After watching the movie "All Quiet on the Western Front", I have a new understanding of war. Why do we fight?

Meagan 2022-04-20 09:01:47

1. The training of soldiers by the army is unconditional obedience.

2. The German soldiers and French soldiers in the cannonball crater are inherently good, but war is a brutal killing that distorts human nature.

3. Only by seeing death as home can you live unrestrainedly.

4. "War is to attack each other, try to avoid being killed, that's all" war in the eyes of soldiers. "Millions of people have sacrificed their lives for the country, but what's the point?" People tend to romanticize and idealize war. Why don't men bring Wu Hook, collect the fifty states of Guanshan, drive a long car to break through the shortage of Helan Mountain, and die for the country? Le Shi remembers merit, but the real war is cruel.

5. I am not happy to go home. I have stayed here for a long time, it is not our place, I am not used to it.

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Extended Reading

All Quiet on the Western Front quotes

  • Hair-peak soldier: And manufacturers. They get rich.

    [murmurs of agreement]

    Albert Kropp: I think it's more a kind of fever. Nobody wants it in particular, and then all at once, there it is. We didn't want it. The English didn't want it. And here we are fighting.

  • Albert Kropp: Ah, the French certainly deserve to be punished for starting this war.

    Detering: Everybody says it's somebody else.

    Tjaden: Well. how do they start a war?

    Albert Kropp: Well, one country offends another.

    Tjaden: How could one country offend another?

    Tjaden: You mean there's a mountain over in Germany gets mad at a field over in France?

    [Everyone laughs]

    Albert Kropp: Well, stupid, one people offends another.

    Tjaden: Oh, well, if that's it, I shouldn't be here at all. I don't feel offended.

    Katczinsky: It don't apply to tramps like you.

    Tjaden: Good. Then I could be goin' home right away.

    Paul Bäumer: Ah, you just try it.

    Katczinsky: Yeah. You wanna get shot?

    Tjaden: The kaiser and me...

    [the others laugh]

    Tjaden: Me and the kaiser felt just alike about this war. We didn't either of us want any war, so I'm going home. He's there already.

    Hair-peak soldier: Somebody must have wanted it. Maybe it was the English. No, I don't want to shoot any Englishman. I never saw one 'til I came up here. And I suppose most of them never saw a German 'til *they* came up here. No, I'm sure *they* weren't asked about it.

    Paul Bäumer: No.

    Detering: Well, it must be doing somebody some good.

    Detering: Not me and the kaiser.

    Hair-peak soldier: I think maybe the kaiser wanted a war.

    Tjaden: You leave us out of this!

    Katczinsky: I don't see that. The kaiser's *got* everything he needs.

    Hair-peak soldier: Well, he never had a war before. Every full-grown emperor needs one war to make him famous. Why, that's history.

    Paul Bäumer: Yeah, generals, too. They need war.