All Quiet on the Western Front Detering Quotes

Detering is paring with his words. But on this subject he speaks. He looks at the sky and says only the one sentence: "I would go straight on with the harvesting." (5.50)

Can you imagine being at a place in your life where all you want to do is to go back to work? Detering's in great danger of losing his farm and home. How can a soldier endure the war with no home to dream about?