Symbolism In All Quiet On The Western Front

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All Quiet on the Western Front employs a great deal of symbolism, but one the most important symbol in the novel is boots, specifically Kemmerich’s. Kemmerich’s boots were passed on from him to another soldier. When Kemmerich was dying Müller immediately asks about receiving the boots, but when he actually receives the boots he feels bad about getting them because he knows he acted like he cared more about the boots that his friend. This goes to show that the boots symbolize the cheapness and how inexpensive human life is. In the war a pair of boots will outlast the life of the wearer and question of who inherits them next is always a question. Good boots contain healthier feet and a stronger soldier. A stronger soldier can protect himself