All Quiet on the Western Front

Great book, not-so-great war.

  • Course Length: 3 weeks
  • Course Type: Short Course
  • Category:
    • English
    • Literature
    • High School

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When we think of war—and of books about war—we think of glory, of sacrifice, of heroism. And, of course, of death. True, war has all those things in spades. But war also defies every cliché in the book. After all, it's real life. And real life is anything but cliché.

So what to do when you want capture how the soldiers really feel, without sugar coating or exaggerating or glossing over the messy stuff? If you're Erich Maria Remarque, you write All Quiet on the Western Front.

In this course, through Common Core-aligned activities and lots of loaded readings, projects, and quizzes, you will

  • understand the nature of World War I and its effect on the soldiers who fought in its battles.
  • explain shell shock and its modern descendant: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
  • close read key passages from All Quiet on the Western Front for meaning and significance.
  • identify significant themes from the novel and from war literature in general.
  • understand the living conditions the soldiers faced in their daily lives, and how these conditions impacted their mental state.

And you'll finally see why All Quiet on the Western Front is widely considered one of the most important war novels ever written.


Unit Breakdown

1 All Quiet on the Western Front - All Quiet on the Western Front

All might be quiet on the western front, but nothing's quiet about this unit. In fifteen lessons, we'll tackle pretty much every tough issue known to man, all through the lens of All Quiet on the Western Front.


Sample Lesson - Introduction

Lesson 1.06: All's Not Fair in Love and Trench Warfare

Welcome to the latest RPG: World War I: Your Mind in Combat.

That's right, Shmoopers. We thought it was high time we zero in on one of the most harrowing and horrific effects of World War I: the effect on the minds of these soldiers.

Yeah, you don't get over that easily.
(Source)

You'll see that in this lesson's readings, we finally get to truly experience (through the written word, of course) just how much of a mental and emotional impact trench warfare is having on these soldiers. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Remarque really highlights the effect of Shell Shock on the average kid in the trenches. Shell Shock affected every aspect of their lives, and in many instances, even threatened their survival.

In this lesson, we'll see why.


Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 1.1.06: The Real Deal

We got our first taste of combat in Chapter 4. But that, ladies and gents, was just the tip of the iceberg.

In Chapter 6 (our version's page 99-136)—your reading for the day—Remarque really shows us the ropes. It is, in a word, traumatic.

To keep your feet under you, check out our summary.


Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 1.06a: Role Play

In this chapter, we do a deep dive into the psychological state of mind of these soldiers. And it ain't pretty.

Frankly, it's also a bit hard to imagine what these men are going through. Sure, the descriptions are vivid and the language stirring, but it's not like the majority of us have seen anything approximating combat—let alone the trench variety.

We think the best way to combat that problem (sorry, we couldn't resist) is to try to get into the mindset of these soldiers through a little bit of close reading. Below, we've included some key passages from Chapter 6. We think these passages really capture the essence of what Remarque is trying to describe through Paul's eyes.

For each passage, we want you to imagine you're there by Paul's side—literally imagine you are a soldier in World War I—and answer two questions:

  1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?
  2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?

It sounds simple, but it can be hard to get those empathy juices flowing when we're talking about something as unfamiliar as war. You've got to really use your imagination here, Shmoopers.

If it helps, do a Google image search for "trench warfare." The visuals should give you a pretty good idea of what we're dealing with.

And remember: you should write this in the voice of the soldier. Don't say "If I were Paul, I would feel…" Act as if you are Paul, or Kat, or any other one of these dudes. 1-2 sentences per question, please.

  1. The front is a cage in which we must await fearfully whatever may happen. We lie under the network of arching shells and live in a suspense of uncertainty. Over us, Chance hovers. If a shot comes, we can duck, that is all; we neither know nor can determine where it will fall.

    It is this Chance that makes us indifferent. (6.10)

    1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?

    2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?

