Please read Ch. 6 and respond to the following prompts. Use complete sentences and quotes when stipulated.
1. In No Mans Land we see nature surviving. Cite two examples. How does this comment on man and war and their relationship to the earth?
2. "Between five and ten recruits fall to every old hand" (131). Why? Cite three examples.
3. How does Himmelstoss react in battle? Why is the reader inclined to be more judgmental of him? Is this fair?
4. Despite its tendency to be a Realist novel, Ch. 6 has distinct Romantic overtones. Cite the best example you can find.
5. The man in No Man Land who is injured cries in three stages. What are they?
6. This novel can be read as the struggle between an individual and greater forces. Some of those forces might be: technology (think of weaponry), social conventions (peer pressure), institutions or politics.
7. Powerful quote? Yes or no? Why? "...no uniform was ever made to these childish measurements" (130).
8. There are numerous quotes to be examined in this chapter. Select one of your favorites and do so.
Due: Tuesday, 2.14
1. In No Mans Land we see nature surviving. Cite two examples. How does this comment on man and war and their relationship to the earth?
2. "Between five and ten recruits fall to every old hand" (131). Why? Cite three examples.
3. How does Himmelstoss react in battle? Why is the reader inclined to be more judgmental of him? Is this fair?
4. Despite its tendency to be a Realist novel, Ch. 6 has distinct Romantic overtones. Cite the best example you can find.
5. The man in No Man Land who is injured cries in three stages. What are they?
6. This novel can be read as the struggle between an individual and greater forces. Some of those forces might be: technology (think of weaponry), social conventions (peer pressure), institutions or politics.
7. Powerful quote? Yes or no? Why? "...no uniform was ever made to these childish measurements" (130).
8. There are numerous quotes to be examined in this chapter. Select one of your favorites and do so.
Due: Tuesday, 2.14
1. “The sky is blue and without clouds...When the wind blows toward us it brings the smell of blood, which is very heavy and sweet” (Remarque 126). We see the relationship of nature and war in this quote, because in the beauty of nature, there is the scent of war. We can see how nature is experiencing the tragedy of war. “One morning two butterflies play in front of our trench...What can they be looking for here?” (Remarque 127). In this quote, we can see that how the butterflies are in a peaceful state, and that they do not know what is happening in that place. Nature does not have sins, but we see how they are getting involved with the clash of humanity.
ReplyDelete2. The recruits are still young and new to war, that they do not know what to do, which causes them to die. “They have not yet learned what to do” (Remarque 131). The recruits still do not understand the process of war, and the structure of the weapons, which makes them get caught in the trick. “They get killed simply because they hardly can tell shrapnel from high-explosive, they are mown down because they are listening anxiously to the roar of the big coal-boxes falling in the rear, and miss the light” (Remarque130). Since they don’t know what to do, they get seized with panic, therefore they make weird decisions. “When they saw others on top without masks they pulled theirs off too and swallowed enough to scorch their lungs” (Remarque 131).
3. During the battle, Himmelstoss pretends to be injured in the dugout. The readers tend to be more judgmental on him because, he is here to fight for the country, but he is prioritizing to protect himself, and he lied to get away from the reality. I think it is unfair, but I can not exactly say it because, whenever people gets into these kind of situation, people will want to protect themselves.
4. “He runs a few steps more while the blood spouts from his neck like a fountain” (Remarque 115). This simile is a Romantic overtone because the quote is exaggerating about blood, and in real life, we don’t think that blood spouting is not beautiful as a fountain.
5. I am not exactly sure but I think the first stage is, “Everyone yells and curses and slaughters. The madness and despair of many hours unloads itself in this outburst” (Remarque 108). This is where the soldiers are killing each other, and being injured. The second stage is, “He leaps in he air, his arms thrown wide, his mouth wide open, yelling; he staggers, in his back the bayonet quivers” (Remarque 116). This is stating how the soldiers are individually suffering, and is yelling about their pain. The third stage is, “He grows gradually hoarser. The voice is so strangely pitched that it seems to be everywhere” (Remarque 124). This simply talks about how the soldiers are experiencing their pain, and we can imagine their state with their voice.
6. This novel can be read as the struggle between an individual and technology because each individual have to fight with the weaponry existing. An example is the gas attack, because is more of a fight between technology than the opposing army. It is also a struggle between an individual and social conventions because the soldiers have to put pressure to their peers, in order to live and fight. Also each individuals have to fight with institutions and politics, because they are supporting the war, and the soldiers have to obey to them.
7. First of all, I am not exactly sure of the meaning of the quote, but I think it is a powerful quote. I think this quote means how the young soldiers are in panic and that they can not do anything. Therefore, they don’t have the right to wear the uniform. I think this is powerful because one’s life force is being compared to a uniform of a soldier.
