All Quiet on The Western Front
Chapter Two questions
• Why does Paul refer to his generation as a
wasteland? – (in this edition the word is
hardened)
– They should be standing on the threshold of life and
getting ready for all those wonderful things that await
a young adult – but instead they have been ‘swept
away’ and ‘hardened’ by the experience – ‘cut off’
from everything they knew before. (p14)
– They are without any opportunity to have any
meaningful human relationships and any opportunity
to enjoy life.
• Who is Corporal Himmeltoss?
– The commander of the squad that Paul and his
friends ended up in – Number Nine Squad.
• What prejudice does Paul have against small
men? Why?
– Paul thinks that the ‘miseries of the world are
caused by short people – they are so much more
quick tempered and difficult to get on with than
tall ones…usually they are complete bastards’ (p7)
– Himmeltoss and Kantorek are both short men,
both symbols of authority over the boys, both
short men who have abused that power in some
way.
• How do Paul and Kropp get revenge on
Himmeltoss?
– They ‘accidentally on purpose’ poured the latrine
(poos and wees) bucket on his ‘poshed up’ outfit.
They also obeyed all of his orders but at snails
pace – infuriating him. (p18)
• According to Paul, what is the finest thing to
arise from the war?
– ‘Comradeship in arms’ – the feeling of solidarity
with your fellow soldiers. (p19)
• What is significant about Kemmerich’s telling
Paul to take the boots for Muller?
– It means that Kemmerich knows that he is going
to die (and also that he was aware that
Kemmerich would want them).
• What is the great hunger that Paul feels after
Kemmerich’s death?
– It is a hunger for life - to do all those things that
Kemmerich can’t do now that he’s dead.
• Kemmerich's death illustrates part of the
central message of the novel. What is it?
– The harsh reality of war does not allow for
sentimentality or charity.
– Only the facts are real.
– This also underscores the idea of ‘comradeship’
being so important.