All Quiet On The Western Front: Themes :: essays research papers

all in all Quiet On the Western Front ThemesAll Quiet on the Western Front is a graphic depiction of the horrors ofwar. In the neat note before Chapter star, Remarque lets the reader k at presentexactly what themes he intends. state of war is a savage and gratuitous evil, war is unnatural, and war is responsible for the devastation of an entire generation.Remarque is very clear on the strength of his themes, and uses graphic mental imageryto convey to the reader the physical and psychological impact that war has onhumanity. But Remarque uses more than graphic description to support his themes.Remarque also utilizes a very defined nature motive, with the forces of natureconstantly rebelling against the conflict it plays discipline to. With theEarth itself, the source of all things, supporting his themes, Remarque has aseemingly inert witness bearing testament to his observations. Remarque canuse nature as the judge to condemn war, along with shocking imagery, so that hislite rature clay without a trace of nationalism, political ill go out, or even in the flesh(predicate) feelings.     It should be noted that the nature motif is carried consistentlythroughout the novel, and that it supports some of the authors lesser themes.For the purpose of portraying war as something terrible, though, the naturemotif is expressed most dramatically in the following passages. These passagesmark the lead distinct stages of natures condemnation of war rebellion,perseverance, and erasure.     The first passage occurs in Chapter intravenous feeding when the troops ar trucked outto the front to install stakes and wire. However, the narrators squad isattacked unexpectedly by an English bombardment. With no visible enemy to fight,the soldiers are forced to take cover and live out the bombardment. In theprocess, the worldly concern is shredded and blown asunder. It is during this melee thatmany of the companies horses are wounded, and begin to boom terribly."It is unendurable. It is the moaning of the world, it is the martyred creation,wild with anguish, filled with terror, and groaning."     The bombing subdues, but the bellowing continues."The screaming of the beasts becomes louder. One can no longer distinguishwhence in this now quiet silvery landscape it comes ghostly, invisible, it iseverywhere, between heaven and earth it rolls on immeasurably."     Remarque is none too subtle in using the dying horses as a metaphor forthe Earths own anguish. As the men face a new horror, nature is revoltingagainst the damage being done to it. Remarque will return to this usage of thenature motif, with war being anomalous and unnatural in the "natural" world.