8. “The brown earth, the torn, blasted earth, with a greasy shine under the sun’s ray: the earth is the background of this restless, gloomy world of automatons” (Remarque 115). This quote sticks into my mind because to me, this is explaining how earth is being a part of the war. But this quote is stating earth in a negative way, saying that the earth is the place of war.
ReplyDelete1. Even while the fierce battles go on, the nature survives. "The birds too are just as carefree, they have long since accustomed themselves to the war" (Remarque 128). There are rats, too. "They are in No Man's Land - we know what for. They grow fat" (Remarque 128). The indifferent adaptability of nature seems to mock at humans' struggles for being petty.
ReplyDelete2. The recruits are inexperienced and far too young to be of any worth. "They get killed simply because they hardly can tell shrapnel from high-explosives" (Remarque 130). Some of them in a shell-hole take off their masks too soon" (Remarque 131). Teaching them doesn't help much either. "They listen, they are docile - but when it begins again, in their excitement they do everything wrong" (Remarque 134).
3. Himmelstoss fakes out a minor injury and hide behind the trench. The scene reveals his cowardice, especially when he only obeys the orders of the lieutenant. As Paul says, it is unfair how Himmelstoss tries to live while so many young recruits are killed.
4. "We have yielded no more than a few hundred yards of it as a prize to the enemy. But on every yard there lies a dead man" (Remarque 135). I believe this quote reflects on human struggle, which was the main idea of Romanticism. The chapter, and especially this quote, demonstrates powerlessness of soldiers overawed by the war, which is parallel to romantics terrified by nature.
5. At first, he cries for help. Next, in the delirious stage, he calls for his family and especially his wife. Lastly, he merely weeps, until his voice is silenced by his death.
6. The novel reflects the struggle between an individual and institutions. Soldiers lack free will and are merely automatons manipulated by the well fabricated idea of nationalism. Although the physical enemies bring them to death, it is the invisible hand of their own institution that takes away their youth and put them into the battlefield.
7. It is a powerful quote, showing the extremity of the war that forces even the young people (that is, even younger than Paul and his friends) to fight in a simple sentence. The war's inhumanity and its desperate situation is alluded in the quote. Germany seems to be in a dire need of recruitment and soldiers' age is getting younger and younger.
8. "We are forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superficial - I believe we are lost" (Remarque 123). This is amazing sentence, portraying the contradicting and bitter fate of the war generation. They are mature in a malformed way, creating this superficial look of a youth with an old men, or the fake look of adult with immature development of emotions such as love. They are soldiers and nothing else. With the war, and even with the war, their identities are lost forever.
I think the two examples of nature surviving on the battle field are the birds flying and the butterflies. “The butterflies play in front of our trench They are brimstone-butterflies, with red spots on their yellow wings” (Remaque 127). As for the birds, “Every morning larks ascend from No Man’s Land. A year ago we watched them nesting; the young ones grew up too” (Remarque 128). I think that this comment shows that although men can destroy many things in war, nature still exists. I think it is the thing that shows that although nature can be tainted by man, it cannot be destroyed. I think the blood stain on the butterfly wing simbolizes this.
ReplyDeleteFive and ten young recruits fall to every old hand because “They have had hardly any training, and are sent into the field with only a theoretical knowledge” (Remarque 129). In war, it is necessary to have a lot of gut instinct instead of knowledge. The men are not experienced and even though the experienced men teach them, “in their excitement they do everything wrong” (Remarque 134).
Himmelstoss totally tries to shy away from the battle because he was so afraid. I think the readers are inclined to be more judgmental of him since he was the one who was bossing Paul and his men around during training and teaching them useless things to use for war. I think this is a bit unfair since although unlikable, Himmelstoss has never experienced war before that battle and it is natural for men to become afraid and want to run.
“Their pale turnip faces, their pitiful clenched hands, the fine courage of these poor devils, the desperate charges and attacks made by the poor brave wretches, who are so terrified that they dare not cry out loudly, but with battered chests, with torn bellies, arms and legs only whimper softly for their mothers and cease as soon as one looks at them” (Remarque 130). I think that this is the best example of Romanticism because the whole thing is very long and full with describing words. It’s unbelievable how long this ONE sentence is.
The three stages were: 1. screaming/yelling for help 2. talking to his wife and family in craze 3. sobbing and crying until death
This novel can be read as the struggle between an individual and greater forces because in the war, the men lose their individuality and are like mere plastic figures you see little children playing with. Using high technology to blast their enemies takes away more of their humanity and leaves them monsters.
7. I think the quote “...no uniform was ever made to these childish measurements” is strong since it shows how wrong war has become to have children fighting (Remarque 130). The people sent to war are no longer experienced men, but young boys who have not yet learned enough from life.
