chapter 12 - "On the threshold of life they faced an abyss of death...."
chapter 9 - hand to hand combat
This chapter really made me think about what we discussed in class about shooting someone from a distance and forgetting about it or being in hand to hand combat and seeing and remembering what you have actually done. On page 216 paul was hiding inside a water filled hole when a french soldier stumbled across paul and paul immediately took out his knife and stabbed the french soldier and put dirt in his mouth to keep him quiet.
by the time morning had come paul was trying to convince himself the french man was dead but he wasn't the man was trembling in fear. At this point paul had realized what he had done and felt terrible about it. He did the best he could to save him but it was no use he had died. he searched his pockets and found what seemed to be a picture of his wife and young daughter and two french notes. He apologized to the man asking for forgiveness although he was dead. As night begins to set in paul tries to forget about the french man and finds his way back to his tench, when he arrives his friends welcome him back. So as you can see the mood was depressing in this part of the chapter but understand why we talked about the difference between shooting someone from a distance and forgetting about it or being in hand to hand combat and seeing and remembering what you have actually done. Anyone else have any opinions?
Chapter 6 - bombs away!
Paul and his team have been called out to war early, the trenches are invaded with rats and the conditions are rough. The mood has been set to serious as men are killed at sight on the front lines. As the sun falls bombs filled with gas are thrown into the air, but Pauls team has come prepared. All through the night the team hears mysterious sounds of movement and they are expecting the worst. Days pass and no full attack has been made until an artillery strike was launched and as soon as the strike had stopped the battle began. They realized "food is just important as ammunition" so they use their supplies wisely. As the battle goes on more casualties pile up, and himmelstoss faking injuries isn't helping. at the end of the battle pauls crew has made it out alive with only 32 soldiers remaining. To me this chapter was a wake up call, the book just started to get more interesting now that there is some more action involved. its making me wonder how will the team move on now with only 32 soldiers left with the added fact of running low on food plus they have to be careful of rats eating what is left of it. It looks like these men are only just begun and there is a long road ahead until the war has been settled.
chapter 3 - who wet the bed!
As you may have learned in chapter 2 kemmerich has past away leaveing the team in even smaller numbers than before. Thankfully, 25 men had been sent as reinforcements even though a good number of them were only 17 it was great considering how many men had been lost. One thing that stuck out to me the most in this chapter was the mood change from previous the chapters, the mood in my opinion in this chapter was very strange and i cant exactly figure out what it is. Got any ideas? For example at one point in the chapter katczinsky and kropp get into an argument about the war because they both have different opinions on what should happen to end the war once and for all even though the hole argument itself is pointless because 2 soldiers aren't going to settle a war between the hole world. But i did in fact like kropps idea to have all the leaders of each country battle to settle the war it would save so many lives and the out come would ideally bring peace to the world with out any added troubles. But on top of the hole argument believe it or not soldiers have to watch out for the bed wetters. Long story short if you peed on some one (himmelstoss) you would eventually get the crap beat out of you. but if you didnt want to get peed on you would have to sleep on the floor which probably left many soldiers unrested going to battle for war which was not good for their advantage at all. But know one knows what is truly in store for these young soldiers.
Chapter one - got boots?
5 miles behind the front lines of war a team made up of 80 men rest for the night. Paul Baumer (the narrator) is one of these 80 men, although Paul is only 19 himself and his friends were encouraged to volunteer for the war because of kantorek to bad he never had the guts to actually volunteer himself. Albert Kropp (age 19) was supposedly the "clearest thinker" of the group, Muller (age 19) was a physics academic, Leer was was one of Pauls closets friends, Tjaden (age 19) was a lock smith, Haie Westhus (age 19) was a large peat digger, Detering was a married peasant, and last but not least Stanisluas Katczinsky their wily 40 year old leader.
One of the most embarrassing things at first for paul was the latrine system but worse things made him get over it. The boys went to return the things of a man named Kemmerich so he had them when he returned but when they got to his location they see him resting weakly in a room at the dressing station his watch was stolen and one of his legs were gone, they all knew he would die here but they all seem a little more interested in who will obtain kemmerichs expensive boots. In World War One boots were very valuable to soldiers because they were constantly worn and were ruined in what seemed no time so it was a good feeling to have a nice pair of boots. But as these young men venture forward the last thing on there mind is a pair of boots.
One of the most embarrassing things at first for paul was the latrine system but worse things made him get over it. The boys went to return the things of a man named Kemmerich so he had them when he returned but when they got to his location they see him resting weakly in a room at the dressing station his watch was stolen and one of his legs were gone, they all knew he would die here but they all seem a little more interested in who will obtain kemmerichs expensive boots. In World War One boots were very valuable to soldiers because they were constantly worn and were ruined in what seemed no time so it was a good feeling to have a nice pair of boots. But as these young men venture forward the last thing on there mind is a pair of boots.
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