1. What is ironic, or dramatically unexpected about the novel's ending?
I thought he wasn't going to die. I thought he was going to have to live with all the pain like many people do. However, he died when it was all quiet on the western front! This shows how Remarque really feels about his life. He knows that he's not going to kill himself (life is too valuable) but he wouldn't mind to die, since he won't have the pain and memories anymore. But, it is very ironic that he would die at a time when the war became a lot less intense. He was a soldier, that made it through the heat of war virtually untouched, and ends up dying when the war is calm.
2. What images of the novel are lingering in your mind? Explain why these images made a lasting impression on you.
Many of his thoughts, feelings and images really affected me. I liked his human animal analogy, and also when he noticed that he wouldn't hesitate to kill his father if he was on the opposing side - war is that powerful! Some of the images and memories I liked were when he had to end a French soldier's life and decided to send money to his family (if he would live) and also when a German soldier became paranoid and started banging his head on the wall.
3. Do you think Paul can claim to speak for an entire "lost generation" when he speaks of the effects of war? In Paul's opinion war ruins those who survive as must as those who die. Do you think his fellow soldiers felt the same way about war?
Thanks for Remarque, we get to see the true side of war for a soldier. It definitely portrays the overall feeling of the war for the "lost generation." Remarque stresses that it's actually worse to live than die. However, Paul's experience was actually less intense than other. He said enough with his happy death. For other soldiers, their experience might have been twice as painful and fearful.
Friday, February 23, 2007
The Seminar
I thought the blog was very interesting because we brought up some controversial questions.
I liked that we were able to identify leader's and soldier's involvement, contribution, and opinion on the war. The leaders seemed to build up opposing forces and attack once a conflict rises to the surface. However, the soldiers were less violent than the leaders since they just wanted to serve the country. They've been treated like pawn pieces in a chess game, except now the pawn pieces aren't happy with who they're forced to take down. The soldiers wanted a truce whenever possible, and that's why the Christmas Truce inevitably happened.
Another interesting subject we focused on was deciding if countries (like America) should run over and "help" other countries with their problems. We came up with two different answers. One was that we should help anyone in the world because it is the right and moral thing to do. However, we also realized that sometimes people don't want help from anyone, even though that help is ideal. The other opinion was that, since people might not want help, we should make sure we as a country are completely happy. If we're not, we get mixed ideas of what decisions benefit someone and which one's don't. So until we perfect our lives, there's no point in trying to help someone that will be pissed if you help them.
I liked that we were able to identify leader's and soldier's involvement, contribution, and opinion on the war. The leaders seemed to build up opposing forces and attack once a conflict rises to the surface. However, the soldiers were less violent than the leaders since they just wanted to serve the country. They've been treated like pawn pieces in a chess game, except now the pawn pieces aren't happy with who they're forced to take down. The soldiers wanted a truce whenever possible, and that's why the Christmas Truce inevitably happened.
Another interesting subject we focused on was deciding if countries (like America) should run over and "help" other countries with their problems. We came up with two different answers. One was that we should help anyone in the world because it is the right and moral thing to do. However, we also realized that sometimes people don't want help from anyone, even though that help is ideal. The other opinion was that, since people might not want help, we should make sure we as a country are completely happy. If we're not, we get mixed ideas of what decisions benefit someone and which one's don't. So until we perfect our lives, there's no point in trying to help someone that will be pissed if you help them.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
I Love the Last Paragraph!
It's kinda funny, but I feel relieved too:
"He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. 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."
This is at the very end of the book, after all of Paul's horrible experiences. He just died...
I feel the same struggle as Paul did in the book through my own experiences with the bipolar disorder. I think back about all the pain I went through or all the things that I thought happened, and it's not very pleasant. However, since it's a really cloudy past anyways, it's easier for me to forget it. I haven't dismissed it completely yet, but I'm happy it's over with. That's how I think about the situation with Paul - he had so many negative experiences and memories over the time at war, and he wanted to dismiss all of it but couldn't. He tried to live with it, but death seemed to be the only way to end the pain. I'm quite lucky that I have been able to let go of my memories, but I also know that they were nowhere as intense as Paul's. That's why I react to the book so much. Some of my neighborhood friend's fathers were in the Vietnam War, and life doesn't look so great for them. This might sound weird, but I'm happy for Paul.
"He had fallen forward and lay on the earth as though sleeping. 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."
This is at the very end of the book, after all of Paul's horrible experiences. He just died...
I feel the same struggle as Paul did in the book through my own experiences with the bipolar disorder. I think back about all the pain I went through or all the things that I thought happened, and it's not very pleasant. However, since it's a really cloudy past anyways, it's easier for me to forget it. I haven't dismissed it completely yet, but I'm happy it's over with. That's how I think about the situation with Paul - he had so many negative experiences and memories over the time at war, and he wanted to dismiss all of it but couldn't. He tried to live with it, but death seemed to be the only way to end the pain. I'm quite lucky that I have been able to let go of my memories, but I also know that they were nowhere as intense as Paul's. That's why I react to the book so much. Some of my neighborhood friend's fathers were in the Vietnam War, and life doesn't look so great for them. This might sound weird, but I'm happy for Paul.
God-Only-Knows-What-Devils!
Here's one of my favorite quotes from the middle of the book:
"The blast of hand-grenades impinges powerfully on our arms and legs; crouching like cats we run on, overwhelmed by this wave that bears us along, that fills us with ferocity, turns us into thugs, into murderers, into God only knows what devils; this wave that multiplies our strength with fear and madness and greed of life, seeking and fighting for nothing but our deliverance. If your own father came over with them you would not hesitate to fling a bomb at him."
This happened in the middle of the book, before he's all alone. It shows how much war changes someone.
At this point in war, it doesn't even look like hatred for the other side. Of course, fathers aren't usually hated, so if your father happened to be out there in the field, you wouldn't stop to think about who you're about to kill? It isn't at all about hatred , it just became a game of survival. These were sane men, just like anyone else, and they've been forced to become what no one wants to be. When I'm reading this book, I can't help but get caught up in all the pain that Paul and his friends have to go through. Once you're there, it is no turning back. It's really hard for war veterans to forget things like this. I get all these negative emotions from reading the book, and I can't imagine what it would be like to actually be there.
"The blast of hand-grenades impinges powerfully on our arms and legs; crouching like cats we run on, overwhelmed by this wave that bears us along, that fills us with ferocity, turns us into thugs, into murderers, into God only knows what devils; this wave that multiplies our strength with fear and madness and greed of life, seeking and fighting for nothing but our deliverance. If your own father came over with them you would not hesitate to fling a bomb at him."
This happened in the middle of the book, before he's all alone. It shows how much war changes someone.
At this point in war, it doesn't even look like hatred for the other side. Of course, fathers aren't usually hated, so if your father happened to be out there in the field, you wouldn't stop to think about who you're about to kill? It isn't at all about hatred , it just became a game of survival. These were sane men, just like anyone else, and they've been forced to become what no one wants to be. When I'm reading this book, I can't help but get caught up in all the pain that Paul and his friends have to go through. Once you're there, it is no turning back. It's really hard for war veterans to forget things like this. I get all these negative emotions from reading the book, and I can't imagine what it would be like to actually be there.
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