ALL QUIET
ON THE
WESTERN
FRONT
CLASSWORK, QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS
CHAPTER 4
Warm-up:
•Skim back through chapters 1-4
and identify 4 examples of
figurative language
•Explain what they mean
CHAPTER 4
Write a paragraph comparing and
contrasting the Propaganda
Posters with the events of
Chapter 4.
CHAPTER 6-7
Warm-up: Identify 4 memorable instances of words in
Chapters 6-7 that seem to be used for their connotative
power and explain how/why they are used.
For example: “…thus we stagger forward, and into our
pierced and shattered souls bores the torturing image of the
brown earth with the greasy sun and the convulsed and dead
soldiers…” (115). Remarque seems to use “greasy” to
describe the sun in order to emphasize the horror and
disgust that Baumer feels. The fighting has turned even the
sunshine into something gross.
CHAPTER 6
In Chapter 6, Paul daydreams about his home.
1. What specific things does he recall in his daydream?
2. How do his memories affect him?
3. Why does he say of himself and his friend, “I believe we
are lost”?
4. Reread Paul’s reflections in Chapter 6. Then write a
paraphrase of the passage. Use third person. In your
concluding sentence, explain the significance of Paul’s
daydream.
CHAPTER 7
Review the section in Chapter 7 in which Paul returns home
(1541. How does he act when he is there?
2. How does he feel?
3. Why does he make the statement he does at the very end
of the chapter?
4. Do you think that talking about traumatic experiences is a
good idea? Why or why not?
CHAPTER 8
When people are under severe stress or dealing with strong negative
emotions, they often fall back on certain coping strategies. Also called
defense mechanisms, these strategies may temporarily protect a person
from painful situations or thoughts, but they usually do not work as longterm solutions. Common coping strategies include:
o Denial – refusing to recognize an emotion or problem
o Compensation – making up for a weakness in one area by excelling in another
o Daydreaming – inventing situations to escape unpleasant realities
o Displacement – transferring emotions from the true source to some other thing
or person
o Rationalization – making excuses for one’s actions or feelings
o Regression – returning to immature behavior to express emotions
Find examples of these strategies as used by Paul or other characters in the
novel. What other strategies do the soldiers in the novel use to cope with
the unbearable stress of war?
CHAPTER 9-10
How does the incident in the foxhole with the French soldier
affect Paul? Contrast his feelings while in the foxhole with his
feelings afterward.
Interpret Paul’s comment at the end of Chapter 9: “After all, war is
war.” What makes him say this, and what does he mean by it?
Think carefully about Paul’s lengthy and detailed description of
life in the hospital and then about his brief (5 sentences)
description covering the next weeks on page 269. Why these
sweeping facts in such a short passage?