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Taeho Kim
Ms. Bergen
English 10-6
19 March 2010
Brotherhood
Throughout the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, a theme that seems to have a
large significance in the book is brotherhood. It is what the character in the novel display the
most towards each other. Remarque used these themes in different ways to show how large of a
role brotherhood plays in war. However, it does not just refer to the text or about war. There are
universal connections made from the text to the world that Remarque exhibits about
brotherhood.
The character that seems to be affected the most by brotherhood is Paul. Paul treasures
his war buddies as not only friends, but like family. That is why after an attack or confrontation
with the enemy he goes to look for his friends. Such as when after an attack Paul says, “We go
over to him and recognize Kat and Albert we stand together, lean against each other, and look
at one another.” Paul, Albert, and Kat have developed a bond that is so strong that they do not
even have to verbally communicate with each other to know about their status or how they feel
at the time. They just make eye contact and immediately know what the other person is
thinking. It is very special to have a friendship like this outside of war and outside of just
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reading about it in a novel. These kinds of relationships have been developed through by being
together through good times and bad times. Remarque shows just how special brotherhood is
and how it is not a very common thing. Cherishing deep friendships like a brotherhood or a
sisterhood as well as what Remarque wants us to do and always remember how significant
those kinds of bonds are. Brother also displays some comforting aspects as well.
After fighting in the war for quite a while, Paul cannot find that same comfort he got
from his family during the war. Paul cannot hear the soothing voice of his mother or his sister
so there is not much comfort he can depend on except for the comforting voices of his
comrades. He is counting on those voices to help him get through the war. He says, ”They are
more to me than life, these voices, they are more than motherliness and more than fear; they
are the strongest, most comforting thing there is anywhere; they are the voices of my
comrades,” Paul finds reassurance by hearing the voices of his comrades. They let him know
that we are here for you and we are going to help you get through this. Remarque shows us that
not only can we find comfort in our family, but with our friends as well. If you are close
enough to these friends, then they have become a part of your family. When you are away from
home such as being in college, you can miss your family a lot but if you have those close
friends with you, they can help you get through that homesickness. Remarque shows that just
because it is war does not mean the soldiers are always tough. They need comfort just like
everyone else in the world. Remarque shows the large significance that brotherhood has in war.
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Paul believes that even though he thought he was close to his friends, he got a lot
closer to them by going to war with them. These life changing experiences show just how well
you can actually know someone and it makes you realize who you are and who your friends are
as well. Paul says, “But by far the most important result was that it awakened in us a strong,
practical sense of spirit de corps, which in the field developed into the finest thing that arose
out of the war- comradeship.” Remarque is exhibiting to us the greatest thing that came out of
the war in which Paul was involved in which is brotherhood. Being able to call someone your
brother shows just how much you are able to depend on that person, be serious with that person,
have fun with that person, and just be able to be in their company at any time. Remarque wants
people to come to the realization that you do not truly know someone until you have gone
through a lot of pain and suffering as well as good times with that person. And test your
friendship with that person like Paul and his comrades did. But beyond the novel, universally,
people can realize who their true friends are by just developing a strong bond with that person.
Not just brotherhood, but friendships are what people constantly search for and think they will
come easily. True friendships are hard to find.
Remarque has shown in the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, how truly
remarkable brotherhood really is. Throughout the novel he shows what true friendship really is
and how war brings out these types of bonds. These friendships grow to become something
much greater and if a person is able to call their friend a brother, then that is a truly special
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thing to be able to say. These kinds of relationships are not easy to find and then obtain. You
must get to know a person when they are at their highs and when they are at their lows. Truly
being friends with someone is considered a tremendous accomplishment and a wonderful
feeling to know you can depend on someone no matter what and just be able to be around them
at all times.