Describe a memorable idea in a written text you have studied.
‘All quiet on the western front’ is a novel written by Erich Maria Remarque. It’s a savage description about the reality and horrors of War. The film is based around a boy that goes to war at such a young age which brainwashed him and caused horrors for him. Throughout this novel Remarque shows the theme ‘ horror of war’. This theme is shown throughout the novel and stands out when Paul goes home on leave, when Paul stabs Gerard Duval and when Paul gets killed. These are all examples of the horrors of war.
Remarque served as a soldier in the First World War and witnessed the consequences of the conflict firsthand. He wrote the novel ‘All quiet on the western front’ to educate and warn readers about the reality of war and how it impacts the next generation. This novel is an anti-war novel. Which got Remarque into difficulties under the Nazi reign in the 1930s since they didn’t appreciate the way he advocated against war, and the book was later considered unreadable and burned along with many other books with a similar meaning.
When Paul went home on leave it emphasized the theme ‘horror of war’ because he felt so different at home and he didn’t feel like it was his real home. This is because he left to war at such a young age and it then started to feel like his home. When paul went home is parents didn’t recognise him and his mum didn’t like to see him in his uniform this is because she missed Paul. But because Paul went to the war so young it affected his family more because they didn’t get to see him grow up but instead he grew up in such a way that his family didn’t like because it wasn’t recognisable.
Another part of the film which showed the theme ‘horror of war’ was when Paul stabbed Gerard Duval this is because he was Paul’s opponent and he had to kill him for his country.
When Paul gets killed it affects everyone who surrounded him throughout the war and it was a horror. This is because the war was coming to an end and Paul nearly survived but didn’t. It showed the theme of the horror of war because it affected so many people, mainly his family and friends. Paul’s family at home last saw him when he went on leave and he wasn’t the same so they would be affected not to see him again. Because Paul left at such a young age his family didn’t get to see him grow up because the war changed him so much.
The theme of ‘The horror of war’ is a memorable idea in this novel in multiple ways. Paul goes home on leave, when Paul stabs Gerard Duval and when Paul gets killed. These three things are events that happened throughout the novel that showed the theme ‘horror of war’ and that’s because they are all bad things that happened and had bad effects on people around them.