Category: Unit 1: WWI Literature

William James’s The Moral Equivalent of War is the first essay I’ll talk about. In this essay, James considers how, in spite of its cruelty, war can help people develop virtues like courage, self-control, and camaraderie. He makes the case that despite war’s destructive nature, it can also be used for good. According to him, our ancestors’ aggression is a natural aspect of who we are and cannot be eradicated. James argues that without war, life might seem pointless and dull. In order to maintain order and direction, he acknowledges that maintaining some military-like discipline would be necessary to achieve peace, but he also characterizes war as an inevitable aspect of human existence.

Eric MacKnight examines whether war is required to channel what he refers to as “hyper-masculinity” in his essay Can Real Men Live in a Peaceful Society? The idea of a powerful, fearless warrior who thrives on conflict and conventional male roles is what this alludes to. This is comparable to “hyper-femininity,” which MacKnight describes as a stereotype of a seductive but unfaithful woman. He asserts that a new definition of masculinity has emerged as a result of contemporary shifts, combining strength with an emphasis on the home and family. MacKnight agrees with James that mandatory military service could teach discipline and provide a constructive outlet for young men’s aggressive tendencies. He notes that chivalry was once employed to restrain male aggression, but as these principles wane, he wonders if war and bloodshed will always be part of being human

As we were reading these two essays in class, I couldn’t help but notice the contrary perspectives on these two essays. It’s a classic scenario of same story, different perspectives. The First essay, “The Moral Equivalent of War” by William James, he began by explaining how life was before the war. “The earlier men were hunting men, and to hunt a neighboring tribe, kill the males, loot the village and possess the females, was the most profitable, as well as the most exciting, way of living” (pg.1). He believes that people deserve the peace that we had before war. He also believes that humans are belligerent and that trait has been bred into us along by saying “thousands of years of peace won’t breed it out of us…” (pg.1). If we look into the perspective of the second essay, “Can real men live in a peaceful society?” By Eric MacKnight, he explains that men had softened after the war, as he claimed “The bourgeois men were too soft to make good soldiers” (pg.1). He also brings up that war is a necessity when it comes to hyper masculinity. Without war there is “marginalization and condemnation of hyper-masculinity in bourgeois society, because the consequences of men violating bourgeois taboos around masculinity range from the personal (e.g., assaults, domestic violence, rape) to the collective (e.g., gangs, fascism, and war)” (pg. 3).

In William James’s essay “The Moral Equivalent of War”, James argues that even while battle and war are cruel, they nonetheless enforce rules that are needed in their countless soldiers. Such discipline enforced on soldiers during their time in training and so on creates an environment for the betterment of men. He argues that despite the destructive and unsightly nature of war, its positive aspects can be used for constructive purposes. According to him, everyone has some degree of aggression, which was ultimately left for us by our ancestors and in turn an important aspect of human nature that cannot be hidden. Life without combat would be dull and lifeless to him as besides being a tool to enforce discipline, war is truly what gives life its meaning. James also appears to admit, nonetheless, that although war is brutal in many aspects, peace cannot be made without men’s required order and discipline.

This last and final essay titled “Can real men live in a peaceful society?” by Eric MacKnight, explores how beliefs about ”hyper-masculinity” were changed by middle-class values in the late 19th and early 20th century. Back in those days, males were supposed to work normal jobs such as in factories, support their families, and lead a stable, peaceful life rather than mastering life between and while fighting on the front lines. Although this change made some believe society was changing for the better, some felt it took away a sense of excitement and hardness, which made men look for these traits in fitness or sports. Although I believe this notion of how a man should behave did create new negative stereotypes about women and the idea of over-the-top hyper-masculinity with no room for vulnerability, many can argue it also created new means of teaching younger boys and children how to behave with manners that can be practiced throughout lifetimes.

