Shell WWI Literature

Extract from ‘All Quiet in The Western Front’ by Erich Maria Remarque (1928).

22 June 1898 – 25 September 1970

Remarque’s book is not a memoir; it is a novel - although he drew on some of his own experiences in the war as a soldier in the Imperial German Army. The bulk of the novel is seen through the eyes of a sensitive nineteen-year-old: Paul B äu mer. ‘There are few military historical details, no heroics and the real enemy is death.’ (Brian Murdock, 1994).

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In this extract, Paul Bäumer has just taken part in an attack and been separated from his platoon. He takes refuge in a crater in the middle of No Man’s Land. A French soldier dives in to taker cover and they fight. B äu mer stabs the French soldier and mortally wounds him…

TASK: Read the extract and then answer the question below.

How does Remarque portray the horror of war in this extract?

➢ Try to make at least three interesting points about the Remarque’s writing and its

effect on the reader. ➢ Try to link your response to historical context – what you have learnt from History about World War I and how the war was conducted. ➢ Use the standard essay format: Thesis Statement / P.E.E. Paragraphs and a

Conclusion where you state your opinion.

Film Trailer (2022): All Quiet on the Western Front | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube