All Quiet on the Western Front is abook written by Erich Maria Remarkque. It was a book written to reflect the
human cost of war. It shows us how war has a hidden face that most people do
not see until it is too late. In the novel, he describes a group of young men
who at first think war is glorious. But as the war drags on, the group
discovers how war is not all it is set out to be. As the Little Cloudy war went on, they saw their friends either dieor be permanently wounded. Then the end comes when there was only one person
left. 

All Quiet on the Western Front takesplace in Germany where a group of young boys are first encouraged to join the
military. Thinking that it would be a great adventure, they enlisted, not
knowing the fate that lies before them. At first, the group is sent to
training. They aren't in a serious mood, thinking that war conditions aren't as
bad as they really are. When the boys are sent to the front, it is only then
when they start to realize how war is not great. This is when the boys are
cramped into the trenches. Some of the soldiers were shell-shocked because of
the constant bombardment. When one of the boys was wounded, he was taken to a
hospital where there were many wounded soldiers. Some soldiers had to have
parts of their bodies amputated in order to survive. When Kemmerich was in the
hospital, Müller ask for his pair of boots. The boots was a visible reminder to
the boys of the cost of war. Paul then has to face his own conscience when he
kills one of the Frenchmen. He doesn't see the face of an enemy but just a face
of another human being. He tries to comfort himself by promising to help the
fallen soldier's family. After Paul is relieved from the front line, he decides
to go on leave and return home. But when he tries to tell everyone of the
horrible conditions of the trenches, everybody either laughs him off or calls
him a coward. Paul returns before his leave actually ended, wishing that he had
never come home. In the end, when Paul loses Kat, Paul realizes that the war
has destroy his way of life. He has lost all his friends and has nothing to
return to. 

There were many symbols and imagesin All Quiet on the Western Front. Examples of this include the pair of boots
and the constant urge for companionship. The pair of boots and the fact that it
was passed around so often tells us that death was a very common occurrence
during the war and that the soldiers wanted to use everything then could find
in order to aid their chances of survival. The urge for companionship is shown
when the group crosses the river to see the French girls and when the group
sees the picture of the girl while having a drink. As the boys start being
killed in the war, the group wished that everything could that they could be back
home doing things they enjoy. The pictures serve as a reminder that war
disrupts everything, from people's lives and their dreams and ambitions. 

The major theme of the novel AllQuiet on the Western Front is that war must be avoided at all cost because of
the severe consequences that will arise. War causes people to lose friends,
makes people worried and creates a feeling of uncertainty among innocent
people. War also creates hatred among people. For example, two friends of
different nationalities may become bitter enemies only because their respective
countries are at war. 

I think the novel All Quiet on theWestern Front is a well told story, mixing both fiction and non-fiction into a
powerful novel which forces people to think deeply about war and all of its
possible repercussions. The book makes me think of all the lost talent that was
lost during the war. Even though levels of technology increases exponentially,
we have to wonder what the people who died Little Cloudy in the war could have done to help the humancause. The novel also tells us that friendship always prevails even though
tough times. I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks that war can be
short and glorious. Through this book, any reader can see that war brings
unnecessary death to innocent people (soldiers and civilians). After reading
the book, the reader will probably have a different outlook on war and all the
low points that it brings.