Customer center

We are a boutique essay service, not a mass production custom writing factory. Let us create a perfect paper for you today!

Example research essay topic: Pre Enlistment Society Remarque All Quiet Baumer - 1,432 words

NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote

Erich Maria Remarques All Quiet on the Western Front, a set in World War I, centers around the changes wrought by one young German soldier. During his time in the war, protagonist, Paul Baumer, changes from a rather innocent hardened and somewhat caustic veteran. More importantly, course of this metamorphosis, Baumer disaffiliates himself societal icons parents, elders, school, religion that had foundation of his pre-enlistment days. This rejection comes result of Baumer's realization that the pre-enlistment society does not understand the reality of the Great War. His new then, becomes the Company, his fellow trench soldiers, because that is a group which does understand the truth as Baumer has experienced it. Remarque demonstrates Baumer's disaffiliation from the traditional by emphasizing the language of Baumer's pre- and post-enlistment societies.

Baumer either can not, or not to, communicate truthfully with those representatives of pre-enlistment and innocent days. Further, he is repulsed by and meaningless language that is used by members of that he becomes alienated from his former, traditional, society, simultaneously is able to communicate effectively only with military comrades. Since the novel is told from the first of view, the reader can see how the words Baumer speaks variance with his true feelings. In his preface to the novel, maintains that "a generation of men... were destroyed by the (Remarque, All Quiet Preface). Indeed, in All Quiet on the Front, the meaning of language itself is, to a great extent, Early in the novel, Baumer notes how his elders had been with words prior to his enlistment.

Specifically, teachers and had used words, passionately at times, to persuade him and men to enlist in the war effort. After relating the tale of a who exhorted his students to enlist, Baumer states that always carry their feelings ready in their waistcoat pockets, them out by the hour" (Remarque, All Quiet I. 15). Baumer he, and others, were fooled by this rhetorical trickery. too, were not averse to using words to shame their sons into enlisting. "At that time even ones parents were ready with word coward" (Remarque, All Quiet I. 15).

Remembering Baumer asserts that, as a result of his war experiences, he learned how shallow the use of these words was. Indeed, early in his enlistment, Baumer comprehends that authority figures taught that duty to ones country is the thing, we already knew that death-throes are stronger. But that, we were no mutineers, no deserters, no cowards they free with these expressions. We loved our country as much went courageously into every action; but also we distinguished the false from true, we had suddenly learned to see. (Remarque, What Baumer and his comrades have learned is that the expressions used by the pillars of society do not reflect the of war and of ones participation in it. As the novel Baumer himself uses words in a similarly false fashion. A number of instances of Baumer's own misuse of language during an important episode in the novela period of leave visits his home town.

This leave is disastrous for Baumer realizes that he can not communicate with the people on the because of his military experiences and their limited, or understanding of the war. When he first enters his house, for example, Baumer is overwhelmed at being home. His joy and relief are such that speak; he can only weep (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 140). his mother greet each other, he realizes immediately that he nothing to say to her: "We say very little and I am thankful asks nothing" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 141). But finally she speak to him and asks, "Was it very bad out there, Paul?" All Quiet VII. 143). Here, when he answers, he lies, ostensibly to protect her hearing of the chaotic conditions from which he has just thinks to himself, Mother, what should I answer to that!

You would not understand, you could never realize it. And you never shall realize it. Was it bad, you ask. You, Mother, -- I shake my head and say: "No, Mother, not so very. There are always a lot of us together so it isnt so bad. " (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 143) Even in trying to protect her, by using words that are false, Baumer creates a separation between his mother and himself. Clearly, as Baumer sees it, such knowledge is not for uninitiated.

On another level, however, Baumer cannot respond to his mothers question: he understands that the experiences he so overwhelming that a "civilian" language, or any language at would be ineffective in describing them. Trying to replicate experience and horrors of the war via words is impossible, realizes, and so he lies. Any attempt at telling the truth would, fact, trivialize its reality. During the course of his leave, Baumer also sees his father. fact that he does not wish to speak with his parent (i. e. , use no words at all) shows Baumer's movement away from the institution of the family.