In The Moral Equivalent of War I see that William James assumes that men have this, war-like urge in them that can not be fought back. He believes in wanting peace but he says “Our ancestors have bred pugnacity into our bone and marrow, and thousands of years of peace won’t breed it out of us…”, which says that we are born with a set of a sense of brutal, strong, dominance. That the history has shaped our human nature and engraved it into our future  along with another quote near the end, “The martial type of character can be bred without war…”. William James is basically saying that with or without war, men are eager savages at heart, they can develop these traits throughout their journey, both good and bad, they can learn discipline and courage along with venerating savagery. Next, in Can Real Men Live in a Peaceful Society, Macknight describes how textbook chivalry has been destroyed due to social media, as men would brush off a “woman in peril”. He also says how men in the bourgeoise society have become too… Soft, after the war as if all that hardness disappeared. Then stated that women in the bourgeoise society would look for these so called “bad boys” just to come to the realization that they are terrible people, mean and brutal men that couldn’t live in a peaceful society. Something I feel worth mentioning is that I was pretty surprised to see but it was said that people were thinking to castrate violent, out of line men, just like they do dogs, to try and tame them again.

In the essay “Can real men live in a peaceful society”, I thought that it was true after reading both essays when he said ‘bourgeois men were too soft to make good soldiers’ (p. 1) even though the war just ended. It’s interesting that people changed so much in such a short amount of time. It was like the war never happened. It was ‘a thing of the past’ (p. 1) and a new way of life was developed. I wasn’t that surprised that the essay stated that ‘it is better to die than to live in defeat’ (p. 5) only because of the time it was written, in the 19th century. If that was said today, I think I would be more surprised. This is because people back then seemed to be more noble than in today’s world. I think it’s a form of courage. They believe in what they are fighting for, therefore they are saying they will fight to the end for what they believe in. At the end where is wonders of war and violence will always remain with us as long as there are humans. I believe that this statement is true because it is in our nature to control and want more than we have. The constant battle for control over people or especially land will always remain with us because that’s just who humans are. In “The Moral Equivalent of War” essay by William James, he also believes that peace will not be permanent on earth (p. 3) and states that if war stopped, we would have to re-invent it. He believes that people are getting too soft and that ‘war has been the only force that can discipline a whole community’. I agree with James because after all the readings we’ve done in English class, the harsh reality of war shows that it disciplines people and there is no way of hiding from it.

I’ll first start with the first text “The Moral Equivalent of War”, by William James. I found James’ beliefs quite interesting, particularly the fact that he believes that agreements should be able to be made, and that warfare really isn’t necessary, and it’s hard to disagree with that. Another aspect I found interesting was how James states that “War is, in short, is a permanent human obligation… The only alternative is “degeneration” (pg. 2).” He is essentially talking about militarism, and how it’s lead many to believe that war is the only option to have noticeable change. For the second text “Can men live in a peaceful society?”, by Eric MacKnight, I found multiple aspects of this text interesting, the first aspect being how women from bourgeois society generally gravitated towards ‘bad boys’ with bulging muscles, despite the fact that a sizeable portion of these individuals were actually horrible people. Part of this is allegedly to blame on the boredoms of bourgeois life, which supposedly lead to people engaging in wild behaviors that were against societal norms. The fact that many people were starting to stray from the norms of masculinity surprised me, especially in this context. Overall, I found both of these texts equally interesting to read about in class.

William James suggested that all citizens should take part in national service. He believed this would help build strong character and a sense of community without the violence of war. His idea of mandatory service is similar to the forced labor seen in communist governments, where people are made to work for the good of society.

However, forced labor takes away basic freedoms and violates human rights. People should have the choice to volunteer instead of being forced. When people are made to do something, they often don’t give their best effort. This can lead to poor results, low productivity, and anger toward the government.

History shows that similar ideas in communist countries caused more harm than good. These programs often failed to achieve their goals and created distrust and unhappiness among citizens. Instead of bringing people together, they caused division and resentment.

While James’s idea had good intentions, it’s important to learn from the past. Any plan for national service should focus on giving people the freedom to choose and respect their rights. Only then can it truly benefit both individuals and society.

Personally I believe that the first text demonstrates a good idea for the future; In the text “The Moral Equivalent of War” we are proposed an idea that men should be conscripted to do service and labour; This is not a bad idea, as this will only benefit our society; we may see great change in construction and corruption today. This however, might change as the leaders may use them as a labour force, and disputes/wars may happen over this as well. From a limited point of view, this idea is not terrible and may work if we remain at peace with one another.

In the second text, “Can Real Men Live in a Peaceful Society”, we are proposed an idea of a world where the real “Tuff” men are too violent/aggressive to the other people, hence they present us to Castration. This is not a bad thing necessarily, however, there will always be the other perspective; People that are ill or may not comprehend what they are doing may be wrongfully accused of terrible actions and may be castrated. You furthermore realise that this is a negative idea when you start to understand that people plan to use drugs. The “calmness” and “slowness” from this drug may lead to unintelligent decisions and cause a lot of trouble in the modern society.

