Chapter 6 Literary Reflection

”War is Hell”

-Soldier in ‘Nam

Holy shit... 32 men! We have all felt like we’ve seen something terrible before. However, during All Quiet on the Western front by Erick Maria Remarque, Paul and his friends witness the horror of war firsthand. 

I have never experienced war, but during the modern era, I’ve seen plenty of war in the entertainment industry. However, it’s different when I’m reading about it. I can see the image clearly, Paul so high on adrenaline, throwing grenades and running, and having men dying all around, it takes a lot to get through something like that, and some veterans don’t, 

They were screaming, gurgling and dying, recruits going virtually insane. I had to approach the whole chapter with a different mindset, the theme is no longer companionship, now the theme is survival. I felt like I was on the front (as much as I could be) and the only glimmer of hope these recruits have, is to receive training from the old timers. Between the gas, artillery, grenades and machine guns, chapter six gives me, and all other readers a vivid  image of the horror of war, by still child’s play compared to what soldiers go through.

 In the end, after repulsing the attack and capturing the enemy trench, Paul and the other Germans gorge on the fresh supples of the allies, they survived the battle, but still, they haven’t survived the war. How they’ve survived the war so far, both physically and mentally, is a miracle. 

Chapter Six gives us respect for veterans, who put their lives at stake abroad, to keep us safe a home, and some don’t come back. The sheer horror of war is something none of us in Eight grade can comprehend, and it would be best if it stayed that way.