Requirements of Change

Erich Maria Remarque, author of All Quiet on the Western Front, uses his writing to portray war as he views it. A huge issue that Remarque made obvious was that war impacted the lives of boys more than they would ever think. Two subjects used to graphically demonstrate the drastic effects of war include death and thoughts. "[F]or those who die as cattle?" (Owen 1). People who die must not live in the back of anyone's mind, nor should the thought of the loss be in the front of the mind during war.

Just witnessing death can affect a person. Paul sees many, and can't even sit still in the peacefulness of his own home. One occurrence that sticks in Paul's mind is the slow, gurgling death of a man who Paul stabs to death. The man, as Paul later notices, has potential to befriend him, but the lateness of the situation comes back to reality. Had war not existed, could they have known each other? Could they have partied together? War tears people apart, from the outsides first until the insides come into view spiritually. When a sniper catches a soldier off guard, does Paul realize the brutality of killing at its maximum. That sniper can jump up and down for actually hitting his target, but did he even realize that he just erased one more human being from his little world? "And no one seemed to care" (Sassoon 17). Nobody even takes account of each man that dies in war; almost like that man is just another dead cockroach. Reverend W.T. Herridge seems to have the potential to care, but in reality, he doesn't seem to care at all. Hypocritical officers of the church seem to change peoples' minds about many things, and thoughts on war are, therefore, viewed much differently when a "moral" man says the wrong words.

What good does thinking and having paranoia do for soldiers? This can really just make bad situations worse. When Paul thinks, he ends up behind enemy lines, very near to death. "Does it matter? - losing your legs? [L]osing your sight?" (Sassoon 1, 6). These ponderings can only depress someone. What is the point of thinking about a future that is still at gamble of existing? A soldier must live life for the moment; no regrets because he's got nothing to lose. War seems to not solve anything, yet the Reverend believes it is foolish to risk life on non-existing benefits. The peacefulness of Paul's hometown can't even distract him enough