Although I have already mentioned this quote, I think I need to do so again because I really love it. My favorite quote from this chapter was “The butterflies play in front of our trench They are brimstone-butterflies, with red spots on their yellow wings” (Remaque 127). This is probably because it affected me so much more to see that men has stained nature. I think it has beautiful imagery and also a sense of irony mixed into it. However, when I read this quote, I felt a deep pang of sorrow because we as human beings have ruined a part of nature in our struggle to gain things. The parts of fighting had also a strong impact on me, but too much that I cannot get myself to write about it.
Zen
1."The birds too are just as carefree, they have long since accustomed themselves to the war" (Remarque 128).Nature is able to withstand fierce battles. Even the animals living in these situations are able to adapt to the warzone.
ReplyDelete2. All of the new recruits are too young and inexperienced to be of any use. . "They get killed simply because they hardly can tell shrapnel from high-explosives" (Remarque 130). Also, because of their boyish excitement “they do everything wrong” (Remarque 134)
3. Himmelstoss pretends to be injured and hides behind a trench. This shows a development in Himmelstoss’s character proving him to be a coward; it is unjust that Himmelstoss tries to survive while inexperienced recruits die.
4 ”The explosion of mines mingles with the gun fire” (Remarque 135). This quote reflects the helplessness soldiers have against weaponry on the battle field.
5 Firstly he cried out for help, then in a delirious state calls for his wife and family, and lastly he weeps until death reaches him.
6. The novel reflects the struggle between institutions and individuals. Soldiers are bound to the forces and have little to no freedom; they are carelessly used as automations, through the propaganda of nationalism. There youth is lost on the battlefield, all thanks to the country in which it is supporting.
7. The quote is stirring; it shows the inhuman desperation of war, the soilder recruitment age is continuously dropping because of the high amount of soldiers dying during battle.
8.”we wait and wait. By midday what I expected happens. One of the recruits has a fit. I have been watching him for a long time, grinding his teeth and opening and shutting his fists. These hunted, protruding eyes, we know them too well. During the last few hours he has had merely the appearance of calm. He had collapsed like a rotten tree.” (Remarque 109) this quote is very disturbing. It calmly talks about a man slowly going insane. I like the use of imagery in the last sentence, I get a clear image young lad who once had bright face and boyish charm turned into a pale, stir crazy human who has lost all feeling of reinsurance and self worth, lost in a field of death and senseless killing.
1. The two examples that I saw of nature surviving in the battlefield are the butterflies and birds; those whom live in nature. "They are brimstone-butterflies.. What can they be looking for here? .. They settle on the teeth of a skull" (Remarque 127). "The birds too are just as carefree, they have long since accustomed themselves to the war" (Remarque 128). It seems as if the butterflies and birds are oblivious to the fact that soldiers and weaponry are tearing up their homes; but it also shows that even explosives aren't threatening enough to destroy nature itself.
ReplyDelete2. It means that the new recruits are simply inexperienced, are are just too young to understand what is going on. "They have not yet learned what to do" (Remarque 131). Although it can't really be helped, "They get killed simple because they hardly can tell shrapnel from high-explosives" (Remarque 130). The others are frustrated because the young ones "…do everything wrong" (Remarque 134).
3. Himmelstoss fakes a huge injury in the dugout so that he can stay behind and hide in a ditch. It does make him seem like a coward to the reader, since he takes advantage of the lie and stays protected, while many other men are getting killed in battle. But since this is the type of behavior that anyone would try to pull, it doesn't really make it unfair, although it isn't necessarily the right thing for Himmelstoss to do.
4. "We have lost all feeling for one another. We can hardly control ourselves when our glance lights on the form of some other man. We are insensible, dead men, who through some trick, some dreadful magic, are still able to run and to kill" (Remarque 118). This quote to me, shows how much man is actually capable of, no matter what situation he is in. This element of struggle is prominent in many Romantic overtones.
5. First, he cries for help. A little while later, he calls for his family to be close. Lastly, he isn't able to do anything more but weep, until he finally dies.
6. This novel is a good example of the struggle between individuals and greater forces, or institutions. The war has obviously a great impact on everyone, since even children and young adults are fighting for their country. The nationalism of the country, or the greater force, has a great impact on individuals, or the soldiers, because they are expected to fight and more than likely to die in a battle for their country. Since everyone has the same mindset and supposed goal, individuality is also lost in the process. This combined with military weapons and artillery takes away a soldier's humanity as well, since killing by the masses isn't something that one can easily do.
7. I think that this is a powerful quote. The fact that many military uniforms were made to fit full grown men were expected, since lots of men fight in wars. But the fact that children are getting stuffed in these uniforms made for men much bigger than them, handed a gun, and are getting sent off to war can make one think if it is morally correct. If a military uniform was made for a fully grown man that is going off to war, then it isn't meant for a small child, and so is a battle.
