All Quiet On The Western Front Essay To Be Human

To be Human: A Classic Example

Literature gives us beautifully written classic novels that give insight to the thinking of humanity at the time. Literature is easily romanticized which covers the truth of a particular event. Books, such as All Quiet on the Western Front, give insight to the realities of war and the definition of being human, making it a worthwhile read, regardless of it being an emotionally difficult read. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is a worthwhile classic because it accurately depicts what it means to be human through the horrors of war.

All Quiet on the Western Front is a beneficial read, because it uses man’s personal insignificance in war to define humanity. Time passes and war breathes depression and death over the men. Rumors of an offensive travel through the German lines. Paul reflects and says, “Over us, Chance overs. If a shot comes, we can duck, that is all; we

neither know nor can determine where it will fall. It is the Chance that makes us indifferent”(Remarque 101). This idea of Chance dictating life or death strips the soldiers’ worthiness. Chance makes them indistinguishable, fashioning an idea of worthlessness in each soldier. This deprives the soldiers of identity and thus, their humanity. Remarque highlights this insignificance to define humanity as having personal significance and identity. Much later in the classic, the Kaiser arrives to inspect the German soldiers. All the German soldiers get new clothing to impress the ruler of German. The clothes immediately get taken away after the Kaiser leave. Paul states, “… we have to return almost all of the new things and take back our old rages again. The good ones were merely for inspection”(207). Reclaiming the clothing eliminates the soldiers worth of new clothing, adds a feeling of person insignificance, because they feel unworthy of nice, new clothing. Stripping the soldiers of clothing, a humanity symbol, takes away their humanity and worth. They are not human anymore; they are merely a killing unit. Thus, Remarque uses the personal insignificance of man to suggest general ideas of humanity.
In addition, All Quiet on the Western Front is a classic worth reading, because it shows the will to survive is a part of being human.

After weeks in the trench, Paul says, “I become faint, all at once I cannot do anymore. I wont revile anymore. It is senseless. I could drop down and never rise up”(53). Paul continues to live, regardless of his feelings, because the human will to survive is stronger than immediate feelings. Remarque posing this strong instinctual will to survive makes it a good read. The German soldiers become weary after bombardments, food shortages and vermin problems. Paul says, “We see time pass in the colourless faces of the dying, we cram food in to us, we run, we throw, we shoot, we kill, and lie about, we are feeble and spent, and nothing supports us...”(133). The soldier’s daily routine becomes mechanical, even savage. This uncovers humans’ intense desire to survive, even to the point of degrading themselves to a savage level. Thus it is worthwhile because Remarque uncovers the profound need of instinctual survival humans

have.
Finally, All Quiet on the Western Front deserves a read, because it accurately depicts what it means to be human through witnessing innocent deaths. After the Kaiser’s inspection, Paul and his friends walk around and chat. Paul says, “In the branches dead men hanging…Here hangs bits of uniform, and somewhere else is plastered—a bloody mess that was once a human being” (207-8). Afterwards, Kat, Paul’s friend, makes a joke about the situation. Joking about war is a coping method to ease the psychological distress of the soldiers from visual horrors in war. Remarque appalls readers with gruesome deaths and jokes of soldiers to show humans must cope in difficult situations. Using horrific deaths, Remarque draws the conclusion that to be human means to cope with difficult situations, making it a worthwhile read. Later on, Paul ends up in an empty enemy trench, but an unfortunate French soldier joins him. To survive, Paul attempts to kill the solider, but fails, severely wounding him. After a few days, “It is hard to lie here and have to see and hear him [die]. In the afternoon, he is dead”(221). Paul was unable to finish killing the soldier, because hand-to-hand combat makes killing personal, which is significantly more difficult. Paul struggling to watch the soldier die reveals Paul’s compassion and humanity. Though hard to read, it’s worthwhile, because it unearths true humanity, even with inhuman actions. Thus, Remarque uses the deaths of innocent men to define true humanity.
In conclusion, Remarque uses man’s personal insignificance, will of survival and horrific scenes to uncover pieces of humanity. He uses the soldier’s insignificance in the war to create identity out of being human. I He describes the death scenes to reveal the always-present universal definition of humanity. As it follows, Remarque uses the horrors of war to define humanity.