Mani Ramezani
Mr. Cohen and Miss. DiPaolo
ENG3U
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
All Quiet on The Western Front: what really happened?
We are sitting in class, and the only person who is listening to Kantorek is Müller. I don’t know how he can pay attention to Kantorek, while all of us are in dirty and torn clothes with hungry and empty stomachs. Even Kantorek has nothing to say except talking about the war. We all know what he meant by talking about war. He wants to convince us that we should go to the front. Really? We are only teenagers who should think about the university instead of thinking about the war! By going to the front, not only do we lose the chance to go to university, but we also forget everything we learned in high school. Also, no one taught us how to shoot and defend ourselves during high school!
War, war, war. Nowadays, everything is about war. Kantorek is succeeding. He is succeeding in sending us all to the front. These teachers always manage to convince others by carrying their feelings and trotting them out. Finally, we are going to register to put our lives in our hands. Thousands of teenagers are here who forged their parents' signatures to go to the front, and all of this is because of the current atmosphere of the city. Whoever does not go to war is a traitor; whoever does not go to war is a coward; whoever does not go to war is part of the enemy. But maybe someone who does not go to war is looking for peace.
We are on the way back home, and with our young, awake eyes we see soldiers living with their skulls blown open; we see soldiers without mouths, without jaws, and without faces. They are not French soldiers; they are unusable German soldiers who can no longer continue, so they are carrying them back on very old trucks. We don’t even need to ask them about the war, because their eyes say everything, and I can see fear and regret in Tjaden and Müller’s eyes.
Tjaden says: "What happened to them?"
"You will find out in a few days," I tell him.
Kropp cleared his throat and says: "Nothing is going to happen to us."
Müller throws his cigarette away and says: "I hope."
I think to myself that maybe these soldiers are not as miserable as they seem. Many soldiers have not returned! They should be grateful enough to find their way home again.
I am sure that at the front, we will become wild beasts. We will not fight; we will defend ourselves against annihilation. After registration, we put our childhood in a box, closed it, and prepared our boots to go to the front.
Reflection
As far as possible, in the adaptation of All Quiet on The Western Front, the author has tried to write a text similar to the main theme of the book. He used this by using actual names, repetitions, a first-person narrator, and realistic descriptions. And the reason for using this method is that Remarque used these methods a lot too. To convey the same feeling as the book, using the method of realistic description is very useful. For example, “We see soldiers living with their skulls blown open; we see soldiers without mouths”. This sentence can convey the main theme and feel to the reader well. In chapter one of All Quiet on The Western Front, Remarque tries to make the boots into symbols, so the use of the boots in adaptation can also help Remarque too. Furthermore, by using a first-person narrator, readers can understand the real Paul's thoughts and his real characteristics. ”We are only teenagers who should think about the university instead of thinking about the war”.
Expressing Paul's true feelings was very challenging. Because Paul's conditions and feelings were different from others. Therefore, it was difficult to insert anti-war sentences into the war-torn city. Also, using the repetition method, contrary to its easy appearance, was very difficult. Because the sentence or word that is repeated must be in the right place and time and convey a certain meaning to the reader. Remarque has used the repetition method very beautifully and usefully.
Work Cited
Remarque, Erich Maria, 1898-1970. All Quiet on the Western Front. New York :Fawcett Crest, 1975.
Comments