8. I decided to discuss this quote: "How long has it been? Weeks - months - years? Only days. We see time pass in the colorless faces of the dying, we cram food into us, we run, we throw, we shoot, we kill, we lie about, we are feeble and spent, and nothing supports us but the knowledge that there are still feebler, still more spent, still more helpless ones there who, with staring eyes, look upon us as gods that escape death many times" (Remarque 133). This quote stayed in my mind throughout the whole chapter, because of how the war seems to carry on for so long; yet it had only been a few days. The soldiers are so occupied with killing and surviving that they had even lost track of time. And though they are so occupied with what they are doing, they look at those who are worse off than themselves, and feel sympathy, for being the one who is able to survive a little longer, although those who survive feel as feeble as those who are already passed.
ReplyDeleteRina B3
1. No matter what happens to humans nature continues to live the usual life."The birds too are just as carefree, they have long since accustomed themselves to the war" (Remarque 128) and “the butterflies play in front of our trench They are brimstone-butterflies, with red spots on their yellow wings” (Remaque 127). Natura has nothing to do with the war between humans and that tells me that war is man made and it is not nessesary for living.
ReplyDelete2. The recuirts are simply a waste and won’t change anything even if their at the battle field because "They get killed simply because they hardly can tell shrapnel from high-explosives" (Remarque 130), “they have not yet learned what to do” (Remarque 131) and “they do everything wrong” (Remarque 134)
3. Himmelstoss is so afraid of the battle that he acts like he is injured and hides himself. That makes it obvious that Himmelstoss is a coward and is a kind of person who is selfish and won’t mind betraying his squad if he can survive. I don’t think it’s fair, but theres always people like that where ever you go.
4. From page 120 to 121, Paul talks about the poplar trees and how their quietness is all gone in Paul’s heart. “They are soundless apparitions that speak to me, with looks and gestures silently, without any word and it is the alarm of their silence that forces me to lay holf of my sleeve and my rifle lest I should abandon myself to the liberation and allurement in which my boby would dilate and gently pass away into the still forces that lie behind these things” (Remarque 120) This section is a perfect example of the Romanticism in this novle.
5. The man in No Man Land who is injured cries for help, then cries for his family and his wife, then cries and screams in pain until he dies.
6. I think there is a connection with One Day that we read during the first semester, because characters from both books struggle to keep their individuality in a harsh and debestating environment. This struggle that I found might not be something between a individual and a greater force, but it is defenitly a big struggle that the characters are experiencing.
7. I guess it is a powerful quote, because what the quote saying is that the young soldiers who have no idea what their doing shouldn’t be wearing the uniform because they shouldn’t be considered as soldiers. It’s disrespect and shame to the country and the people because the enemies will think that the country that young soliders are from has bunch of cowards. Who gets to wear the uniform is who is actually willing to fight and dies for his country and will do anything if its needed.
8. I really liked that ramntic part in page 120 where Paul talked about the popalr trees. After all the gun shooting and bomb explotion, it calmed me and have a break from that bloody scenes.
Men and nature, has a lot of connectivity, nature to soldiers is like a piece of them still remaining to their body and attached. People die and kill, nature is harmed, but it is always there for them, it will never disappear although the land is in a horrendous state. “One morning two butterflies play in front of our trench. They are brimstone-butterflies, with red spots on their yellow wings” (Remarque 127). Another quote will be, “A year ago we watched them nesting; the young ones grew up too” (Remarque 128). Referring to the larks that grew up near the trees of the battlefield meaning that there is life although people kill each other.
ReplyDeleteNew recruits have absolutely no experience whatsoever, since “they have not yet learned what to do” (Remarque 131). A surprise gas attack also revealed their inner experience with their gas masks. “Some of them in a shell hole took off their masks too soon; they did not know that the gas lies longest in the hollows” (Remarque 131). They also have a lot to learn about how they behave together as a group. “They flock together like sheep...even the wounded are shot down like hares by the airmen” (Remarque 130).
Unlike what he commands, Himmelstoss acts like a coward, although what he says should be what he is going to do in the war. Surprisingly he was acting as if he was injured behind the trench, which shows his inner weakness and proves that his commands towards the younger soldiers were not intended. Obviously, he does not know what real war is like.
“Their pale turnip faces, their pitiful clenched hands, the fine courage of these poor devils, the desperate charges and attacks made by the poor brave wretches, who are so terrified that they dare not cry out loudly, but with battered chests, with torn bellies, arms and legs only whimper softly for their mothers and cease as soon as one looks at them” (Remarque 130). This quote looks like a paragraph, but it is only one sentence, describing carefully the details of the new recruitment.
This poor man starts calling out for help at first, the second night, he starts to have imaginary conversations with his wife and his kids, and specifically “Elise”, finally he starts weeping.
