Free All Quiet on the Western Front Essay Sample

The book All Quiet on the Western Front gives a clear description of German soldiers during the First World War. The novel reveals war experiences in the battle field and their implication to the soldiers. During recruitment period, joining the military was regarded as an honorable action done by an individual to the society and the nation. From this perspective a large number of youths voluntarily joined the military in order to fight for their country as well as awarded with the heroic status of soldiers in the community. However, the experiences encountered by the young soldiers had intense adverse effects to both their physical and psychological aspects. This is revealed by the author of the book, All Quiet on the Western Front through the various characters developed in the novel. Notably, experience in the battle field affected the parties involved in various ways that changed their lives as well as altitudes regarding various situations.

 
Get a Price Quote:
- +
Total price:
 
 

Paul Baumer, the main character in the novel is developed by the author to reveal war implications to victims or war veterans in details. Paul joined German military at the age of 19 with a considerable number of his classmate after his teacher influenced him join the army. Initially, Paul was described a conscious, passionate and innovative individual however, the experiences in the battle field completely changed his personality as well as perception on life. At one instance during his leave period, Paul visited his family; though the environment at home had not changed it seemed to him that the entire place was new to him. Also, Paul rarely interacted with the community at home except his mother who was ill.

The community could not comprehend the actual experiences that he faced in the war and he felt sharing the experiences would culminate to no good. In addition, the first killing made by Paul adversely affects his psychological aspects and pleaded for forgiveness from the corpse. Albert, his mentor and an older soldier comforts him that it was part of the duty. Towards the end of the war Paul's friends and former classes dies during the combat which changes his personality as well as altitude in life. The death of the older soldier and his mentor completely changed his entire life. Though the war had ended Paul felt he had nothing to life for and had lost ambitions and hopes in life during the war hence became careless due to the fact that he had nothing to lose.

On the other hand the book In Conflict by Yvonne Latty gives detailed information regarding American soldiers' experiences during the Iraq war. Description of the war is based on numerous interviews conducted on the war veterans of the Iraq war. The interviews not only disclose physical damages experienced by the soldiers during the war but also to psychological and emotional disorders suffered but the veterans. Through the interviews the actual experiences are exposure crucial in accommodating them in the society as civilians. Considering the interviews conducted by Latty various issue arises similar to that reflected to those highlighted by Paul during the First World War.  A 25 year old soldier interviewed described his resentment regarding the society perception on the Iraq War veterans. The interviewer literary hates the people around him and has become a heavy drunkard due to the fact that the community could not understand him any more and the experiences encountered during the war caused severe mental disorders.

The veteran reveals an incidence that culminated to death of baby during the military operations in Iraq. The baby that was in the mothers arms as suspected on being a bomb and the mother as a suicide bomber. The American military responded brutally to the mother and the baby that led to the death of the child. From this perspective the soldier become emotional connected to the experience. This disturbed the psychological aspects of the 25 year old soldier that continued to haunt his life even after his return. In another interview, a veteran who lost her legs during the military operations in Iraq bitterly give her sentiments of war cruelty that left her with her legs. She strongly says that she misses her legs and blames the war for her current state. The pain that she experience during the incidence not only affected her physically but also psychologically and interacting with the society is a problem. A third case that can be identified from the interviews involves a young Iraq war veteran who lost his arm during a Humvee explosion.

The young soldier could not continual with his normal life after his return home. The explosion not only deprives him off his physical appearance but also made him to be over reactive to situations that remind or cause reappearance of the scenario after the war. This portrays that the veteran develop a particular behavioral pattern to respond to similar situation and to be alert always. From this perspective it is apparent that the experiences in Iraq war had devastating effects both physical and psychological to the veterans of the war. In relation to the Paul's situation, it is apparent that wars cause severe adverse effects to the war veteran years later. This calls for a special humanitarian avenue to respond to both physical and psychological effects after a war.  

