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All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich
Question:
Paul dies at the end of the book; however, this is not the climax of the story. In a sense, his death is a
relief for the reader, since Paul is already dead. Identify the climax of the novel and explain why it is
really at this particular moment that Paul dies.
All Quiet on the Western Front is 1929 novel by a World war 1 German veteran Erich Maria Remarque. The
novel as told as narrated from the point of view of Paul Baulmer who is the main protagonist in the story
describes extreme mental and physical stress that the German Soldiers went through during the war. The book
also describes the detachment of these soldiers from the civilian life upon returning home from the front.
Remarque’s novel serves as an invaluable historical record source as it offers the reader the access to a
perspective on a war that could not be previously could not be experienced.
Paul Baulmer’s death occurs at the end of the novel; however, this does not serve as the story’s climax. The
climax of the story is however when Paul kills a French Soldier by the name Gerald Duval who climbs into a
shell hole with him. Baumer panics when he comes at a close encounter with the enemy where he immediately
stabs the young soldier. Paul is, however, is remorseful for stabbing him and tries to bandage his wounds. Paul
tells the young soldier “want to help you, Comrade, camerade, camerade, camerade--" as he eagerly repeats the
words to make him understand. This is the first time Paul uses his hands to kill and kills someone that he could
see close at hand. He watches helplessly as the young soldier dies. Paul after the death of the young French
soldier discovers that Gerald Duval had been a printer and had a wife and a kid too. He realizes that an enemy is
not just a nameless face that has to be detested; rather, just like himself, they are scared, young soldiers. After
realizing this, Paul gets more bitter about the war feeling totally isolated and lost as well.
Paul Baumer’s death at the end of the book in some sense is a relief for the reader as he is already dead. His
death may be said to be an apt way of ending this novel. He had seen and experienced horrific losses. He always
feels terribly alone although he is in the midst of many other soldiers and feels angry about the loss, death, and
waste that happens around him. After being disillusioned by the realities of war, he loses hope in life. He says
that they have become a wasteland. He no longer has aspirations. Paul is not happy even when he goes on
leave, and nothing can change that. His experience when he is given leave shows the inability of the soldiers to
relate to the realities of the civilian’s life after experiencing the war. The rumors of an end to the fighting are
meaningless to him and know that he will soon be back to the front. He dies sitting on a park bench with the
narrator saying that “his face had an expression of calm, as though almost glad the end had come (Remarque,
1929).” Considering Paul’s lack of purpose, sense of hopelessness, loneliness, and disillusionment, there is no
doubt that dying seemed a better option to him than living. He had suffered enough and gone through much pain
and finally realized that the enemy was human after killing Gerald Duval.
In conclusion, the novel “All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque offers a clear picture of
realities of World War 1 and the nature of the warfare that the soldiers at the front experienced. The impact of
war on those at the front especially to those who were lucky to survive like Paul Baulmer was undoubtedly life
altering. The climax of the story is when Paul stabs a French soldier which he regrets after realizing that his
enemy was someone like him. His death serves as a relief for the reader as he is already dead regarding the
hardships he went through. He had lost hope in life and saw life as meaningless and this probably the reason that
he dies at this particular moment.
