Paul Baumer's Character Development in All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

All Quiet on the Western Front.

Paul Baumer, the narrator in All Quiet on the Western Front, is a character who develops extensively within the course of the novel. As a young man, he is persuaded to join the German Army during World War I. This three year ordeal is marked by Paul's short, but tragic journey into adulthood as he learns to deal with the trials of war. In the wake of a struggle which kills millions, Paul loses his innocence as he is further isolated from society and surrounded by bloodshed. Paul's transformation throughout the novel is a result of his having to adapt in order to survive.

Paul's experiences in combat shatter his former misconceptions of war, and in the end, he gains the ability to reflect on events with his own accord. His naive ideas are severely challenged when he first witnesses the ugly truth of war. Paul's first engagement in combat reveals that everything he was taught as a young recruit are unnecessary on the battlefield. Through the ongoing course of the war, Paul comes to grips with the reality of the situation. Paul realizes that the soldiers former lives are all but distant memories. His maturing personality gives him the insight to see past the image of war and expose it for what it truly is.

Paul loses his childhood and virginity during the war, and as a result, he becomes a man. When Paul and his companions encounter some French women, they exchange food for sexual intercourse. Through this transaction, Paul uses the women as an outlet for his sexual urges. Shortly after this break from war, Paul gets a leave of absence, however, he finds it difficult to leave the war behind. Paul can no longer conjure up the feelings of happiness which accompanied his youth, in essence his childhood is lost. The war has stripped Paul of his innocence and taken away everything that he treasured.

The war has immersed Paul completely and he can no longer survive without it as it becomes the focus of his entire life. When Paul is still on leave, he feels alienated from society. Paul's further involvement in war separates him from the life which he cherished so greatly. When Paul returns to the trenches from leave, he finds great peace among his friends. Paul's friends give a new meaning to his life and the role of his family shifts to that of his friends. War has basically claimed Paul Baumer's soul and he can no longer function without it, as its become all he has known.

Paul Baumer's experiences in war cause him to develop and change throughout the book, his mindset on many issues change as a result. He is torn away from a sheltered childhood and placed in a devastating war which causes him to see through the illusion of a society created by his superiors. This revelation is evidence that Paul has become a man, however, with this new maturity comes a loss of his purity of heart. Paul can no longer distinguish himself with society. Paul Baumer's enduring spirit causes him to adapt in order to survive an abyss of death.