"It would not be such a bad war if only we could get more sleep."
Chapter SummarySummary by Christian DiPietrantonio and Zack Goorno
Chapter One of All Quiet on the Western Front is the dawn of the greatest war novel in history. In the first chapter, the in-depth scene description created by Erich Maria Remarque virtually takes you back and drops you off in a time of war, conflict, and struggle. Major characters and their personalities are portrayed early on in the chapter, and more characters are revealed from start to finish. Some major themes are portrayed in this book; such as, The horror of war, gore, and bonding through hard times.
Right off the bat in this chapter you start to get a feel for all of the characters and their personalities. Here is a list and and brief descriptions of the characters that you meet. 1. You first meet Tjaden; skinny as a rake. He was a locksmith of the same age as the other men and he was the biggest eater of the company. He sits down as skinny as a grasshopper and gets up as big as a bug in the family way. 2. And then Muller, a supportive friend but with no filter. He often runs his mouth and it gets him in trouble. 3. Next, the quartermaster, nicknamed Ginger, a Prussian who is not very generous, he remained in the rear and had requisitioned the usual quantity of rations which was supposed to be provided for the entire 150 men. You quickly learn he is intimidated by the soldiers, but willing to argue them. 4. Then the always wise and craft Katczinsky, who believes that it would not be such a bad war if only he could get a little more sleep. He is the leader of the group, shrewd, cunning, and hard-bitten. Forty years of age, with a face of the soil, blue eyes, bent shoulders, and a remarkable nose for dirty weather, good food, and soft jobs. 5. And the memorable, little Albert Kropp, the clearest thinker among the schoolmates so only a lance-corporal. 6. A schoolmate named Muller, who still carries his school textbooks with him, he dreams of examinations, and during a bombardment mutters propositions of physics. 7. Don't forget Leer, a young man that wears a full beard and has a preference for the girls from the officers' brothels. He swears that they are obliged by an army order to wear silk chemises and to bathe before entertaining guests of the rank of captain and upwards. 8. Next, the writer of the book, main character, and schoolmate Paul Baumer. He is a nice guy, well spoken, but not as crazy a some of the men in his platoon. Four of these teenagers; Albert Kropp, Muller, Leer, and Paul Baumer are nineteen years of age, and all four joined up from the same class as volunteers for the war. 9. A man named Detering, a peasant farmer who thinks of nothing but his farm-yard and his wife. 10. Finally; Kantorek is introduced, he is the teacher of the schoolmates. These main characters and their personalities are the basis of what makes the beginning of All Quiet on The Western Front so intriguing. The book starts off inside a German regiment that had just been relieved after intense battle on the western front, in which the bombardment of British troops killed over seventy men--almost half of their soldiers. Not only is that seventy less men of their army, it is eseventy less of their friends, and teammates in this war. It is seventy less of this family of comrades that this war has formed.The soldiers on the western front then returned to their camps from the battlefield.They were abominably shaken up physically. Their stomachs ached of hunger, and soldiers from the regiment were requesting to the chef that their rations should be doubled for everybody; the chef had already cooked the meals for the fallen comrades. The men eventually got their double rations in not only food, but also cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco. Later that day the men visit their boxes in the field, and stay for a few hours; the beans were unsettling in their stomachs. They laugh and joke as they read letters and papers received from their families. The men talk war, and reflect on their fallen comrades. Sadly, most of these men are between eighteen and twenty years of age, and volunteered for the German army because Kantorek strongly suggested it. One man of their platoon; Kemmerich, was shot in the foot and had his foot amputated. He is not in good condition, and the men visit him to check in. They bring him his items, because he is going home. Kemmerich is in anguish, and he is pale from the fatal amount of blood lossage. His skin is like wax, and his bones are less muscular. His comrades can see the death working within him. They know he doesn't have long to live. After spending time with their friend, the schoolmates say their goodbyes and then leave him. On their way out, they see a nurse, and plead for him to give their friend painkiller. They don't want him to suffer. In the end, Baumer gives the man some cigarettes to persuade him, and the men are gone. They may be too young to think about it, but any one of their fallen comrades could have just as easily been them. The soldiers never think twice about stopping, breathing in the fresh air, and taking the time to appreciate the beauties in life while there are evident horrors happening around them. Chapter one of All Quiet on the Western Front does an excellent job introducing characters, their traits, and creating an intense scene for what the Western Front was like in WWI. In only the first chapter, you get a feel for what it is like to be on the Western Front with these soldiers. It is a fantastic setup for what is to come in the book, and it makes you crave to read on. Chapter One AnalysisWar isn't bad: it is just isn't good.