This novel best describes the struggle between individuals and peer pressure, which later involves weaponry. To soldiers war is a constant battle between your mental and physical mind. Soldiers feel peer pressure through war, and needing to be build up to someones expectations. Adding on to perplexing battles between your mind and your body, as weapons join in, it increases pressure on your mind, by killing people in a great amount, without guilt. After the war, this will impact you definitely.
This quote is really powerful, it also shows the development in Paul’s mind. To me, I think Paul considers himself a man compared to these young recruits, as he recalled to them as infants early in the book. Although Paul was not hundred percent prepared for war, we can slowly see that he is not so sentimental compared to the beginning of the book, which indicates how Paul changed throughout the war. From Paul’s experience, he believes that these half grown men cannot be ready for a state, like war. If you are hundred percent grown up, it will mean you are dedicated to the war, with bravery.
I think this quote is pretty self explanatory, but I find it really amazing how soldier saw dead bodies, mutilated bodies and such everyday, which will soon change their inner mind. “We see men living with their skulls blown open; we see soldiers run with their two feet cut off, they stagger on their splintered stumps into the next shell-hole... another goes to the dressing station and over his clasped hands bulge his intestines...the sun goes down, night comes, the shells whine, life is at an end” (Remarque 134). I cannot imagine viewing these people, and yet I know that I will get used to this, I really respect what people go through during the war.
1.“One morning two butterflies play in front of our trench” (Remarque 127) and “The birds too are just carefree” (Remarque 127) are two examples of nature surviving. Shows the strength of these wild-living creatures, and how men has demolished their homes, which symbolizes how man-kind often ruin nature.
ReplyDelete2.The young recruits die easily because “They have had hardly any training, and are sent into the field with only a theoretical knowledge”(Remarque 129), “they can hardly tell shrapnel from high-explosive”(Remarque 130) and Some of them in a shell-hole take off their masks too soon" (Remarque 131). In the trenches, what matters is experience that would make them decide beforehand.
3. Himmelstones went to the dugout to pretend a injury so he could be safe. Knowing that he was stern and have had a high position in the military, it makes him look like a coward and readers would tend to be critical of this action. I don’t think this is fair though, since he did not experience the front-lines and many people would take the same action because what is happening is purely horrific and far beyond different from our every-day lives.
4.The quotes “Their pale turnip faces, their pitiful clenched hands, the fine courage of these poor devils, the desperate charges and attacks made by the poor brave wretches, who are so terrified that they dare not cry out loudly, but with battered chests, with torn bellies, arms and legs only whimper softly for their mothers and cease as soon as one looks at them” (Remarque 130) stuck out to me the most as a Romantic overtone. As I was reading through, I thought this long, detailed phrases were a paragraph, but it turned out to be just a sentence. The word choices such as “pale turnip faces” and “fine courage of these poor devils” had a tone of sympathy and passion, which was different from the usual Realism tone. My idea of Romanticism include extravagant language and syntax, and I thought this sentence would fit the most.
5. They first call for help, then they have some delirium where he would talk to his wife and children, and at the end they weep.
6.The struggle inside an individual would be taking care of yourself and staying as a distinct individual, so they won’t become an armed robot. Greater forces would be all the weapons like poisonous gases, grenades, and shelling. Another force was nationalism and peer pressure that recruited the young soldiers into this war.
7. I find this quote very powerful because in the context before this, it was illustrating how the uniforms for these young recruits were too big on them, showing the deadly costs of war. It is designed for grown men to wear, but due to shortage of men more and more younger recruits are forced to wear it, exemplifying the tremulous reality of what war brings.
8. The following quote was my favorite: “But we are swept forward again, powerless, madly savage and raging; we will kill, for they are still our mortal enemies, their rifles and bombs are aimed against us, and if we don’t destroy them, they will destroy us” (Remarque 115). This quote explains what happens to men when they experience war, and how they need to kill their enemy to survive. During battle, they are forced to use their “madly savage and raging” instincts, but at the same time they are “powerless”, which showed how Paul still has human aspects in him.
1. “Still the parachute-rockets shoot up and cast their pitiless light over the stony landscape, which is full of craters and frozen lights like a moon” (Remarque 123).
ReplyDelete“One morning two butterflies play in front of our trench. They are brimstone-butterflies, with red spots on their yellow wings” (Remarque 127).
These comments show us that there is still recognition of the beauty in nature; the soldiers notice the pretty butterflies fluttering yet they quickly forget about it and its beauty when their lives are at stake. Nature survives the battle, always, and the people that die from the war return back to nature in a cruel yet ultimate cycle.
2. The young recruits drop like flies because they haven’t a clue, “they flock together like sheep instead of scattering” making them easy targets (Remarque 130). They are inexperienced and too young to know better, many die because they “did not know that the gas lies longest in the hollows” and take their masks off too early (Remarque 131). The boys are just boys “they get killed simply because they hardly can tell shrapnel from high-explosive” (Remarque 130).