Baumer reports that his father "is [about the war] in a way that I find stupid and distressing; I longer have any real contact with him" (Remarque, All Quiet In considering the demands of his father to discuss the war, once again, realizes the impossibility, and, in this case, even danger, of trying to relate the reality of the war via language. There is nothing he likes more than just hearing about it. I realize he does not know that a man cannot talk of such would do it willingly, but it is too dangerous for me to put these things into words. I am afraid they might then become gigantic and I be no longer able to master them. (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 146) Again, Baumer notes the impossibility of making the war meaningful within a verbal context: the war is too big, the describing it would have to be correspondingly immense and, symbolic size, might become uncontrollable and, hence, While with his father, Baumer meets other men who are that they know how to fight and win the war. Ultimately, of his father and of these men that "they talk too much for me They understand of course, they agree, they may even feel it but only with words, only with words" (Remarque, All Quiet Baumer is driven away from the older men because he understands that the words of his fathers generation are meaningless in that not reflect the realities of the world and of the war as Baumer come to understand them. Also during his leave, Baumer visits the mother of a fallen comrade, Kemmerich.

As he did with his own mother, he lies, this time in an attempt to shield her from the details of her sons death. Moreover, in this conversation, we see Baumer another one of the traditional society's foundations: religious orthodoxy. He assures Kemmerich's mother that her son immediately. He felt absolutely nothing at all. His face was calm" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 160). Frau Kemmerich doesnt believe him, or, at least, chooses not to.

She asks him to swear "by everything that is sacred to" him (that is, to God, as far as she concerned) that what he says is true (Remarque, All Quiet He does so easily because he realizes that nothing is sacred By perverting this oath, Baumer shows both his unwillingness communicate honestly with a member of the home front and of the God of that society. Thus, another break with an pre-enlistment society is effected through Baumer's conscious misuse During his leave, perhaps Baumer's most striking realization the vacuity of words in his former society occurs when he is his old room in his parents house. After being unsuccessful in feeling a part of his old society by speaking with his mother father and his fathers friends, Baumer attempts to re affiliate his past by once again becoming a resident of the place. his mementos, the pictures and postcards on the wall, the comfortable brown leather sofa, Baumer waits for something allow him to feel a part of his pre-enlistment world.

It is his schoolbooks that symbolize that older, more contemplative, military world and which Baumer hopes will bring him back younger innocent ways. I want that quiet rapture again. I want to feel the same powerful, nameless urge that I used to feel when I turned to books. The breath of desire that then arose from the colored backs of the books, shall fill me again, melt the heavy, dead lump of lead that lies somewhere in me and waken again the impatience of the future, the quick joy...


Free research essays on topics related to: traditional society, remarque, quiet, enlistment, baumer

Research essay sample on Pre Enlistment Society Remarque All Quiet Baumer

Writing service prices per page

  • $18.85 - in 14 days
  • $19.95 - in 3 days
  • $23.95 - within 48 hours
  • $26.95 - within 24 hours
  • $29.95 - within 12 hours
  • $34.95 - within 6 hours
  • $39.95 - within 3 hours
  • Calculate total price

Our guarantee

  • 100% money back guarantee
  • plagiarism-free authentic works
  • completely confidential service
  • timely revisions until completely satisfied
  • 24/7 customer support
  • payments protected by PayPal

Secure payment

With EssayChief you get

  • Strict plagiarism detection regulations
  • 300+ words per page
  • Times New Roman font 12 pts, double-spaced
  • FREE abstract, outline, bibliography
  • Money back guarantee for missed deadline
  • Round-the-clock customer support
  • Complete anonymity of all our clients
  • Custom essays
  • Writing service

EssayChief can handle your

  • essays, term papers
  • book and movie reports
  • Power Point presentations
  • annotated bibliographies
  • theses, dissertations
  • exam preparations
  • editing and proofreading of your texts
  • academic ghostwriting of any kind

Free essay samples

Browse essays by topic:

Stay with EssayChief! We offer 10% discount to all our return customers. Once you place your order you will receive an email with the password. You can use this password for unlimited period and you can share it with your friends!

Academic ghostwriting

About us

© 2002-2024 EssayChief.com