Overall, I believe these texts made me realise how vulnerable society is, and how people may be redirected today. Despite the texts being centred on the 20th century, I can still see their concern and support some of these ideas.

In ”The Moral Equivalent of War” William James talks about how humanity’s natural drive for aggression and bravery could be redirected into positive and productive activities rather than violence. He points out that traits like courage and discipline – which might often be associated with military and war- are still valuable, but that our society should find ways to encourage these qualities in peaceful ways. I agree with his statement because I believe that the army/military – as seen in our WW1 literature and poetry unit – encouraged a sense of belonging for many young men. The strong bonds and friendships might have been formed during unpleasant circumstances, but they still led to lifelong companionships. This feeling of collectivity was what many of the young soldiers felt they needed; feeling confused and lost after entering adulthood. I believe that these values, which the army represents, can be continued, by giving young men the chance to willingly enlist or serve in the army.

The essay  ”Can real men live in a peaceful society?” discusses how middle-class values in the 19th and early 20th centuries reshaped ideas about masculinity. Back then, instead of focusing on war and physical strength, men were expected to work regular jobs, provide for their families, and live quiet, stable lives. While this shift created a more peaceful society, some people felt it took away a sense of toughness and excitement, which led men to seek these qualities through sports or fitness. I believe that this image began shaping strong male stereotypes but at the same time began to spread negative female stereotypes and the image of a ”weak woman”.

Both of these essays made me rethink these male and female stereotypes/roles which have been around for a long time and how these concepts of ‘manhood’, ‘chivalry’ or ‘hyper-masculinity’ might have emerged and shaped our modern day society.

 

William James shared an idea in which people are conscripted to national service. James’s idea of mandatory community service and the forced labor seen in communist regimes share a common thread: getting everyone to work together for the supposed good of society. James thought this would build strong character and a sense of community, but without the violence of war.

However, forcing people to work goes against basic human rights and freedom. People should have the choice to contribute willingly. Plus, when people are forced to do something, they often don’t do their best. This kind of system would likely lead to shoddy work, low productivity, and anger towards the government.

History shows us that similar ideas in communist countries caused more harm than good. It’s also too easy for those in power to abuse the system, turning “community service” into unpaid or poorly paid labor that only benefits the government.

In conclusion, I find William James’s ideas to be neither practical nor ethical. While Mr. McKnight references James in his essay “Can Real Men Live in a Society?”, I struggled to follow his argument due to its disjointed nature and abrupt shifts between historical periods.

In “The Moral Equivalent of War”  William James argues that true peace may never be possible because war fills the human need of discipline and unity. He argues that without war that gives the structure and discipline, society will become weak. James believe that war gives us focus and courage, and that people would have to find other ways to get this if war disappeared.

In “Can Men Live in a Peaceful society” Erick MacKnight examines how society changes after war ends, especially around masculinity and social norms. He gives us notes on how bourgeois were seen as too soft to be good soldiers and that in times of peace people look for rebellion and excitement, like bourgeois women wanting more the “bad guys” Suggesting that a peaceful society might not offer the sense of purpose  that people find in times of conflict.

Both essays suggest that people are driven by a need of control and meaning, people seemed to need this to feel united and that they had a purpose. Can society really achieve peace or will conflict always be part of human society? I find this question very interesting in class.

 

In “The moral equivalent of war”, William James asserts that modern men want to fight in war because of their eagerness to prove themselves to their ancestors; that “our ancestors have bred pugnacity into our bone and marrow” (Line 17), and “thousands of years of peace won’t breed it out of us” (Line 18). William is claiming here that men are inherently “violent”, and it is extremely difficult to drive this away from them; that war will happen and will continue to happen due to this “driving force” to prove themselves to their ancestors. This ties in to the ideas conveyed in “Can real men live in a peaceful society?”, Where MacKnight claims that earlier men performed large amounts of physical labour, that the early man was “Ready at a moment’s notice to use his fists or pick up a weapon to wield against enemies or wild beats;” (Pg. 2). That this is still instilled in men nowadays, and in some cases may be the reason for the very common amounts of “Violence” shown in a sexual demeanor. MacKnight claims that “The ladies of Eleanors of Aquitaine’s court”, “Invented chivalry to tame the violence of the men around them”, he makes a connection to how a dog may be castrated if its violence is untrainable, and makes a remark that the idea of castration could be used on men in current society who act out in terms of their “Violent behavior”. To conclude, “violence” has been instilled within men throughout history as a way to show glory for their ancestors, but this way to show glory has devolved over time and became a very negative thing for a small group of men, and this way to show glory needs to be removed.

