All Quiet On The Western Front Rhetorical Analysis Essay

All Quiet on the Western Front
In this novel, Remarque thoroughly outlines the horrors of war. Remarque identified young, inexperienced boys who have joined up from the same class as volunteers for WWI. The narrator, Paul Baumer, becomes closely acquainted to his friends and soon, they develop a strong bond. This bond will help one another throughout the book and will cause many of them to maintain some of their sanity and to be there for each other, no matter the circumstance. Remarque also expresses his disgust towards savagery, hungry-for-power people. Such as Himmelstoss, who is the most feared disciplinarian in the training camps. He treats his recruits as if he enjoys oppressing them. Soon, Himmelstoss will experience the same traumatic

battles as do his recruits. He will continue to flatter the others so that they will be his companionships. The brutality of war sinks deeply within the soldiers and will cause them to turn into animals, as Paul said, in order to put back their feelings and emotions and to focus only on strength and survival. WWI reshaped society’s interpretation of military combat, and All Quiet on the Western Front greatly contributed to this altered impression.
The use of similes in this novel is a great deal. A simile is a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another using like or as. “During the last few hours he has had merely the appearance of calm. He had collapsed like a rotten tree.” (109). War can doubtlessly leave you fatigued and cause you to collapse like a rotten tree as you have no energy to longer maintain your posture. While these men are barricaded in trenches during the bombing, one of the recruits suddenly gets claustrophobic to the point he passes out and from the restlessness that overcomes many soldiers. In addition, while eight of the men are ordered to guard a village, Kat and Baumer find two sucking pigs while patrolling the houses. The men insist on roasting the sucking pigs, which they will soon regret. After devouring redundant pig fat, the men are squatting and cursing outside, relieving their bowels, during the shelling of the village. While watching the bombardment, Baumer states “Burning houses stand out like torches against the night.” (237). Baumer emphasizes how the burning houses are distinct during the night, as if they are fireworks sent to entertain the men. Along with these exclusive similes, another one that should catch many readers’ eyes is full of pity from the reader. “ Two years of shells and bombs--a man won’t peel off as easy as a sock.” (87). Those who have suffered and survived will soon be known as the Lost Generation. As Kropp said above, he knew that he and his comrades had no hope for a bright future; they have been marked forever from their tragic experiences of war.
Equally, another common rhetorical device in All Quiet on the Western Front is the use of irony.

In the beginning of the book, some of Paul’s fellow comrades had died. “Each man has another mess-tin full for the evening; and, what is more, there is a double ration of sausage and bread.” (1). Instead of mourning the death of their fellow soldiers, the men take advantage of this and enjoy their food. Then again, it was war and rations were very slim. Soon after, Kantorek sends Kropp a letter which reads “We are the Iron Youth”. (18). This statement is ironic in two ways. First of all, there is nothing “iron” about these young men. They have just gone into war unprepared and are getting by with little hope and much stress. Another ironic thing about this sentence is that they are not the youth, they are in their twenties, but mentally, they are “old folk”. The war has greatly impacted these men where their minds are set in more mature ways, no longer having younger fantasies as any other 20 year old would. As always, the best is saved for last. Paul Baumer is traumatized all throughout the book, becoming nervous and awaiting his death, which he figured would take place on the battlefield while being blown up by the shelling. Little did Baumer know, he would die peacefully. “Turning him over one saw that he could not have suffered long; his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come.”

(296).
Moreover, these rhetorical devices supported the themes presented in this novel. One considerable theme would be the nonsense of sending young men into war when the politicians themselves should earnestly resolve problems face to face, not their own men towards the men of the enemy. One theme in particular stood out from the others: dehumanization. In the book, Baumer witnesses Russian POW’s who were being treated as if they were no-good rats. The prison guards would kick them until they subdued their begging while others would ignore them. They would feed them little to no food, causing them to dig in garbage cans for food. “They slink about our camp and pick over the garbage tins. One can imagine what they find there. With us food is pretty scarce…” (189). Alongside this theme, another theme is also very emphasized within this book: the nature of power. “The army is based on that; … a non-com can torment a private, a lieutenant a non-com, a captain a lieutenant, until he goes mad. And because they know they can , they all soon acquire the habit more or less.” (44). Men high in power will soon enough begin to take advantage of those who are below them, lacking a purpose. These men whom have power will eventually lose perspective of what is right and what is wrong and will soon overwhelm them. In this novel, the theme that people are the same everywhere is seen many times. “We agree its the same for everyone; not only for us here, but everywhere, for everyone who is of our age; the some more and to others less.” (45). Males their age will be sent out with little experience, expected to fight to the death or dishonor your country and be considered a coward and others will view your patriotic stance very poorly not only in America, but in all countries.
Above all rhetorical devices used in this novel, symbolism was the most frequently used. Such as the coffins stacked against a school-house wall while the men were sent off on an order; the people who made these coffins knew that there would be many deaths, which caused them to make them coffins in advance. Death awaited the men. “On the way we pass a shelled school-house. Stacked up against its longer side is a high double wall of yellow, unpolished, brand-new coffins.” (99). The men, of course, found this disturbing. As we should all know, the men’s boots are genuinely their most prized possession. As Kemmerich dies, Muller is desperate for Kemmerich’s boots, as he knows he will have no use for them any longer. “Muller is delighted at the sight of them. He matches their soles against his own clumsy boots and says: ‘Will you be taking them with you then, Franz?’.” (16). The boots more or less represent life. Upon sleeping, Paul wakes up to rockets and has then noticed he had fallen asleep. “..I lie in the pale cradle of the twilight, and listen for soft words which will come, soft and near -- am I crying? I put my hand to my eyes, it is so fantastic, am I a child?” (60). As Baumer wakes up, he realizes that he had been crying as if he were a child. It was war, who could blame him? Baumer slowly begins to realize that Kat is among him and at that thought, he becomes soothed, knowing he is not alone, as a child would.
Altogether, I believe that this book was one of the best books I have ever laid my eyes upon. Remarque comprehensively detailed what war was like for men all over the world. He used numerous examples of rhetorical devices which only significantly enhanced the book’s uniqueness. He put the war into words, which seems impossible. Remarque, I believe, intended for everyone of all ages, races, religious origins, and nationality to read this novel. It is not directed to anyone in particular, but for people to understand the horrors of war; he wants people to know how scarring and scary the war has been and most likely always will be. Before reading this book, I never gave war much thought on how it impacted people’s lives who have been through these tragic actions. Yes, I knew that people were harmed and marked by the war, but not the severity as Remarque described. I believe people of all categories should read this novel and pass it on, leaving people speechless and understanding the menacing details of battle.