The Destructiveness of War is a major theme that affects not only lives and property, but also the human spirit. Men are subjected to physical torment, with eyes being blinded, limbs blown off, blood flowing everywhere, and innocent men dying in agony. Soldiers take shelter in graveyards, where bombs explode all around them. The living hide in coffins, and the dead are thrown from their graves. The destructive power is so great that even the fundamental differences between life and death become blurred. The impact of war on the spirit is subtle, as soldiers find themselves less able to return to civilian life, with friends dying all around them.
The Lost Generation is a theme that stems from the destructiveness of war. Paul’s generation grew up too fast, with their perceptions of life grossly distorted by the horrors of war. The youthful idealism that could have blossomed into constructive maturity was nipped in the bud. Unlike earlier generations, Paul can never again hope to find comfort and inspiration in the hollow rhetoric of politicians and generals. The war has shattered their illusions.
Their innocence is gone, and only aimless skepticism is left to fill the void. The theme of camaraderie occurs constantly in the novel. The camaraderie that exists in Paul’s company keeps them from being driven insane by the horrors all around them. In a sense, the camaraderie among Paul’s friends can be seen as a last desperate clinging to the innocence of youth. These young men were transported almost directly to the battlefield from the schoolyard.
The adolescent pranks of Paul and his classmates can be seen in their adult” behavior, such as their attack on Himmelstoss. If the social responses of Paul and his friends seem childish at times, it is essential to remember that these are young men whose experience of life took them directly from the classroom to the barracks. If they seem immature, it may be because they were not given the chance to grow up normally. The best example of this theme is when Kat and Paul shared their roasted goose with Kropp and Tjaden. They were taking care of each other. The theme of alienation develops as the novel progresses.
At first, Paul and his friends behave as if their lives will someday return to normal. In the middle of the book, Paul goes home on leave and discovers that his real home is now with his friends on the front. By the time Kat dies, Paul feels that his own life no longer has meaning. The process of alienation is now complete.
The theme of shared humanity takes the idea of camaraderie one huge step forward. Just as Paul comes to look upon his comrades almost as brothers, he also comes to recognize that all men are brothers under the skin. The irony of war is that brothers are forced to kill one another. Paul’s compassion for the captured Russian soldiers and the French soldier he kills in the trench are examples of this theme.
