All is Quiet..

All if Quiet on the Western Front is one of those books that will stand the test of time and will continue to be an important and discussable read for many years to come. The book follows around a German boy, who at the time was still in school and considered quite innocent by most standards. That all changed when war broke out with Germany right at the center of it all. That’s really what the book does a fantastic job of doing. The loss of innocence and much more along with it. All is Quiet on the Western Front gives just a glimpse of how harsh war really is. It shows us how even those who survive the terrors of war come out almost less human. It’s because of how the book does such a fantastic job at showing how there is not a shred of glamour in war that was being fed to future soldiers at the time. Going past the direct scene of the cruelty of war, I believe that the book does a good job of showing how life it’s self is cruel. Even the simple pleasures that were sought out were soon stripped away from them. Even in times of peace this can be seen by some individuals. While the effects of war on soldiers and the horrors of war are clearly seen throughout the book, what isn’t noticed nearly as much is the power, or misuse of, of nationalism. The book shows nationalism as something that is almost meaningless and is simply a means of a way to control the populous. Overall I find this book to hit so many topics about war in such a way the it sticks with you.