So, throughout the book we were supposed to think of disillusionment and how it applies to WWI and the story. In the beginning of the book, the men are talking about Kantorek, their old teacher, and how he talked up war to be this brave and glorious thing. Now, while the men have seen war, felt the pain and now know horrible death it can cause, they know it's not as glorious as he made it seem. Plus, while the men are out risking their lives, living in the filthy, rat ridden, louse filled soldier's quarters, or even worse in the trenches, Kantorek is safely at home with his books, filling more young minds with the false idea that war makes you a hero.
When the men came home, like Paul Baumer came home on leave, they weren't recognized as front line soldiers who risked everything for their country, they were expected to follow orders from higher commanding men who had no clue what the front line was like. The only people who showed any attempt at respect were some school teachers and other men, but they were ultimately clueless and ended up offending Baumer more than anything. He was changed. Even though he wasn't dead like so many, his livelihood and spirit was killed, so he didn't feel the glory, or the heroism of being a soldier. He just felt alone. I think this is something that only the soldiers could know, only they could be disillusioned to the reality of what war really was and what it really did.
http://s250.photobucket.com/albums/gg268/23gointoend/?action=view¤t=2965.mp4
This is what war was actually like, not parades and shiny new outfits.
This a great summary it really captures the mood and the ideas of the book. i thought it was reallimportant that you mention the bit about the hero worship he didn't feel he deserved.
ReplyDeleteNice post ^^ I like how you connected Paul's leave with the disillusionment in the story. I never really thought of that in depth like you. It's true: the men who never knew what the front was like, ridiculed and expected respect from the men who lived on the front -- they were ignorant, unaware of what the soldiers did for their country, and disrespectful.
ReplyDeleteI liked it :3