made of soft sturdy leather, They were likely stolen from a British airmen, Müller has had his eyes on the boots for quite some time now; and now with Kemmerich on his deathbed Müller essentially tells him that he is going to die anyway and that he can use them now since he only has on leg. This is where Remarque uses the boots as a vehicle to display the way that people change during the war. War is a unique beast in and of itself, for in peacetime many factors play major roles in a person's decision making. People have individual goals that they are constantly trying to attain which affect\ their decision making. But in war there is only one goal. Survival. Survival at

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Review Of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet On The Western Front