A Classic

As I look back on novels that I've read throughout high school while searching for a book to use for Books on File, one novel in particular stands out as a possibility. Erich Remarque’s story of a young man caught in the trenches of World War I is one that lingers and haunts the mind of the reader. Already a classic novel, All Quiet on the Western Front is engrossing and well-written, employing elements such as figurative language and character development. The novel holds special meaning for readers across the world, who are deeply affected by its words. All Quiet on the Western Front’s enduring characteristics, the elements of vitality, craftsmanship, and significance, will ensure that it remains a classic novel.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a vital novel that has remained a classic for over sixty years. The novel is highly engrossing to new and old readers alike, which maintains its fan base. Paul’s experience has timeless characteristics, but it is also deeply rooted in the time of World War I. About the unchanging experience of war, Remarque writes, “It is as though formerly we were coins of different provinces; and now we are melted down and all bear the same stamp” (pg 272). This aptly sums up how war changes a person or a group; it unifies the minds of the soldiers until they are all essentially the same person. The timelessness of the novel appeals to people of all generations, proving that it will have the vitality to remain a popular story. Readers are brought back to the time in which Paul exists by the descriptions of how the soldiers and their families felt about the war. Paul displays his naïveté about the war, insisting, “But there are more lies told by the other side than by us… just think of those pamphlets the prisoners have on them, where it says that we eat Belgian children” (pg. 206). After reading this, one wants to learn more about Paul and what he thinks about the army. Interest in the time period in which World War I takes place will additionally secure the popularity of the novel. Readers’ fascination with Paul’s experiences in war will retain its strength for years to come.
Erich Remarque employs style and character techniques that lend texture to his novel. Similes are used often and across a wide range, including the horrors of war and the general way of life for Germans. Paul humorously compares himself and his comrades to sweating monkeys (pg. 232) as they move supplies throughout the camp, which lessens the tension between violent scenes of war and provides a much-needed respite from Paul’s usual gloom. Figurative language through personification and metaphors is also easily found, usually used to give a sense of the war as experienced by Paul. In one instance, Paul describes the feeling of being a soldier with, “We are insensible, dead men, who through some trick, some dreadful magic are still able to run and kill” (pg 116). This metaphor starkly demonstrates the reality of Paul’s surroundings and also contributes to the vitality of the novel. One of the most important elements of craftsmanship employed is the character development of Paul, as he transforms from a young and hopeful teenager to a cynical young man. Paul describes the change, sagely stating, “We are none of us more than twenty years old. But young? Youth? That is long ago. We are old folk” (pg 18). This quote is deeply affecting and well-written. Its short sentence length and lack of description only further emphasizes Paul’s point, that the war has stolen their childhoods. The excellent usage of craftsmanship in All Quiet on the Western Front without a doubt earns the novel a place among other classics.
The final characteristic of a classic that is exemplified in Remarque’s novel is significance. Though not all readers have endured war, Paul’s feelings of devastation and hopelessness are emotions that all can relate to. His insights about how the war has changed him and his comrades are shocking and sad coming from someone so young. When he compares the soldiers to dead men still able to run and kill, one’s heart breaks for the lost youth of the young men. Paul expresses his frustration with life as a soldier, ranting “All I do know is that this business about professions and studies and salaries and so on- it makes me sick, it is and always was disgusting. I don’t think I see anything at all, Albert” (pg 87). This quote shows how few choices Paul has and how hopeless it causes him to feel. Readers find their sympathy aligned with Paul’s feelings. Few have endured war like Paul, but the experience of reading his tragic story is still holds deep significance to the novel’s readers.