The Significance of Alienation in All Quiet on the Western Front up to the End of Chapter Seven
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âWar alienates the soldier from his last hold on civilian lifeâ-Explore the significance of alienation in AQWF up to the end of chapter sevenThe epigraph of âAll Quiet on the Western Frontâ states that the intention of the book is to be âneither an accusation nor a confessionâ, but an account of a generation, including the survivors who are “destroyed by the war.” Rather than a warning, this epigraph is one of simplicity and clarity and is a one-sentence declaration, however, what follows is a story of destruction. This is never more so seen than with Remarqueâs realistic tone which embodies the theme of alienation throughout the novel. This theme of alienation may have stemmed from Remarqueâs own experiences in Germany. âAQWFâ provoked Nazi opposition, leading Remarque to flee to Switzerland with his wife in 1932. In 1933, the Nazis banned Remarqueâs novels and held a bonfire to burn copies of the books. This experience would have likely led Remarque to feel alienated from his own country and the people within it including his own family. Interestingly, this perfectly underscores the type of alienation that Paul and the other soldiers feel, it is one of being separated from their own personality, family, youth and civilian life. Soldiers are ripped from a tribe-like community where they eat, sleep, and fight together, and then are suddenly dropped back into a disconnected. Alienation is one of the main reasons even modern-day veterans sometimes miss being at war; a phenomenon that is difficult for civilians to grasp. Remarque displays the changes in Paul and his friends by showing how the soldiers were once school boys who had an education and a future, but war extinguished all innocence and hope for a further life while at the same time causing them to become mostly alienated from the past lives.The first chapter of âAQWFâ is littered with examples of different types and feelings of alienation from different points of view, however most come from Paulâs perspective. This chapter is used in order to introduce characters and the environment. Paul introduces the other characters and in doing so portrays just how alienated they are from their past lives. For example, MĂŒller feels as though he is still connected to his old school life so still âlugs his textbooks around with himâ because he âdreams about taking his school leaving diplomaâ. However, Paul does not seem to share MĂŒllerâs dream, perhaps showing his more realistic belief that it is more important to simply try to survive. This shows his alienation from his school life as Paul does not seem to be interested in returning, he may believe he will not even live long enough to go back. For something as simple and mundane as using the âlatrinesâ, Paul recalls that they all used to be âembarrassedâ. However, due to the war, they have learned âhow to cope with a bit of embarrassmentâ. The feeling of embarrassment is one that is used in a modern society in order to stop people becoming savages, so to feel that they have stopped being embarrassed shows how the soldiers are slowly becoming alienated from their past lives as normal civilians. Near to the end of the first chapter, the reader is exposed to the first example Paulâs of alienation from his emotional side which becomes a running motif throughout the novel, such as in chapter three when he has no response to an allied plane being shot down. This emotional incapacity is shown by the way that Paul appears to react with very factual language to the fact that Behm was the âfirst to be killedâ. He simply recalls the event similarly to a news reporter: âdidnât take cover, so he was shot downâ. This may be an indication that Paul has decided to try to supress his emotional side which is also what the war doctors do when dealing with Kemmerich in chapter two. Paul seems to have become alienated from the status quo of society to the reaction of the death of a friend. His subsequent internal monologue may hint to the fact that he believes that this is due to the adults who were supposed to help the âeighteen-year-olds to make the transitionâ to adult life. However, after their first experience of âheavy artillery fireâ led them to âsuddenlyâ find themselves âhorribly aloneâ. This exemplifies alienation from past life but also alludes to a hidden sense of anger at the fact that they also âhad to come to terms with it alone as wellâ. Paul feels in this moment as though he has absolutely nobody to support him, which is a very bitter and moving sentiment. The chapter ends with the very significant and touching line of âYoung men? That was a long time agoâ. This illustrates the alienation from both innocence as well as their youth. It is an expressive idea which is directly juxtaposed with the âidealâ of the âyoung men of ironâ who are supposed to be strong and not affected by emotions.As a whole, chapter two and three include more explicit and significant examples of alienation. Remarque starts the chapter by using the technique of inclusive language âWhen we came out here we were cut off, whether we like it or not, from everything we had done up to that pointâ. Paul does discern that the young men did not really have much to anchor them to their old life as the only things they did have were essentially a few âhobbiesâ and âschoolâ. Even out of those few things, due to the war, ânothing is left of it allâ, rendering Paul and his school friends completely alienated from any fragment of life they had built. MĂŒller wants Kemmerichâs boots and Paul spells out for the reader that he knows they have âlost all our ability to see things in other waysâ because it âis only the facts that countâ, epitomising their alienation from their previous emotional side that the war has eroded. This is the chapter where Kemmerich meets his end and the reader finally sees that it is not exclusively the soldiers who are the ones to become alienated from their emotional feelings. The doctors and orderlies have been forced by the war to stop feeling in order to stay objective, focused and ultimately survive. This is demonstrated by the doctor who says that the reason he has no idea who is who is because he has âdone five leg amputation that dayâ. Furthermore, the orderly says that he âneeds the bedâ so pushes Paul to quickly take Kemmerichâs belongings so they can remove his body. This behaviour is chilling to modern readers, but it must be considered that the doctors must behave in this way in order to save the most amount of people possible, although it still shows a large extent of alienation from their civilian life before the war. Paul interestingly seems to be very much in touch with his emotions as after Kemmerich dies he feels as though he âcanât go onâ. This differs drastically with chapter seven when he talks âimpatientlyâ with Kemmerichâs mother, not understanding why she cannot âjust acceptâ her sonâs death. In chapter three the men are seen to be playing a game of âChange at Löhneâ when a âGerman planeâ is âshot downâ. Even though the plane is on their side, the soldiers completely lack any emotional response and Paul merely use the simile of âsmoke behind it like a cometâ. They actually bet on the plane being shot down as âKropp has lost a bottle of beer on itâ, showing a total disconnect to their emotional side which is telling of how alienated the men are without even realising it. In this chapter the soldiers also physically breach the superiority division between them and Himmelstoss by beating him up. These men have clearly lost inhibitions or have been driven to breaking point, so far as to use the simile âRevenge is as good as a feastâ after Haie âaimed a wallop with his left handâ. This could be seen as being alienated from their self-control, however, there has been a general motif so far of them slowly speaking out against Himmelstoss which eventually culminates with them physically assaulting him.
Essay About Significance Of Alienation And End Of Chapter Seventhe Epigraph
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Latest Update: July 4, 2021
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