Altitude towards war

From the books discussed on the war experiences in influencing personality of the veterans it is apparent that war veterans develop certain altitudes regarding life after taking active role in the battle fields. The book All Quiet on the Western Front describes Paul's life in war and his responses to various scenarios encountered in the battle field. The responses portray effects of the war to the soldiers involved in the battle. Though soldiers' excitement tends to be high in the initial stages of the war especially on the young inexperienced soldiers it reduces as they encounter war challenges in the battle fields. When Paul visited his family while in leave he discovered that he was not compatible with the environment as home and could only relate with hid ill mother. The fact that the community around including his father could not understand him he became a lonely individual in the society.

In his last days of leave he felt he was detaching with his family and could not comprehend why she was leaving his mother at that condition. This marks Paul's change in perceiving war in the society. Though he was cordially received his comrades the issue continued to affect him. Also, the fact that Paul's fellow soldiers involved his friends and former classmates the physical pain they faced during war highly contributed change of his perception on war. The attachment they had established during school period lead to the need of the soldiers to protect each other become psychologically affected one of the group members was faced with an injury.   

Moreover that fact that death was real during the war and Paul lost his comrades in the battle field his attitude changed and felt life unworthy to life without his comrades. At one instance when one of his comrades suffered a fatal injury where Paul could physically see his breathing lungs the scenario enhanced his hatred for war and blamed his teacher of advising him to join the German Army. Towards the end of the war Paul had developed an altitude that nothing was worthy to life for in the civilian life. The situation gets worse when his mentor Albert dies and, develops careless altitude in and claims he has nothing to lose if he fails to survive. Though he faced the battle fearlessly the developed altitude could not enable him fit in the society and interact with respective individuals from different individuals.

Also, the numerous deaths he witness in the battle that could contribute to large part in developing post traumatic stress disorder. This is due to war traumas that he witness in the war that majorly involved life threatening situations as well as lose of life of his comrades and his mentor Albert. In this case wars can highly restructure a soldier's altitude based on the various activities encountered and lack of appropriate training in dealing with psychological disorder influenced combat and loses of comrades in battle fields. Therefore, wars not only causes physical or tangible damages to veterans and resources but also plays a significant role in influencing psychological disorder to war veterans.

In regard to In Conflict novel that is based on numerous interviews conducted to war veterans in Iraq varying responses are received from the victims. Though a considerable number of soldiers managed to returns they entire life was changed by the experiences faced during combats and bombing in the Iraq. Notably, the soldiers' involvement in the war was highly based on individual patriotism to serve one's country and protect the dignity of the country in the globe. From this perspective among the interviewed veterans a number pose to be of paramount importance in identifying implication of wars to soldiers is broad. The implications are related to level of adaption of the veterans to civilian life after their return.

The interview on a marine that was to spear head and replace casualties in the war poses to be crucial to the study. The marine was impressed by the call to represent his country in Iraq though he w3as to guide and ensure the young marine were protected. During the interview the marine wished to encounter combat challenges in Iraq. In the initial stages they successfully suppressed the enemy though he acknowledges that the success was not purely based on skills but luck. At one instance his team encountered a life threatening scenario and a soldier died. This affected the marine leader abased on the family that was left by the fallen soldier and realized war was not the most appropriate method to solve problems. The other interviewee who poses to be crucial to the study is Harod Noel. Though Noel returned physically fit he severely suffered from psychological disorder that pushed him become to drug addict in order to escape from the war traumas.

This portrayed the psychological damage a war can have on a soldier that has an adverse effect on individual towards life ambitions. On the other hand a number of the veterans interviewed were positive regarding their experiences in the war. The soldier who was visited by President Bush in a medical center can de identified as having a positive impact to the experiences encountered. Though he is proud of the visits he appreciates the achievement that came with the war and could identify tremendous implication the war would have to the people of Iraq. This shows that the soldier not only evaluated the war from the negative perspective but also from the positive side. Also, the Mexican American should who is committed in embracing the usual life of civilian shows a positive altitude after the war. That fact that the perception of war is geared towards achieving a particular goal understanding life sacrifices are in separate with war portrays a basis towards absorbing war shock.

 

Have NO Inspiration
to write your essay?

Ask for Professional help