Thoughts on "All Quiet on the Western Front"

The group is still in the shell's blast crater, and they successfully work the coffin away. The bombardment has stopped so the group gets out of the hole, and Paul sees someone else without a gas mask. He tears his own off and gulps the fresh, unused air.

Some distance away there's a soldier whose leg bone has been completely shattered. It's also stated that if he's been shot in the gut he shouldn't drink anything, but I don't recall it ever actually being said if he had been or not. It was the same soldier who had earlier been terrified by the bombardment. Katczinsky and Paul were considering putting him out of his misery -- a euphemism for "killing him in cold blood" -- but a group of other soldiers had gathered so they didn't have the opportunity and went to get a stretcher.

Later, the group is returning with the eight wounded, who Paul calls "dead," and while everyone is half-asleep en route an explosion is heard. Everyone on the lorry is suddenly wide awake, alert, and ready to jump into the trench on the side of the road.


It's virtually certain by this point that I would have either have been killed by a bombardment or by the gas. Assuming I hadn't, however, I would probably have some severe wound of arguable survivability. If there had been another explosion I would have been too unconscious to hear it, let alone instantly be wide awake and ready to ditch the lorry.

I also would never have the intenstinal fortitude to kill someone even to save them greater suffering later on. I doubt I would even be able to put a firm grip on the gun long enough to aim it in the person's general direction.

I'm really not cut out for being a soldier.