All Quiet On The Western Front :: essays research papers

Decline of MoralityThe novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich mare Remarque shows thatwar destroys more than just the physical level the decline of morality has taken placethrough various circumstances in the novel such as then incident where Paul Baumer isforced to kill a soldier in a shell hole, when Paul lies to his mother and the mother of his stillborn friend Kemmerich and when Paul and Kat must beat a recruit unconscious to stophim from leaving the trench these incidents can be compared to events in the 1990s suchas rise in the abortion rate, Columbine High School shootings, and the incident betweenPresident Clinton and Monica Lewinski.In Chapter 7 Paul is granted a leave from his duties for or so a month and in thistime he plans on going home and visiting his family. When he arrives his mother askshim questions about how he is and about the war. More specifically she asks, Was itvery bad out there, Paul? He thinks to himself how that is a bad question and thatnobod y realizes how bad the soldiers actually get so he is forced to lie. He says No,Mother, not so very. There are always a lot of us together so it isnt so bad. Here theauthor proves that the war forces some to lie to their parents whom they have always beenhonest with and this demonstrates the decline of family life that the war causes. Later inthe chapter he goes to visit the mother of his dead friend, Kemmerich. While there he tellsher that he died instantly and she doesnt believe him, You lie. I know better. I have felthis anguish-tell the truth, I want to know it, I must know it.(159) He again lies to her,No, I was beside him. He died at once (159). But insofar she tells him, I know you wantto comfort me, but dont you see, you torment me far more than if you told me the truth? Icannot bear the uncertainty (159). He sticks to his story telling her, He diedimmediately. He felt absolutely nothing at all. His face was quite calm (160). Again thisincident shows that war has a major affect on family life, if he is able to lie to his motherabout the war easily, that makes it easier for him to lie to Mrs. Kemmerich about her son.These incidents can be most well-nigh related to the confrontation involving the President