Paul and his friends enlisted
into the war with ignorant expectations and young, developing minds. They were
forced to adapt to a crude lifestyle in the trenches and fight in cold blood,
killing young men like themselves under an order. Adapting to these harsh
conditions can change a person psychologically, but “you can get used to
anything, even being in the trenches.” (p.96). The war shaped these “young men
of iron” into bitter shells of their former selves, and when Paul went on
leave, it was evident how much he was influenced by war. Paul was out of touch
with his previous passions for the war has aged him, diminishing his youthful
sanguinity to nothing. However, being in the trenches can change a person in a
positive way, for example, when Corporal Himmelstoss came to the front it
humbled him and made him realise his ways. Where there were negative
alterations to the personalities of soldiers, there were slight benefits as
well.
The war has transformed them into
cynical men, and they have “lost any desire to conquer the world” (p.61)
leaving them hesitant to talk of the future, for realistically, they believed
they had no future. The older soldiers had a family, a job and a life, whereas the
younger soldiers’ “lives didn’t go much further than that. And now there’s
nothing left of it all.” (p.14). If they were to return to school, their
behaviour and knowledge would be replaced with the survival instincts and
skills they had acquired from the front. Nevertheless there are other options
available that involve similar requirements from war, namely, working in the
police force or continuing service in the military. Their experience in the
army may not have prepared them for an office job, but it has major assets when
applying for other suitable careers. Besides, service in the war would have
earned them high respect from their community and they would receive many
medals acknowledging their service. Looking further into the future, they will
forever be remembered by their descendants as legendary and have plenty a story
to tell.
Death leaves a sore imprint in a human
being, particularly as Paul had witnessed death at its worst. He had lost his
school mate Franz Kemmerich, and forced to stab the enemy purely for survival before
watching him die slowly, not to mention his biggest loss of his dear friend Pvt.
Stanislaus Katczinsky. The young soldiers “knew nothing of life except despair,
death, fear and…suffering. Our knowledge of life is limited to death.” (p.180)
Paul’s traumatic experiences with death has led him to accept it gladly in the
end as a peaceful escape from living with the horrendous memories of war. The
urge to survive is a primal human instinct, and “every soldier owes the fact
that he is still alive to a thousand lucky chances and nothing else.” (p.70). And
though the trauma of death can never be forgotten, it can make a person
stronger and ready to deal with anything that comes their way.
The generation of “young heroes”
who fought in the war and lived after peacetime have still managed to piece
their lives together again, despite the shuddering flashbacks of their dreadful
experience. Starting life anew after losing the sense of oneself is difficult,
but not entirely impossible. Paul and his friends may have believed they are
ruined for everything, but their attitude to life was influenced by the
brutality of war, therefore shadowing their hopes and dreams with cynicism. Their
attempts to make light out of their dark situation were met with a dreading
realisation that “life is short” (p.97) and although their lives were filled with
nightmarish terrors, they were able to accept their fate of death. After all, no matter
who we are, and what we do, “the years will trickle away, and eventually we
shall perish.” (p.200)
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