When people think of war, it’s depicted as conflict between two nations, which can result in catastrophic damage or death. Change occurs after one side outweighs the other, succeeding in strength and numbers winning the battle. Throughout All Quiet on the Western Front, there has been a change, which many characters have gone through.
In Remarque’s novel, it depicts war and how the effects can cause soldiers to change a state of emotion and characteristic; many of them changing their perception on life. The soldiers that are going through these harsh events seek a way out in order to get away from all the anguish and violence that took place. “It’s a gritty pull-no-punches look at the horrors of war.” (Sauer 1). The paradox that the soldier discovers at war, changes their personality and ideal thoughts that they first had when joining, until later at the end when it’s finally over. All Quiet on the Western Front depicts a true story of war, and how the purest of men can be influenced and changed, due to death and fatality.
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To begin, Paul Bäumer is the main protagonist that takes the reader through the eyes of a German soldier during WWI. In chapter one, Paul’s is describe to readers as a “young man”, who was “quiet and would read and write poetry”. In the movie version, he was portrayed by Lew Ayres; who was a young man with brown eyes and brown hair. The characters role in All Quiet on the Western front was nothing more than a soldier used to patrol and fight in the trenches on the western front that lied besides no man’s land. “We distinguished the false from true, we had suddenly learned to see. And we saw that there was nothing of the world left.” (Remarque 13). Turning once a sympathetic and benevolent man, that is eager to help in all needs. To Paul’s character changed due to only seeing death, due to multiple tragic events on the front line. Which later discovers the only way out is death.
Evidently Paul Bäumer dies after years of fighting in October of 1918. It’s ironic due to the war ending days after, having him survive the gruesome of war, but die, not able to live a normal and peaceful life. “I am young, I am twenty years old: yet I know nothing of the life but despair, death, fear and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow.” (Remarque 263). Which turns his persona of a man from compassion to a man eager to leave this earth in order to escape the bloodshed, that occurs when war in the inevitable way to solve nationwide matters.
Paul character depict the life of everyone new to something, in that there attentive and doing the best of ability to make suitable. Overtime the repetition of the same task can drive a change in emotion, becoming tedious and dull, which then on can quit. In the case of Paul, war only gives two choices: one being survive and live a life of regret and anguish for the events that took place. Or die in combat and leave a hero, fighting for one’s country. Sadly, for Paul’s character, over all the times of death of friends or foes, it became his time, but he was in a sense free from all the corruption and destruction war had to offer.
In addition, another character that had a drastic change is Corporal Himmelstoss. Himmelstoss is describes as a short man that has sadistic and uncaring manner. Before the war, he worked a post-man, but when he joined the army, he became a controlling figure. He became a commanding officer over Paul and many of the other soldiers. Due to his sadistic manner, Himmelstoss would command incoming soldier to long and tormenting hours of drills and trainings. Already hated by the soldiers, he would instill severe and nonsensical punishments among soldiers that act out. “Himmelstoss put these two so that one occupied the upper and the other the lower bunk. The man underneath of course had a vile time. The next night they were changed over and the lower one put on top so that he could retaliate. That was Himmelstoss’s system of self-education.” (Remarque 46).
Instill dominance by any means while asserting him as a predominant figure. Himmelstoss character also created an outer shell of hatred and power among others, but when he was forced to move closer to the trenches due to his unreasonable behavior, he became frightful and scared. In context the trench was being pushed by Frenchman, “Where’s Himmelstoss? Quickly I jumped back in the dug-out and find him with a small scratch lying in the corner pretending to be wounded.” (Remarque 131). That depicted Himmelstoss as a coward when an actual fight occurs. From this, he tries to make amend to the soldiers whom he tormented with his tiresome acts, learning that he is petty and tyrannical. His character symbolizes irresponsibility among people of authority and how if the wrong people obtain power, they’ll abuse it. Over the course of the novel, it shows how a man that is power-hungry can’t keep one’s power, and how in one wrong move they can fall from the top of the pedestal, crashing down becoming a symbol that is detrimental to society.
In war a soldier mindset is to shoot enemies and to protect one’s country. For Müller, he depicts a true soldier that has the mindset of survival. Müller is described as a young man, about 18, who is a member of Paul’s unit. “Müller, who still carries his textbooks with him, dreams of examinations, and during a bombardment mutters propositions in physic” (Remarque 3). This illustrates how young the German soldiers were when they volunteered to join and assist. His traits are honest and realistic, which he attributes to war, by always looking out for himself and to be ready to do any necessary precaution to find a solution.
