German Literature
The Problem of Language in "All Quiet on the Western Front"
For it is no easy undertaking, I say,
to describe the bottom of the Universe;
nor is it for tongues that only babble child's play.
(The Inferno, XXXII, 7-9.)
Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, a novel
set in World War I, centers around the changes wrought by the war on one
young German soldier. During his time in the war, Remarque's protagonist,
Paul Baumer, changes from a rather innocent Romantic to a hardened and
somewhat caustic veteran. More importantly, during the course of this
metamorphosis, Baumer disaffiliates himself from those societal
icons--parents, elders, school, religion--that had been the foundation of
his pre-enlistment days. This rejection comes about as a result of
Baumer's realization that the pre-enlistment society simply does not
understand the reality of the Great......
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Approximate Word Count: 4568
Approximate Pages: 19 (250 words per double-spaced page)
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