AQ from Katie Kelly

All Quiet On The Western Front

    In All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, he uses the 20th
century writing technique by skipping topics throughout this book. It is a book
that keeps the readers attention and makes the characters much more interesting.
The topics are of world war I and the hard times of the trenches and being in
the position of the front. It is a hectic feeling that follows every chapter and
makes you cringe on every word. The different stories are raging with emotions
that make the characters feel real. You don't know what is all going on, but
neither does the main character Paul. He is constantly having obstacles thrown
at him. The most common one is death and the fear of dying. Although when Paul
passes away he looks as if at peace, for that is what he desired is the
comforting feeling of peace and stillness.
    The books main side is of a German man telling his story of how they are
fighting against men but with different beliefs. In one point of the story Paul
is stuck and wounded. He is watching out for himself and kills a French man who
is a printer. He realizes then that they are both men fighting in a war and that
they both have no control on what's going on. This book has so much emotion and
imagery in it, it is a hard book to read. Remarque has written a book about the
WWI that touches the soul with beauty, truth, and sadness.