~by Anthony Duane and Nathan Cunningham Undying optimism, even while facing the worst situations, will help you overcome challenges in life and allow you to live the life worth living. All Quiet on the Western Front isn't afraid to show it's readers this message and proceeds to paint the vivid picture of war. Having Paul's entire regiment come home only 80 strong seems like something to cry about. Paul, being the man who he is looks at the situation and sees an opportunity. “on the last day an astonishing number of English heavies opened up on us with high-explosive, drumming ceaselessly on our position, so that we suffered severely and came back only 80 strong” (chapter one) While the regiment returns with a mere 80 men this means that those 80 men receive extra rations and this means that while the horror of war is omnipresent, paul can and will take advantage of all of the tables that turn in his favor. Even the cold hearted decisions he has to make as a veteran of war. Whenever good fortune smiles upon Paul it seems to yank it away now all Paul has left is his friends with a great amount of optimism and war. As he continues to climb the ranks around the falling men in arms he always remembers that his optimism and wits are what keeps him alive. life in war is terrible but it takes a good man to take the worst and turn it into the best moment it can possibly be. It takes a certain skills and traits in a man to turn a blood bath into a normal day. It takes a special man to turn a lifeless wasteland into his home. It takes a man with undying optimism to survive just the horror of war. Paul Baumer would ask himself who he is. Or how he got here in this moment in time. He doesn't focus on the past, he doesn't focus on what he could of done. How he could've saved one life by warning a friend earlier, fix any mistake he made. He never asks himself why, never does he let his spirit down. If he can't stay filled with hope then he will be filled with fear and nerves. That's no way to die. What Paul does know is what happens, happens he can't change that. He focuses on looking towards the brighter side of life. Where Paul can survive the war rejoicing with his friends just for being alive. He doesn't care where he is. All he knows is to survive a war that doesn't only tax him physically, but more than ever it damages the mind. Even with one of Paul's friends meets his fate that lies within a hospital Paul knows but doesn't metion the grave situation. “Under his nails is the dirt of the trenches, it shows through blue-black like poison.” [-Paul Chapter 1 All Quiet on the Western Front ]During this chapter Paul and his friends go to visit Kemmerich. Both on of his legs is amputated and he is dying. Paul refuses to show Kemmerich this and plows ahead with undying optimism telling Kemmerich how good it will feel to go back home and never have to serve in this stupid war again. “Now you will soon be going home... You would have to wait at least three or four months for your leave” It might be Paul being in denial but Personally, I believe that Paul is trying to will what he says into reality simply by staying optimistic. In Paul's mind he knows that Kemmerich will die yet he still convinces him that he will go home and raises both of their moods and their hopes of life. Paul is able to put on a mask that only shows happiness and optimism. He fights within himself to find whatever scraps of morale that are left. Even when everything is going down in flames he still looks up and never bows down to the endless wave of suicidal thoughts. Paul knows his optimism is his life.... or his death. His only life,the only chance he has, undying optimism where not even human instincts can't save him. His own soul is fueled optimism and runs continuously by denying the evils of war and striving forward with his head held high and his spirit unbreakable. Undying optimism is Paul's antidote for the infection which is war. Metacognitions |
The first three chapters of All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque frame the rest of the story in the best way, with lots of character developing and setting the scene of the soldiers’ conditions. What I really loved about it is that it told the whole description in a poetic and almost beautiful way even though he was describing the muddy landscape of the Western Front.
The descriptions of the characters is even better than that of the landscape. The voice of the story is a young German soldier named Paul Baumer that tells us about each soldier that he comes in contact with in excellent detail. He even describes the jokes and humor the soldiers tell amongst themselves in the latrine which makes the reading even more fun and enjoyable than it was.
If I had to think of a criticism, it would be that the first three chapters could have used a little more action and a little less talk. On the other hand, including more action could make the reading a lot less enjoyable in the poetic sense. The descriptive style was stupendous and the while I was reading it I found everything made perfect sense rather than just being inconsistent.
I also did find it distracting that the author phased in and out of descriptive narration and normal writing. I’m not a big fan of a style changing as a chapter goes on. This is just a personal preference and this may not bug you. In fact, you might not even notice it.
I would definitely recommend finding the time to read the first three chapters of All Quiet on the Western Front at a leisurely pace because I sense they will give you a perfect idea of what is yet to come in the book. Even though there are a few things that I personally didn't prefer, it is a great read for any teenager or adult.
~Billy Van Walsum
The descriptions of the characters is even better than that of the landscape. The voice of the story is a young German soldier named Paul Baumer that tells us about each soldier that he comes in contact with in excellent detail. He even describes the jokes and humor the soldiers tell amongst themselves in the latrine which makes the reading even more fun and enjoyable than it was.
If I had to think of a criticism, it would be that the first three chapters could have used a little more action and a little less talk. On the other hand, including more action could make the reading a lot less enjoyable in the poetic sense. The descriptive style was stupendous and the while I was reading it I found everything made perfect sense rather than just being inconsistent.
I also did find it distracting that the author phased in and out of descriptive narration and normal writing. I’m not a big fan of a style changing as a chapter goes on. This is just a personal preference and this may not bug you. In fact, you might not even notice it.
I would definitely recommend finding the time to read the first three chapters of All Quiet on the Western Front at a leisurely pace because I sense they will give you a perfect idea of what is yet to come in the book. Even though there are a few things that I personally didn't prefer, it is a great read for any teenager or adult.
~Billy Van Walsum