Müller traits of survival show the measure he’ll take in order to better himself in all means. The quote: “Müller reappears with a pair of airman’s boots … Müller is delighted by the sight of them.” (Remarque 16). Referring to a comrade of Paul and Müller was in the hospital and on the verge of death. Müller asked for his boots due to his being worn out and the trenches being unsanitary, for him not attracting any parasitic viruses. The boots are symbolic, because it represents the unfeeling pragmatism of war.
In perspective it is seen as insensitive to take from a dying man, but for Müller, it’s all about taking account that there is a bigger objective. He sees the bigger picture of war and not all are going to survive, but the few. Müller looked past war when there would be peace. In chapter 5, there is a discussion among the fellow soldiers of their platoon of the ideas of peace. “Better to take your chance in the open, rather than the hollow or the low places.” (Kozorog 56:13). From this, Müller becomes adamant and hopeless on the belief that they will all go home.
Referencing back to his realistic approach on war and how death is inevitable and it’s like a big game of chess; and all the soldier are ponds waiting to be moved to get rid of opposing threats. The irony of Müller is that he seen a future after war in a time of peace, trying to look for the bigger picture, but evidently dies from a pistol bullet leaving him dead. Relating back to the boots he took which ironic everyone who takes the pair dies. Starting with Kemmerich to Müller, then ending with Paul. Showing that war has no feeling on who lives and dies.
To conclude, All Quiet on the Western Front illustrates how war changes everyone, in that death is inevitable. Erich Maria Remarque as depicted in Britannica a soldier that survived war, and lived to tell events that shows a harsher side war brings. Soldiers seek to serve this country to protect and fight, not knowing that fighting can cause a harmful effect, which the soldiers change their state of mind. For Paul, Himmelstoss, and Müller, all three share the same aspiration of serving their country. But all three go through trials and tribulations that change their perception on life and it’s so precious that in the snap of a finger, it can all be taken away. No matter at what level whether it be a position at a high-ranking officer, to one’s own life.
This novel depicts the story of different types of soldiers that attempt to adapt, and that it shows the levels each one takes in order to survive. For Müller, looking ahead of war gave him hope in order to maintain sanity. For Himmelstoss, acting as a fictitious and dictated officer gave him a priority to stay away from the problems of war, and the terror that comes with it. Lastly for Paul, he joined the army for serve. But after countless deaths of his comrades he became sane to the lifestyle of war. In all, All Quiet on the Western Front depicts change in character caused by war, in how the characters in the novel evolve and become prevalent.
Life Way Of Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson lived in his home called “The Hermitage” in Tennessee. Some people believed that Andrew Jackson was the best President since the Founding Fathers. Jackson was a very controversial President. His opinion on Native American removal from their own lands and African American slaves is still controversial to this day.
Jackson’s parents immigrated to the Carolinas in the 1760’s from Ireland. Jackson never met his father. Andrew Jackson’s father died while his mother was pregnant with him. Jackson grew up on a farm during the American Revolution. He soon joined the war with the patriots. All of his family died during the Revolution. That caused him to hate the British.
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After the Revolution ends in 1788, he traveled to the west to Kentucky and Tennessee. He settled down in Nashville, Tennessee. He fell in love with Rachel Robarts, but she was married. They both fall in love with each other. Even though she was not allowed to divorce, she still ran off with Andrew Jackson. They soon got married. They went back to Nashville after six months. Rachels original husband sued for divorce. The actions of her getting a divorce followed them till they died.
In 1796, Andrew Jackson was sent by Tennessee to be a representive to congress. No one in the capital knew how to handle him. Jackson did not like how the people their made their deals. He thought it was corrupt. He resigned a year later. Aftet he returned he started to raise race horses and bet on them. He made an enemy of Charles Dickinson through the horse races because he insulted his wife. He dueled Dickinson, and they both were shot. Dickinson died. Jackson was shot by the heart, and the bullet was never removed.
Andrew Jackson was the commander of the Tennessee Militia during the War of 1812. He was excited for his second shot at the British. He ends up mainly fighting the Creek Indians in the South East. He was ruthless against his troops and the Indians. He fought with the Cherokee Indians against the Creek and set the Creek’s village on fire. He killed all 1,000 Indians in the village. Horseshoe Bend was Andrew Jackson’s first victory. Andrew Jackson became known as “Old Hickory.” He gained respect of his soldiers as a General. Andrew Jackson was one of the first men to prove that the Americans could stand against the British. Jackson became an American hero. After the war of 1812, he became wealthy. Jackson made a foundation in Alabama on the land that he stole from the Creeks.