Reading “All Quiet On The Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque and the various perspectives from the “WW1 Prose Reading” gained me much insight on a subject I was rather ignorant about. Prior to this unit, I understood the general goings on in wars and I stood for anti war philosophy with basic understanding of why. 

However, during this unit I got clear, insanely detailed, personal writings depicting and retelling the events that happened during the war. Reading the writings broke stereotypes for me and overall changed the way I perceive war forever. I found myself with questions relating to war that enveloped me and an urge to find out in order to settle these questions. My anti-war philosophy gained even more reason for existence and has become an impenetrable wall of thought. 

I gained much sympathy for soldiers, especially those who were shunned away from society due to the shell shock they experienced. I gained respect for soldiers who got through daily life after the war despite being plagued with trauma. But simultaneously, I lost the slight amount of respect I initially held for soldiers after hearing the treacherous acts they committed while acting in the war. Although it was reassuring hearing that the soldiers were not all without empathy for the people they killed. 

This unit was eye opening and the resources provided vast knowledge on the events that occurred during war. 

All Quiet On The Western Front was written from the perspective of Erich Maria Remarque. The book was published in 1929. The protagonist of this story was a German soldier from the German Army in WWI who is known by Paul Bäumer. This novel was able to express the feelings, emotions, and help us understand what exactly the soldiers went through. Through reading this book, I learned that no matter what we know about what happened inside of the war, we may understand it unless we had actually been put in the spot and went through it ourselves. Paul had mentioned something like that himself, explaining that no matter what the people said they wouldn’t understand what he had gone through unless it was one of the other soldiers. To be honest, I didn’t truly find the book interesting because I had a problem connecting to it or the way it was written. I usually find war stories fascinating, but it was either I wasn’t in the mood for that type of book or I couldn’t get the main idea to stay in my head in general. I am planning on looking back at it though, just at my pace this time.

The WWI Readings, Prose 1 & 2, helped me see WWI in a different perspective and from different perspectives. I found Prose 1 to be more confusing and I had a hard time understanding anything, but when it came to Prose 2, I actually started understanding more. Besides the War itself, I also got to learn different writing styles (also from the WWI Readings: Poetry) which some I found to be more clear (like Chevallier and Barthas) and some sounded like Gibberish to me (like Herbert and Chevalier from Prose 1). I did find the poems to be more interesting though and it was easier to concentrate because I just thought of it as poetry (which I love) and nothing else.

The readings from All Quiet on the Western Front and the excerpts by Herbert, Chevallier, Barthas, and West show how hard World War 1 was for everyone.

In All Quiet in the western front, Erich Maria Remarque tells the story of Paul Baumer a German soldier. He his friends and comrades always lived in fear, sadness, and danger in the trenches where they would stay during the war. The war maked them feel lost to the point where they disconnected from their old lives. They didn’t feel like heroes because of fighting in the war, they just want to survive. The novel shows how war changes people, making them only want to survive.

The other readings give us similar information and scenarios of the war. Louis Barthas, French soldier, tells us how dirty, exhausting, and scary life in the trenches was every day. George Herbert and Gabriel Chevallier talk about how pointless the fighting felt and how war broke people.

The soldiers suffered from the fighting  the hunger, cold, dirt, and poor living conditions. George Herbert and Gabriel Chevallier also describe how the war felt pointless and how it broke the spirit of the one who fought on it.

Starting off strong, I never really knew much about WW1. You see, a lot of people teach about WW2 and talk about it, but I never actually learned anything about WW1 other than the fact it was the first world war. I think that it is very heartbreaking to read these experiences from people who had actually been through them.

I learned a lot of vocabulary during this time, and I also learned a lot about history and the military. The military is something I have always had an interest in, but I am much too scared to join it. Seeing this, I realize, to a better extent, the things that can come from the military, and the things that the people in them can go through, and have gone through.

