Part 8

1. Part 8 By: Rio Hontz, Liz Kuhn, Georgia Brown, and Josh Latsha

2. Summarize • While on leave Paul decides to visit Kemmerich’s mother to explain to her his death. He gives her a false version of his death, making it seem painless and almost peaceful. Although his mother has little belief in Paul’s story, she says “Tell me. You must tell me. I know you want to comfort me, but don’t you see you torment me far more than if you told me the truth?” With this said, Paul still sticks to his story and eventually Kemmerich’s mother is content with what she hears. Then he returns home for his last night with his mother. She expresses her feelings towards Paul and war, she explains how she just wants things to be how they were before war when he was young and innocent. To this Paul reply’s “I would like to weep and be comforted too, indeed I am little more than a child; in the wardrobe still hang short, boy’s trousers- it is such a little time ago, why is it over”. Paul and is mother sit up crying and talking about everything they have hopes for. Paul eventually makes his mother go back to bed and lays with her for his last night at home. Once he knows it is time to return to war, he knows there is a chance that he might not come back.

3. Theme • This portion of the novel helps to represent the idea of the theme “The cheapened value of human life”. This is shown even by Paul when he lies to Kemmerich’s mother about her sons death. Paul sees no reason to be sorrowful of Kemmerich’s death. Paul says “When a man has seen so many dead he cannot understand any longer why there should be so much anguish over a single individual”. The death of Kemmerich has so much meaning to the people at home, but after and throughout the war Paul and the other don’t see any significance of a friends death.

4. Paul • Paul feels and has felt sadden by the idea of leaving everything behind and going to war. Each time he leaves his mom it only gets harder. Although Paul has built up a wall to his emotions, but when he is at home and sees the pain that the war causes to his mom, he breaks. Paul is always able to maintain an emotionless exterior, keeping his true feelings on the inside. Paul expresses himself“Why do I not take you I my arms and die with you”. Paul although he very rarely shows it, he has the same feelings towards war.