Quiet on the Western Front

¶ … Quiet on the Western Front

The relation with the French soldier is most relevant to the discussion on the relationship between Germans and non-Germans, most notably because of the interesting way it evolves. Paul attempts to kill a French soldier, only to discover that he has only wounded the respective Frenchman, who slowly and agonizingly bleeds to death. As he goes through the man's papers, he discovers that the individual is Gerard Duval, a printer with a family. There is a certain moment in the relationship between the German and the French soldiers in which the Frenchman is no longer a French soldier, but rather the embodiment of an universal individual, without a particular nationality that would make him an enemy. As Paul identifies the Frenchman's background, it is interesting to see how the soldier is no longer a soldier, but Gerard Duval, a human being just like Paul.

It is a similar experience with the Russian POWs. Outside the frontline, these are honest peasants, human beings like Paul and his friends. Paul cannot believe or understand how and why they are the enemy. One can conclude that the relationships between the German soldiers and non-Germans individuals start on a war level and continue to humanize as those non-Germans lose their nationality and become simple human beings, like the Germans, sharing the same misfortunes of the war.

In terms of the relations between people in position of authority and their subordinates, this is one of the most interesting aspects in the book and a theme that is discussed from the first chapter, where the reader learns that the main character has joined the army at the bombastic and patriotic urge of his schoolmaster. The position of authority is translated here through the capacity of such individuals not to dictate, but rather to suggest and tacitly provoke a reaction in the mind of younger individuals, whose own perceptions were just forming in those years. The schoolmaster does not impose, but knows how to use his words.

Corporal Himmelstoss is also an interesting figure in describing the relationship between authority and subordinates, and the author goes to greater length to create this character rather than the case of the schoolmaster, who has a brief appearance in the beginning of the book. As a noncommissioned training officer, Himmelstoss is the best example of an individual who grows from a subordinate position before the war (he had been a postman) to one where he can actually exercise authority. The power he receives makes him exercise it in a mean manner with Paul and the rest of the young soldiers. The authority does not translate in coordinating the subordinates and in creating the appropriate framework for them to evolve in, but simply in making them as miserable as possible.

This is probably also because authority separates people. As soon as battle starts, the corporal becomes much more humane. The reason for this is that he is practically one of the soldiers now and the lines of authority and power are less obvious in fighting conditions, when the terrible conditions seem to equalize the scale of authority.