To read about these experiences makes me realize there is so much more to everything. Going through “All Quiet On The Western Front”, and the WW1 quotations, I get a sense, a very dreadful and unpleasant one when I look at the sheer amount of detail on that paper. It makes me sick, but also puts me in a place of uncomfortable learning when I read the words, memories, experiences, and emotions that were put down and remembered.

At the same time, it makes me feel neutral, and yet, it is all recalled so vividly that it is quite horrifying, so strong through pen that my mind gives me a visual image, one that I wish to never have again. However, as uncomfortable as it was, it was also a great learning experience for me.

While reading “All Quiet On The Western Front” and WWI prose, I think that my favourite is All Quiet On The Western Front, because I find that the story is easier to understand more than WWI prose. I think that it is easier to understand because there is a plot in the All Quiet On The Western Front and WWI prose was journal entries and small writing pieces from soldiers in the war which used language that they used back then but that we don’t use now. I also found that All Quiet On The Western Front is a very well written story and it is a very realistic story with language that people now will understand though it was a little shocking to me how the story ended. Also throughout the book it had me thinking about a lot of different things such as “if Paul dies in the end how did they write this story?” “is this really what happened back then or is it just a story?” ” why did guys want to volunteer to go to war at such a young age and pretend to be old enough for war?” stuff like that I was thinking about. Overall I enjoyed reading both pieces because it is interesting to see how All Quiet On The Western Front is similar to WWI Prose and how they are not similar also it is very interesting learning about the war and the past.

I´ve had the second world war in multiple classes and over several years, I have read books like Anne Frank´s diary and watched movies like Schindler´s List, and have heard numerous stories about the cruelty and barbarism of the German Nazis. But the first World War?

Even though I had it in school before and knew about the incomparable suffering and pain of the soldiers, I never fully realized what “war” meant to them. I never realized how their society forbid them to show emotions, or even the slightest mental impact, about their experiences at the front.

Reading “all quiet on the western front” and the diaries from real life French and German soldiers, taught me more than any school lesson or museum ever could have.

Not only did I learn about their horrifying living conditions and diseases that I never would have imagined even existed, like trench foot, but I also gained a deep understanding of how the returning soldiers were mentally, often as well as physically, completely broken and simply overlooked by their society. I now understand what torture the survivors went through, even though I know that it is beyond my Imagination to fully comprehend the conditions and abuse of the war, and that I never will.

To read about the war from the soldier’s point of view was an entirely new perspective, one that allowed me to learn about aspects of the war I had never really heard of before, like the comradeship between the soldiers and how that was often their only string to keep them, at least a little bit, from losing their mind. It also taught me what war does to humans: How after a while, most realize that in order to survive it, they have to “shut off” their humanity and let the most animalistic side of them take control.

Looking at the war from a modern point of view, I am simply horrified at how anyone could ever survive that, or even have the will to survive it. It is a mystery to me how the leaders and generals of the war were able to be as cold-blooded as they were and send thousand, one after another, to their certain death.

I know that I will take this and much more with me from the world war 1 readings, and that I now have an improved insight and knowledge of the war.

After reading and reflecting about the events that occurred in world war 1 in the book All Quiet on the Western Front, and in the exerts WW1 Prose 1 and Prose 2 that were written by the view of people that were present on the events of the war and can describe the horrible situations that they passed with accuracy. In my thought the world war was a complete massacre caused by the bad politicians that prolonged it self because of the technological and strategical advance and that the civilians knew the what the was turning and the hell that it was there, but as I read the book I discovered and realized that the war was deeper than that one example of it was my reaction after reading the chapter of all quiet on the western front were the parents of Paul kept asking how was the war like and what situations they passed there.

Another thing that got me thinking was the part of the of the Prose that shows the struggles of the war and how difficult the living at the trenches, one example could be a part that Barthas wrote saying all the effort that his team took to build a shelter to protect their self from the rain in the trenches, and adding to that the temperature goes down making them freeze along side with water in the trenches.

After reading the book and the proses I realized how bad the situations were at the war times and that people had no idea of when the war was going to end, the civilians had no idea of how the war was and many more bad things were happening at war times, that makes me fear a next incoming war in the future.