3. Himmelstoss panics. He hides in a ditch and Paul ends up trying to order him out of the hole and doesn’t end up getting him out until an officer commands Himmelstoss out. A reader may be more judgmental of him because he shows cowardice but I really don’t think judging him would be a proper thing to do because of the chaotic situation he is in. He has very good reason to be scared and want to stay in that ditch, even colonels get scared.
4. “Dead, his chest leans against the side of the trench, his face is lemon-yellow, in his beard still burns a cigarette. It glows until it dies out on his lips” has a tragic romantic overtone with its fruity description of his skin rather than an ill, feverish yellow (Remarque 128). Also the cigarette glows and burns out as you would picture the man’s soul doing in his last moments of life.
5. The first night, the man cries for help. The second night he has a delirium and talks with his wife and children. Then on the third day he “merely weeps” (Remarque 125).
6. This novel can be read as a struggle of social conventions due to the situations in which these young men find themselves in because of what they believe their duties and obligations are. They no longer want to be a part of the massacre they had so eagerly and unknowingly signed up for but did so because they believed it was their social duty. They had to be brave and get out of the pits and now cower in the corners to save their skin.
7. Very much so a powerful quote. Saying that the boys were of a physical size that was much too underdeveloped to fit into a military suit and yet were expected to fill even larger shoes of responsibility was ridiculous. It shows how non matured they are to have the duties that they do when they are too small to understand their situations let alone hold the responsibility of their country on their shoulders.
8. “[The days] are a mysterious reflection, an apparition that haunts us, that we fear and love without hope. They are strong and our desire is strong-but they are unattainable and we know it” (Remarque 121). This quote stood out to me because it seemed like the bitter truth that all those who were not frantic at the moment felt. When they are able to sit and think and are not being shot at they can dream about their desires, hopes and loves but they fear thinking about it because they feel as though that happy day when it’s all finally over, will never come.
1. There are a lot of rats eating their bread "The rats here are particularly repulsive, they are so fat-- the kind we call corpse rats" (Remarque 102) and later, they see birds that have adapted to life even when the war is going on around them "The birds too are just as carefree, they have long since accustomed themselves to the war" (Remarque 127-128)
ReplyDelete2. "Between five and ten recruits fall to every old hand" (131). Because they are very young and do not have experience. “they have had hardly any training, and are sent into the field with only a theoretical knowledge. They do know what a hand-grenade is, it is true, but they have very little idea of cover, and that is the most important of all” (Remarque 129). So they do not have enough training or experience to know when they are safe. "they listen, they are docile -- but when it begins again, in their excitement they do everything wrong" (Remarque 134) They also have trouble with controlling thier emotions of the war. "By midday what I expected happenes; one of the new recruits has a fit"(Remarque 109) They are also not ready to be able to handle the front so they go crazy.
3. He pretends to be injured so he can hide in the dugout. The reason the reader would judge him because everyone else is out fighting and he is just rying to preserve himself. It is not fair what he is doing for that reason.
4. "During the day we loaf about and make war on the rats"(Remarque 103) They are romanticizing "war" on the rats by killing them and scaring them away as well for eating their bread and being a bother.
5. First he starts crying out for help, after that he starts crying out to his wife and family, and finally he starts to weep till he slowly fades out to scilence by death.
6. The novel shows struggle between individual and social conventions because of the way that they were tricked into joining the army by thier teacher and others were tricked by many other teachers just like thiers. They end up in the horrible situations described in this chaper and only then do they realize what they have done, by the time there is no going back.
7. The quote is very powerful because so many of the people at the front in this novel are so incredebly young that it is shocking. Many of the new recruits are even younger than Paul and is friends and they have considered themselves quite young.
8. "The blast of hand-grenades impinges powerfully on our arms and legs; crouching like cats we run on, overwhelmed by this wave that bears us along, that fills us with ferocity, turns us into thugs, into murderers, into god only knows what devils; this wave that multiplies our strength with fear and madness and greed of life, seeking and fighting for nothing but our deliverance. If your own father came over with them you not hesitate to fling a bomb at him" (Remarque 114) [Long quote, but great] It is really powerful, especially with "god knows what devils" and the last line about how war could undoubtedly make you throw a bomb at your own father.
1.) In front of the trenches, “two butterflies play” in the morning (Remarque 127). This shows that beautiful things still exist during war. Animals tend to not notice the war as “the birds too are just as carefree, they have long since accustomed themselves to the war” (127-128). Some animals take advantage of the wartime “we have a spell from the rats” (128). This shows that the men have to interact with nature and the beautiful and the annoying things that come with it and learn how to work with it or against it.