During 1824, James Monroe was leaving the Presidency, which gave Andrew Jackson the opportunity to run for President. None of the Candidates campaigned for the Presidency. No one in politics thought that Andrew Jackson could ever with the run to be President. Many of the Washington Politicians thought he did not have any qualifications to be President. His lack of experience in politics helped him because it meant he was a man of the people. This election was won by John Adams. Jackson ran against Adams again in 1828. This time the people were ready to vote for Jackson. Most of the men who voted, never voted before this election.
The American people would hold barbeques to talk up Jackson. The people found out about Rachel Jackson’s adultery through newspapers. Everyone was in disbelief. Because of the Backlash of the adultery, Rachel Jackson, the now very religious women, was broken. This election Andrew Jackson was voted the President of The United States. Right after he was elected President, Rachel passed away from a heart attack. Jackson was broken.
For Andrew Jackson’s eight years of presidency he fought the corrupt government. He fired many people in the government that he thought was corrupt, and hired his own people, many with scandals. The Men and Women of Washington thought Andrew Jackson was sullying the capital. The Vice President, John C. Calhoun, was obsessed protecting slavery. The congress made a law to highly tax on cloth that was used to cloth slaves.
The Vice President did not like that law, he made nullification for states to not follow laws that they thought was unconstitutional. This almost led to a civil war. They thought that Andrew Jackson would be on their side when they went to a dinner where they were planning on trying to get people on their side. Jackson did not help them, he opposed it. Jackson did not want to break up the union.
Jackson created the Indian Removal Act in 1830. The Cherokees tried to embrace the white people’s way of life, and they still were forced to leave. The Cherokees dressed like them, learned the language, and even built houses. American soldiers took all the Native Americans out of their houses and forced them on the Trail of Tears. Many of them died on the trail. The Cherokee called him “Jackson the Devil”. Andrew Jackson survived the first assassination attempt on a President. His presidency overall was him fighting for white men and no one else. On June 8, 1845 Jackson died. He was buried on the Hermitage next to his wife Rachel.
Jackson did some great things as President, but in my opinion his bad outweighed him. The major thing he did was the Indian Removal Act. Jackson forced thousands of Cherokee Indians off their land and forced them to walk the Trail of Tears. The worst thing is that the Cherokee Indians helped him win the major battle of Horsehoe Ben against the Creeks. The battle is one of the main causes of him even winning the Presidency. The battle made him seem like he was a man of the people, but then he turns his back on the Indians that helped him win. Jackson only cared about the white men. He also adopted two Native American babies after the Battle of Horeshoe Ben. He never took care of them. He just sent them back to his wife. Both of the babies did not live long lives.
I do admire his love and dedication for his wife Rachel. Many men in that time would have looked at Rachel in disgust because of her “Adultery”. Rachel was in a bad marriage and she fell in love with Jackson. Jackson also fell in love with her. The defeated the odds and got married. I also admire because of his love of his dead wife while he was President that he stood up for Peggy Eaton. He knew how hard it was for Rachel when she had the title of being a Scarlet, so she took sympathy for Peggy and her new husband.
The documentary greatly benefited from the different views of different ethnicities. It showed that Jackson was a good President that had dark stains on his past and on his Presidency. The Native American Historians really added to the documentary because the white historians mainly praised Jackson. It was interesting to learn that the Native Americans thought of him as the Devil. It showed that everyone did not think that he was a good president which is what is mainly shown in History books and biased documentaries.
Another negative thing about Andrew Jackson was him being a slave holder. Many of the Founding Fathers were slave holders, but some of them did believe slavery you have been outlawed, like Thomas Jefferson. Jackson just wholeheartedly thought the slaves were completely beneath him. When a slave would run away from his plantation, he would pay money to get the slave back. He would also give extra money to the person who caught the slave if they whipped the runaway slave.
Overall, Andrew Jackson had some positives and a lot of negatives. He was man of the people, and he was a war hero. He was the first president to ever have an assassination plan against him. He did do heinous acts like the Indian Removal Act. He also did good acts like stopping an early civil war. No one can truly call him a good or a bad person because he is just too complicated.