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” by Erich Maria Remarque and excerpts from Herbert, Chevalier, Barthas, and West have been a remarkably insightful, detailed insight into the life and struggles of any normal veteran from World War I. Not only was their heartbreaking depiction of the grotesque daily lives of soldiers deliberately accounted with added information most of my fellow classmates and I have never read of before, but this book and these excerpts also give new meaning to our upcoming Remembrance Day assembly. Of course, with no doubt in my mind, we have all known some of the terrible struggles veterans went through for several years now, including being taught the outcome and beginning of the war in history class. However, us as a class I believe we have not fully understood what took place at such battles and or fronts as the Western Front in France/Belgium. Although “All Quiet on the Western Front,” is a realistic fiction autobiography with the main storyline being fully adapted from real-life events, the book still gives new insights into how soldiers fought and not how old pro-war effort ideas want people to believe they did. This new unit really did help me better understand what it was like to live the life of a soldier, even if it is through a small glimpse created by a book into how terrifying life was at the time.

After reading through the World War One books, All Quiet On The Western Side And the readings part 1 and part 2 with Barthas, Chevallier, and some others, it has been brought to my attention how insanely brutal war is.

I have been wanting to read the famous All Quiet On The Western Front for quite some time now because I was always curious to learn about the war, what it was like, and its effects. One thing I didn’t expect to find though, was the mental effect on the soldiers as it’s somewhat described in the book. It describes how Paul’s mental state adapts to the war and becomes very different from what we would see now. As like when multiple soldiers got killed, Paul and his group focused on the fact they would have more rations. It also explains the effects of the fighting, like as when Paul killed the Frenchman and went through his things to find out that he had a family, it made him feel guilty and scared.

The World War One readings were good to read as they described with more visuals, mental side effects, and the looks of war. The readings, gave me a visual of how it was having dead bodies around every corner, rotting and smelling like hell. It also explained common side effect of trauma, known as shell shock, caused from artillery, and what happened as soldiers watched their friends get pummeled by dropping shells or gunned down in front of them. it also explained more in depth with tactics of crawling around at night and little hidden details that most things might not teach you.

Overall I liked reading and learning about the first world war. especially how at near the end of part 2 of the prose, it explained how the soldiers didn’t pay enough attention to the small things they had like warmth in their house, comfy couches, a bed, so that once they were transferred to the front lines, they finally found out what absolute hell was and missed their home greatly. Although, I apologize but I must say, I enjoyed the book a lot more than the prose, not even because I was already wanting to read it, but because it had a plot, where the prose didn’t follow much of one. Reading these expanded my knowledge which will most likely help in I & S, and it made the soldiers have a certain significance to me after learning the terror they had to go through.

I feel that the texts that we have read so far have been rather eye-opening for me. I realized that I didn’t really see how transparent the details of war were in these pieces in these texts compared to other pieces of literature, such as how warfare as a whole was portrayed. War in movies was always portrayed as being cool, but in reality it’s horrific, traumatizing, and damages entire generations. It was really an eye-opener to hear about the devastating realities. I found All Quiet a good book as it helped to emphasize to the readers what everyone was involved in. Between the sixteen year olds who had their entire lives ahead of them, to the experienced elders who had been to war before, it was quite informative to hear about about the stories of the soldiers and the harsh realities that each of them had to endure. The language that was used was very powerful in conveying what war was actually like, contrary to the movies and television shows.

Certain aspects that were mentioned in All Quiet that soldiers were conditioned to seemed insane to me, such as the soldiers being glad about their fellow comrades being killed because they got extra rations for their next meal. Something like this seems impossible to be happy about to us, but those enduring war were forced to put some sort of silver lining on the devastating situation they were in so that they could keep pushing forward. For the prose readings, I found those interesting in a different aspect, particularly the remarks made near the end of pt. II by a soldier. They talk about how they really didn’t realize how much they had until they went to war, such as not worrying about where tomorrow’s meal is coming from, constant shellfire, and being physically attacked. In conclusion, I feel that each of these texts are solid, and emphasize the harsh realities of how war actually is.

Reading All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and the excerpts from Herbert, Chevalier, Barthas, and West from the WWI Readings, was an experience that open my mind to the harsh realities that the soldiers faced during the war. I personally never had read about WW1 or even really learned about it, so the book/excerpts were really interesting to me.

In the book All Quiet On the Western Front, we follow the narrator,Paul Baümar, a 17 year old, who with a group of friends enlisted in the army, were his morals and ideals were soon to be crushed by the brutal realities of war. As we read the book, Paul describes the terrible conditions the soldiers had to live in. Because the author of the book was in fact a former soldier who fought in this war, we get a realistic, overwhelming and detailed descriptions of the horrible thing the soldiers had to face. As well as the book, the excerpts were written by soldiers who faugh in the war for different countrys.