  2. Day after day passes. At night I squat in the listening-post. Above me the rockets and parachute-lights shoot up and float down again. I am cautious and tense, my heart thumps. My eyes turn again and again to the luminous dial of my watch; the hands will not budge. Sleep hangs on my eyelids, I work my toes in my boots in order to keep awake. Nothing happens till I am relieved;--only the everlasting rolling over there. Gradually we grow calmer and play skat and poker continually. Perhaps we will be lucky. (6.28)
    1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?

    2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?

  3. The attack does not come, but the bombardment continues. We are gradually benumbed. Hardly a man speaks. We cannot make ourselves understood.

    Our trench is almost gone. At many places it is only eighteen inches high, it is broken by holes, and craters, and mountains of earth. A shell lands square in front of our post. At once it is dark. We are buried and must dig ourselves out. (6.37-38)

    1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?

    2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?

  4. Towards morning, while it is still dark, there is some excitement. Through the entrance rushes in a swarm of fleeing rats that try to storm the walls. Torches light up the confusion. Everyone yells and curses and slaughters. The madness and despair of many hours unloads itself in this outburst. Faces are distorted, arms strike out, and the beasts scream; we stop just in time to avoid attacking one another. (6.45)
    1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?

    2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?

  5. We wait and wait. By midday what I expected happens. One of the recruits has a fit. I have been watching him for a long time, grinding his teeth and opening and shutting his fists. These hunted, protruding eyes, we know them too well. During the last few hours he has had merely the appearance of calm. He had collapsed like a rotten tree.

    [...]

    He won't listen to anything and hits out, his mouth is wet and pours out words, half choked, meaningless words. It is a case of claustrophobia, he feels as though he is suffocating here and wants to get out at any price. If we let him go he would run about everywhere regardless of cover. He is not the first. (6.48, 55)

    1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?

    2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?

  6. The moment we are about to retreat three faces rise up from the ground in front of us. Under one of the helmets a dark pointed beard and two eyes that are fastened on me. I raise my haid, but I cannot throw into those strange eyes; for one mad moment the whole slaughter whirls like a circus around me, and these two eyes alone are motionless; then the head rises up, a hand, a movement, and my hand-grenade flies through the air and into him. (6.69)
    1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?

    2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?

  7. We have become wild beasts. We do not fight, we defend ourselves against annihilation. It is not against men that we fling our bombs, what do we know of men in this moment when Death is hunting us down—now, for the first time in three days we can see his face, now for the first time in three days we can oppose him; we feel a mad anger. No longer do we lie helpless, waiting on the scaffold, we can destroy and kill, to save ourselves, to save ourselves and to be revenged. (6.71)
    1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?

    2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?

  8. We reach the shelter of the reserves and yearn to creep in and disappear;--but instead we must turn round and plunge again into the horror. If we were not automata at that moment we would continue lying there, exhausted, and without will. But we are swept forward again, powerless, madly savage and raging; we will kill, for they are still our mortal enemies, their rifles and bombs are aimed against us, and if we don't destroy them, they will destroy us. (6.77)
    1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?

    2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?

  9. The morning is grey, it was still summer when we came up, and we were one hundred and fifty strong. Now we freeze, it is autumn, the leaves rustle, the voices flutter out wearily: "One—two—three—four—" and cease at thirty-two. And there is a long silence before the voice asks: "Anyone else?"—and waits and then says softly: "In squads—" and then breaks off and is only able to finish: "Second company—" with difficulty: "Second-company—march easy!"

    A line, a short line trudges off into the morning.

    Thirty-two men. (6.164-166)

    1. In this moment, how do you feel physically?

    2. In this moment, how do you feel emotionally?


Sample Lesson - Activity

  1. What do the men see next to the bombed school house?

  2. How do the men spend most of their time before the attack?

  3. What are the men running out of?

  4. What does Paul feel like in the heat of battle?

  5. How many men are left in the second company?