ReplyDelete2.) Five to ten recruits are in the hands of an experienced soldier because there are not enough soldiers to take care of each one, so they are trained in groups. The young recruits need to be taken care of by someone who is experience because “they have not yet learned what to do” (Remarque 131). The recruits are still naïve and need to be “lead away from here where they have no business to be,” but that is not possible, so they must be put under guidance (130). Without guidance, the young recruits’ have “sharp, downy, dead faces have the awful expressionlessness of dead children” (130).
3.) Himmelstoss acts like he is wounded staying in the dugout. The readers become more judgmental as Himmelstoss is not taking responsibility and being mature staying in the trench while the young recruits are out fighting. This is not fair, because the young recruits are still young, they don’t know what they are doing, they have less of a chance surviving and not experiencing the future they should have had.
4.) “It was summer when we came up, the trees were still green, now it is autumn and the night is grey and wet” (Remarque 135).
5.) The injured man first cries out in a strangely pitched way, gradually getting hoarse. Simply calling for help. The second stage, the cries become fainter as his lips and mouth have become dry. He is in a stage of delirium, talking to his wife and kids. Finally, he just weeps, dwindling to a croak.
6.) This novel is a struggle as an individual against weaponry. Each person has to protect themselves against bombs, guns, attacks, no one can easily safe you from these attacks. Even if you are with all your comrades on the battlefield, you still have to watch your back all the time so you don’t get killed. Although, comrades are important, survival all depends on you avoiding technology.
7.) Yes, that is a powerful quote because it shows that uniforms were not made for children sizes, meaning that children were never meant to be wearing uniforms. These children were forced into the army, without even proper gear for them. They were just thrown into the midst of this chaos with what was left, and little knowledge. This quote shows how the children struggle through what they are put through.
8.) “No soldier outlives a thousand chances. But every soldier believes in Chance and trusts his luck” (Remarque 101).
This shows that soldiers are not running on luck when they survive. They cannot outrun chance that many times, but soldiers like to believe that is what is keeping them there and keeps holding on to that luck to continue to survive. Even if chance is not the case, as least is a bright thing to think about.
1. Nature always finds some way of surviving the devastation of war, and is the ultimate force that can never be defeated. "One morning two butterflies play in front of our trench" (Remarque 127). "Every morning larks ascend from No Man's Land" (Remarque 128).
ReplyDelete2. The recruits didn't have any knowledge in fighting trench wars. "they have little idea of cover" (Remarque 129), "they hardly can tell shrapnel from high-explosive" (Remarque 130), and "They flock together like sheep instead of scattering" (Remarque 130).
3. Himmelstoss, like the recruits, does not have a lot of knowledge of the front. The reader would be more inclined to be judgmental of him because he treated Paul and his friends like crap, and now he's in the same dugout. I don't find it fair because whether or not he was a mean drill sergeant, he's still a part of their faction, and deserves to be treated like everyone else.
4. "My hand grows cold ... blood congealed and black" (Remarque 123). I find this passage romantic in a sense of its language. This paragraph implies the supernatural, with wind sucking the life out of corpses, and calling the mist "mysterious".
5. At first, the soldier would just yell, followed by wishing for his family. In the last stage, he is killed, and his voice is silenced.
6. I find this particular chapter a struggle between the individual and technology. All over the front, we see soldiers putting as much effort as they can to stay alive, even if they are missing limbs, and if their intestines are bulging, or if there arm is blown off. Regardless of the other side, they must compete with the shells and grenades that are trying to kill them.
7. Yes, because it implies that, although these recruits may be of a legal age to join the army, they are not in the shape for it. There's a physical sense to it, that they are literally too small for the uniforms, and there's also a sense that they're just too inexperienced, which makes the uniforms appear small on them.
8. "We are forlorn ... I believe we are lost" (Remarque 123). This quote describes how Paul and his company of 19 year old veterans feel when they pass places of their youth. They feel that they don't belong where they are now, in the army, but at the same time, they don't question their capability of being there. As they pass the places of their youth, they begin to feel a loss of reality, and a loss of who they really are, or were.
1. Despite the killing between men, the nature still survived in the war field and the two elements of nature, I think that stands out are birds and the butterflies; "The birds too are just as carefree, they have long since accustomed themselves to the war" (Remarque 128) and "One morning two butterflies play in front of our trench" (Remarque 127). No matter how much men will kill each other and try to survive, the nature will not change its cycle and it also shows how the nature is independent from humankind while men cannot be independent from nature.
ReplyDelete2. The recruits are still too young and too inexperienced to get through the front line. Although they have been trained until some point, they are not able to actually experience themselves, the real fear to be in the front. "They get killed simply because they hardly can tell shrapnel from high-explosives" (Remarque 130). The recruits only know the learning from the camp and are not able to differentiate, by instincts, the dangers.