What most shocked me in this readings was the ignorance of the people towards the concept of war. To me, war was always though as a bad, witch is why I thought back then, people also thought of war as negative. However as I was reading, both in the book and the excerpts the narrators describe how the new soldiers, cooks ,nurses or the civilians back in the towns or cities view the war as an exciting adventure. Another thing I also noticed was the loss of innocence the soldier had. As time passed and the Soldiers fought, their dreams and hopes started to get slowly crushed until their only dream was to survive.

Even though I enjoyed reading both the book and the excerpts, I mostly preferred the book.This because the book was easier to read and had a more of an engaging story line.

In conclusion, the readings teached me alot about WW1.The character feelings and experiences helped me understand what war is really like.Reading them made me understand and sympathize with the personal stories of soldiers making their sacrifices feel more real and significant to me.

When first introduced to this term’s readings I honestly did not expect much; I have a tendency to not take things on paper seriously, as I am not easily tolled by information without photographic evidence; However, to my absolute shock, when I opened these passages (All Quiet on the Western Front, World War 1 Prose 1 and 2), I was instantly plunged into the horrors and grief of war. It is no secret that what happens on the front, no matter it’s significance, will never be understood by civilians; For example, when Paul Baumer returns from the Front home on Leave, he is re-introduced to the life he left behind: His Family, his room, and his books. When he interacts with them, they are living a positive life, his mother even questions him if it was bad out there. When he goes out to eat with his father, Paul puts on civilian clothing, but he knows from his father that he would’ve much preferred him to be in his uniform, he takes Paul to the Bar and shows off to his friends, as well as ask him a lot of questions, however, Paul is more upset by this, as he knows that there is nothing ‘cool’ about seeing people fall all around, never to get up again, around yourself constantly. Paul described his Leave as a regret, he should have never come home.

“I Shake my head and say: No Mother, Not so very…” (Paul Baumer, p. 161, All Quiet on the Western Front)

“My mother is the only one  who asks no questions. Not so my Father… I no longer have any contact with him… So I confine myself to tell him a few amusing things…” (Paul Baumer, p.165, All Quiet on the Western Front)

“I ought never to have come on leave” (Paul Baumer, p. 185, All Quiet on the Western Front)

The next 2 Prose’s really add on the grief of war, as there is a whole compilation of stories from different authours, making for a tragic story telling; In the First Prose, I got to read about and personally understand about the struggles on the Front, as Barthas describes him and his team creating a shelter against rain, and after it stops and the temperature drops below freezing, they are to stay in this shelter with tons of water coming down on them:

” My friend Coutage and I managed to unearth a German overcoat splattered with congealed blood.. draping it over two broken rifles … Worst of all was the thirst which tortured us, in spite of the cascades of water falling from the sky.” (Barthas, p.33, Prose 1)

The second Prose, at least in my opinion, had way more detail about the war. The most absurd thing that I read in this Prose was that the soldiers had a choice; either to sleep on the five filthy mattresses or hard wooden planks of the camp beds, which were both contaminated. this was, softly speaking, an unacceptable aspect of war; I get that hygiene status was not well maintained on the Front, however, changing/ cleaning out the mattresses every so often wouldn’t have been a bad idea:

“When you wanted to lie down on the five filthy mattresses… or simply on the planks… you had to be completely overcome with fatigue so as to fall asleep before feeling the stingers…” (Barthas, pp. 11-12, Prose 2)

In conclusion, these readings took a toll on me; using these 3 sources I was able to further understand what our ancestors experienced during this Great War, how it affected them, as well as shows us a lesson in modern times as to not repeat the mistakes which caused this great Meat-Grinder of a War.

-Iaroslav Serg Pyrozhok

 

The readings from “All Quiet on the Western Front” and the WWI prose excerpts by Herbert, Chevallier, Barthas, and West offer an unsettling portrayal of the soldiers’ living conditions in the trenches. Reading about the soldiers’ desperate desire to escape their suffering, shown in Chevallier’s novel excerpt, Fear: “Death would be preferable to this degrading torment… Yes, if this must continue much longer, I would rather die,” or the thought that just in a few moments some men will be ripped apart, and become objects of horror or indifference was extremely painful and disturbing. The images of men rotting in filth, worse than animals, were also deeply unsettling.

