(Ch 1) - All Quiet on the Western Front - Study Guide - English

Where are the men “at rest”?

Five miles behind the front

Why is there such an abundance of rations?

Fourteen days ago they had to go up and relieve

the front line. It was fairly quiet on our sector. (There were 150 men, and only 80 survived).

Who is the narrator? How old is he?

Paul Baumer. (One of the soldiers). He’s 19 years old.

Tjaden

a skinny locksmith, the biggest eater of the company, and also had a crazy appetite. He was the same age as Paul.

Albert Kropp

Classmate of Paul. The clearest thinker, a lance-corporal

Muller

Classmate of Paul. He still carries his textbooks with him, and he recites physics formulas

Leer

Classmate of Paul. He has a full beard, and has a preference for the girls at the brothels

Haie Westhus

Classmate of Paul. Peet-digger, and was very strong, has big hands and is powerful

Stanislaus Katczinsky

Leader of the room, 40 years old, he’s extremely resourceful

Detering

He’s a peasant that doesn’t think of anything except his farm life and his wife

What is symbolic about Leer’s name?

He would look at girls desirely

Why do the men feel hostile toward Ginger?

He’s refusing to hand out the extra rations. Ginger was more of a coward; he had his kitchen far away from the front, so the cold was always cold when it got to the men

What is unusual about the latrine facilities?

They take boxes with handles and sit together to go to the bathroom without having any shields between them, instead of using what the army made for them. There is no privacy

What has changed about these men?

They are kind of seduced by animals

What is a “latrine rumour”?

The gossip when they’re sitting on the poop crates

Who is Kantorek?

They're the school master who convinced them to volunteer to sign up for the war

Why does Muller wish Kantorek were there?

So he can go through the pain too

What different attitudes about war were held by the “poor and simple” and those who were “better off”?

The poor people know what it has to sacrifice. They understand hardships, as other people don't. They understand the harsh reality of war

What is the double horror of Behm’s death?

He didn’t want to be there, he ended up being one of the first to die

What is Muller’s plan for Kemmerich’s boots? Do you think this is cruel?

He wanted to know if he could have them. He’s basically waiting for Kemmerich to die so he can keep them. It’s cruel, but probably not for them

What does the theft of Kemmerich’s watch tell us about the moral decay fostered by war?

People who never do immortal things often do so during war. They have to take care of themselves

What is the mood/atmosphere of Chapter 1?

It has a serious and very sad mood, grim and disillusioned

Although the novel is told from the German point­ of ­view, what universal view does it offer of war?

War is a horrible thing, both sides deal with death, both sides deal with the mud, rats, lice, etc, as well as being separated from their loved ones

Why is Kantorek wrong in referring to these young men as “Iron Youth”?

They’re not indestructible, and they’ve aged as a result of their experience in the war

Why is Paul bitter in his feelings toward Kantorek?

Paul felt betrayed. He signed up, and it's not like what Kantorek said it would be. It’s not fun, it’s living hell