3. Pretending to be injured, he hides himself, safe in a dug hole. The readers tend to be more judgmental since he was being the instructor, although an useless instructor, and he was training the soldiers, and being there to fight for their country, therefore his selfish act is surely to be judged. However, I would say that it is a natural behavior for one to save one's life. So as a human, it could be understood, however, as a former leader, it is not acceptable.
4. Although this chapter has, I would say, a very strong imagery describing the war itself. However, the actual language uses many literal devices such as metaphors with romantic language such as the following quote; “Dead, his chest leans against the side of the trench, his face is lemon-yellow, in his beard still burns a cigarette. It glows until it dies out on his lips”(Remarque 128). Here, the dying life of a soldier is compared to the cigarette.
5. He first cries for help, and then, realizing that there is no hope, cries for his family and especially his wife. In the end, he does not have any force to cry and weeps which gradually fades out to his death.
6. I would say a struggle between technology and men, since before the machines were the main weapons and therefore, did not know the opponents faces. However, later on, they actually get to recognize their enemies and at the same time, they start facing the actual Death. Using machines, and especially from a long distance, dehumanizes the soldiers because they will not see who they are attacking and who they are taking lives from. However, being attacked by those weaponries, the fear that they face is humane so the soldiers hold at the same time both the humane and inhumane sides of themselves.
7. Yes, because obviously, although trained those young soldiers are not as fit as they should be to join the army and fight for the country. Their legal age might allow them to go to war, however, their body will not be large enough to fit the uniforms. This quote show how young soldiers are sent to war, whether they desire it or not, however, the government will not provide the proper gear for them to prepare.
8. I chose this quote; “We see men living with their skulls blown open...the sun goes down, night comes, the shells whine, life is at an end” (Remarque 134). This whole paragraph, I think, impacted me the most with its visual image. It realistically describes the situation and the landscape of the war and it was to a point that I could not visualize it in my mind. Also, the last sentence describes how easily the lives were lost; I also felt how it became too usual to fight and kill each other.
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Kana B3
1. In the No Man's Land, killing and death is occurring, but you can still the nature surviving from the butterflies and the birds. The soldiers sees the birds flying over them, " A year ago we watched them nesting; the young ones grew up too" (Remarque 128). However, I view the rats also as nature surviving. They go steal food from the soldiers even if the soldiers "fastened a thin wire to the roof and suspended his bread from it" ( Remarque 102). The rats still find a way to get the bread.
ReplyDelete2. The recruits are young and unexperienced, and because of this, they are afraid as well. " The desperate charges and attacks made by the poor brave wretches,who are so terrified that they dare not cry out loudly " ( Remarque 130). To people like Paul who is "old " in the front, he they are inexperienced, " A man would like to spank them, they are so stupid " ( Remarque 130) . They cannot do anything without guidance or help.They are all still just boys, kids, since " no uniform was ever made to these childish measurements " ( Remarque 130).
3. Himmelstoss pretends to injure himself and hides in a hole. The readers would be judgmental in his actions because of the way his position in the army. He is a commanding officer who punishes and bullies these soldiers to show his authority, but once he sees the real action he is also the one that hides away. However, I don't think it it is fair for him. Every man will be afraid their first time in the front.
4." One morning two butterflies play in front of our trench. They are brimstone-butterflies, with red spots on their yellow wings" ( Remarque 127). I found this quote romanticism, because one will hardly connect butterflies with battlefield. Butterflies gives the image of beauty and relaxation, and just like the book said a carefree life.
5. First stage a man will call for help, second stage a man will call for his family and his loved ones, third stage the man will simply cry for the physical pain until he dies.
6. I find the novel expressing the struggle between individual and country/ politics. As an individual, no one wants to be in war, these young boys they didn't know what the reality was and enrolled themselves proudly as soldiers until they saw before their eyes the first bombing , the first death. Nobody wants to die. However, when it come to standing up for one's country, they are often told to do the right thing, to enroll and fight for their country, even if they don't want to they are forced to do so by the people close to them such as family and teachers.
7. Yes i think it is a powerful quote. In these simple words, it shows how these recruits are just boys and are not meant to be fighting in this war. It gives out the message, war is not honorable or something to be proud of, boys should stay boys and have normal lives not here in the front killing and dying.
8." We see men living with their skulls blown open; we see soldiers run with their two feet cut off, they stagger on their splintered stumps into the next shell-hole; a lance-corporal crawls a mile and a half on his hands dragging his smashed knee after him; another goes to the dressing station and over his clasped hands bulge his intestines; we see men without mouths, without jaws, without faces; we find one man who has held the artery of his arm in his teeth for two hours in order not to bleed to death" ( Remarque 134). This whole quote shows how terrifying the war is. It is written in such great detail that one can actually imagine the scene, with these injured men. I realized after reading this quote that, us human are really fragile physically. We may be complicated in our mind but, a bomb a bullet can destroy everything easily in a second.
B1 Catherine
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