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Winston Churchill famously stated that the aim is victory, no matter the costs or challenges. Victory is portrayed as the ultimate goal in Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. The soldiers in the novel are depicted as willing to do whatever it takes to achieve victory, even if it means disregarding consequences or acting impulsively. Constantly exposed to violence, Paul and his comrades undergo a dehumanizing process that forces them to rely on instinctual behaviors.
The vital instinct required for survival during war transforms soldiers internally, altering their mindset.
In order to endure the challenges of war, soldiers must relinquish logical reasoning and emotions, relying instead on animalistic instincts. Initially composed, they undergo a profound shift upon reaching the front lines, as evidenced by Paul's observation that "We march up, moody or good tempered soldiers – we reach the zone where the front begins and become on instinct human animals" (56). This animal instinct becomes a crucial component for their survival.
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When faced with warfare, soldiers shift their mindset to view the enemy as targets rather than fellow humans, a defensive mechanism that helps them avoid feelings of guilt. Paul believes they have become like wild beasts, fighting not out of aggression but to defend themselves against annihilation and seek revenge. Their focus on survival causes their emotions to vanish, allowing them to act without hesitation.
Paul's belief that soldiers must dehumanize themselves in order to kill the enemy is evidenced by his statement, "If your own father came over with them you would not hesitate to fling a bomb at him" (114).
T. S. Matthews further supports this idea in his article "Bad News," stating that soldiers have had to solely become soldiers, shedding their other identities. This dehumanization is highlighted when Paul freezes upon making eye contact with the enemy during a bombardment, but quickly recovers in order to save himself.
They have faith in the present moment; it may not be enough, but it is their only certainty” (2). According to Matthews, “Yet what drives them in the brutal world of man-made machines is the physical presence of their comrades” (2). Contrarily, dehumanization is crucial for survival. In the narrative, Paul experiences the loss of close companions but manages to find the resolve to continue battling. Even when he resists, he pushes forward in a dehumanized state until the conclusion. Dehumanization impacts soldiers both physically and emotionally, on and off the battlefield.
Experiencing internal dehumanization can result in soldiers losing their emotions, altering their perspective on war, or adopting a different mindset. During a visit to Kemmerich, a fellow soldier who recently had his leg amputated, Paul and his comrades notice signs of his impending death. Despite this, Paul's classmate Muller displays insensitivity and focuses solely on Kemmerich's boots, a reflection of his own dehumanization where material possessions take precedence over human suffering.
Later in the novel, Kat points out a sniper to Paul, who is killing off soldiers. As Kat mentions, this sniper feels no remorse or guilt about his actions. He has been so dehumanized that he has come to enjoy killing others. Dehumanization causes the soldiers to think differently when it comes to death. They see so many people dead all the time that they begin to care less and less. Paul thinks, “When a man has seen so many dead he cannot understand any longer why there should be so much anguish over a single individual” (181). Internally, the soldiers are losing many things close to them because of being on the front.
Matthews wrote that love, patriotism, and other abstract virtues and vices have disappeared in the soldiers' first drum-fire on the front. The soldiers struggle with simple things in life and are losing the values they were taught. Matthews remarks that the War is quickly rendering these young soldiers unfit for civilian life, causing them to abandon everything they have learned.
Dehumanization experienced by soldiers leads to them questioning whether an animal's life is truly valuable. Upon returning home, Paul feels a sense of displacement and realizes he has changed, not his surroundings. Trying on civilian clothes, he feels uncomfortable and unfamiliar. Paul struggles to connect with those who inquire about the war, including his father, feeling isolated despite being near loved ones.
John Wilson, author of Combat and Comradeship, states that soldiers often feel a sense of home on the frontlines with their comrades, leading to feelings of homelessness and disconnection upon returning from war. The lingering psychological effects of war, according to the 'residual stress perspective' (Figley, 1978), may even intensify in the years following the conflict. In the midst of battle, soldiers focus solely on the immediate concerns of life and death, with their thought processes changing dramatically when faced with mortal danger.
Their thoughts are constantly changing and these changes impact their way of life. Paul expresses this idea when he states, “Our thoughts are clay, they are molded with the changes of the days; when we are resting they are good; under fire, they are dead. Fields of craters within and without” (271). The war and violence experienced by Paul and his comrades has led to a dehumanizing transformation. While this transformation may protect them in war, it also alters their very essence.
Living a dehumanized life is ultimately not worthwhile. Feeling disconnected from home, losing all emotions, and even considering death as an option are common experiences for people in this state. Towards the end of the novel, Paul simplifies the existence of a dehumanized soldier as a cycle of destruction and death. Considering the constant threat of shells, gas clouds, tanks, diseases, and the grim reality of the trenches and common grave, it is no wonder why a soldier would not desire such a life.
The Dehumanizing Transformation of Soldiers in War. (2017, Feb 03). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/all-quiet-on-the-western-front-victory-essay
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