One excerpt that left me completely astonished was the scene where a soldier, feeling a sudden sense of well-being, raises his head above the parapet, only to be instantly struck by a bullet. This moment perfectly encapsulates how brutal and unfair war can be. Even the smallest gestures of life or hope can be crushed immediately.

Personally, the part that had me most heartbroken was a passage from Chevallier’s novel excerpt, where he recounts the thoughts and visions that would flash through his mind “like a lightning bolt.” He writes: “There, in my distant home, my cherished wife, my two babes with blond curls, my white-haired mother and father, kneeling at prayer at this very hour, pouring all their hearts, souls into it, bent in anguish for the absent one… for me. No, I had to escape death as best I could, to get away from this accursed place.” Reading this was incredibly painful because it shows how the love for their families would always linger in the soldiers’ minds. The desire to survive wasn’t just for their own sake but for the sake of those waiting for them back home.

While reading these stories, I tried hard to put myself in the soldiers’ shoes, but the extent of their suffering is impossible to imagine. No pen could ever tell their tale.

Reading All Quiet on the Western Front and other excerpts from books written by WW1 soldiers has drastically changed my perspective about war and life on the front. I had never heard stories about war from the soldier’s perspective, which left me biased against them. How could they have ‘willingly’ enlisted? How were they capable of killing their enemies so cold-bloodedly? Were they truly fighting for their country and willing to die for it? After reading the stories written by soldiers, I understand what war was actually like. What stood out the most to me was the deep relationships and bonds formed between the soldiers. These bonds, formed under the worst possible circumstances, became essential for their survival, both mental and physical. Knowing that the person lying next to you in the trenches could one day save your life, created a sense of incredible trust and dependence.

This feeling of camaraderie really stood out to me in the excerpts from Barthas and Herbert, as well as in All Quiet on the Western Front. Despite the chaos and horror surrounding them, the soldiers looked out for one another. The connection wasn’t just about surviving together but also about the shared trauma and suffering and providing each other support in times of fear and pain.

In the paragraphs from Fear and Diary of a Dead Officer, the bonds formed were a way to find moments of humanity in an inhumane situation. These stories showed me that the soldiers weren’t just fighting for their country, they were also fighting for each other. The friendships and connections gave them the strength to endure the most horrible things a human could possibly endure and this completely changed my understanding of what war meant to those who lived through it. It was so much more then countries and governments fighting against each other, purely for territorial gain, fueled by hate. The soldiers weren’t just figures in a game, they were humans with lives and families that didn’t understand why they had to fight humans just like them.

 

 

The book is named All Quiet on the Western Front. It was written by E.M.R and was published in 1929. I thought this book was quite sad and disturbing and  I think that’s because it was written from a soldiers perspective. You could really envision what they went through and the grief they had to go through. Even though it was sad, it was quite engaging and I think it is because it was written in a way where it was real. I think it was quite realistic.

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque was published in 1929. The narrator of the story, Paul Bäumer, is a soldier for the German Army in WWI and it follows what life was like for the Germans during WWI. I enjoyed reading this book because I found it interesting and the way it was written kept me engaged. I had never read a war book where it’s written in the perspective of a solider, so it was a new experience for me. I found parts of it a bit disturbing or sad, but I liked that they narrator told the story how it really was, instead of making it sound great, like some other books do.

In the excerpts from Herbert, Chevailler, Barthas, and West from the WWI Readings, I found it harder to follow and understand compared to All Quiet on the Western Front. I found part 1 a more challenging read than part 2. Possibly their writing styles and the fact that it jumped back and forth between different times, but I couldn’t really wrap my head around it. Part 2 however, was easier for me to follow, which helped me understand much better. Especially the excerpts from Barthas. I liked the way he wrote his perspective.

Overall, I preferred the book, All Quiet on the Western Front, to the WWI readings because it was an interesting story that I could understand.

From Keith Law:

All Quiet on the Western Front took home nine nominations for this year’s Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best international Feature (as Germany’s submission). It is, as you might know, adapted from Erich Maria Remarque’s 1929 novel of World War I. It’s big, and epic, and certainly lets you know where everyone involves stands on the subject of war. (They think it’s bad.) It’s also a film that doesn’t have any good reason to exist.

You can read the entire review here.