All Quiet on the Western Front, written by Erich Maria Remarque, it is a powerful pacifist novel. The book talks about a German group of soldiers: Paul, Tjaden, Kat, Müller, Detering and Kropp. Paul Baümer, the protagonist (the reason the book is called All Quiet on the Western Front), reveal us the truth about war. How they confront a harsh, cruel, and murderous life. The physical and emotional effect war have on the soldier’s lives. The novel points out in an obvious manner how they become dehumanized in such innumerable ways.
As a pacifist, I was shocked while reading the pages 205-206. So shocked I know the number of the pages by heart and needed to put down the book for a while. Tjaden ask “what exactly is the war for?” Kat doubting responds that “there must be some people to whom the war is useful”. Tjaden grins and says he is not one of them and neither are the soldiers fighting the war. Tjaden insist by asking again, for who the war is useful?… it must not be for the Kaiser because he has everything he wants. Kat answer to the question by saying that every full grown emperor requieres at least 1 war to become a well known emperor the children learn at the school.
This is true, most of the emperors and generals are generally known because all the territory and power they achieved. It is true, there are people to whom war is useful. But, it is also true all the losses and the dehumanization society experience, and this cannot be forgotten. The importance of learn history from a more realistic and human way (not just figures of casualties) like this novel, it is so useful to avoid repeating the same mistakes all over again.