Now that you have finished reading All Quiet on the Western Front, please discuss these three questions with your critical friends. Post a response to one of these questions on your blog. Be sure to integrate the responses of your critical friends in your answer...
1. What is ironic, or dramatically unexpected about the novel's ending?
What I found ironic and strange about the ending of the novel is that Paul dies and also HOW he dies. It is strange to see a main character in a book to die, people always want a continuation and a "happy" ending. However, this is not always the case. Books and movies can't always end happy, as life. The author proved this with Paul dying. Paul died, as some people would say, not honorable. He didn't even die in battle. Instead all of his fellow comrades died before. Paul inhaled a poisonous gas and was left to die in a hospital. He didn't die trying to save anyone, didn't die in the middle of battle, instead he didn't in a hospital, by "accidental" inhalation. In the hospital, Paul doesn't have the urge to go back home, to see his family. He wants to die, for all of his suffering to finally end. He has lost the will to live already and to me that's really sad. The war affected him so badly that he is already against human nature, against living.
2. What images of the novel are lingering in your mind? Explain why these images made a lasting impression on you.
The image that made a lasting impression on me was when Paul was in the hospital and how he just wanted to die. It was very sad that this person has come down to this type of level, which is probably the worst. At this point, he doesn't care about anything, even of his own life. Everything he's done, everything he achieved, came all down to this. It takes something powerful to break this human nature, the will to live. A person can be stranded on an island with nothing and all but he still holds onto his life, the only thing he has left. The war has left Paul with nothing, no friends, no life.
3. Do you think Paul can claim to speak for an entire "lost generation" when he speaks of the effects of war? In Paul's opinion war ruins those who survive as must as those who die. Do you think his fellow soldiers felt the same way about war?
I think that the fellow soldiers probably felt the same way as Paul did. War is so terrible that people feel that everything has been drained from them, every inch of them. Before a soldier dies, the war has already affected him. No body can be exposed to all the horrors in war and not be affected by it. When I hear from holocaust survivors, or anybody who has been in a war, it is so hard to believe what they are saying. They describe what they've seen and it sounds like a movie, not in real life. All those horrors...we can't even imagine. One day a holocaust survivor came to speak at my old school, she had lost all her family and has been to several concentration camps. Someone asked her "Is it easy for you to speak about it, after all those years?" and she said "No, I still cry." Some people can not even speak about the war at all. All these people change so much after a war. They become less open, less alive.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Quotation
Read through chapter 10 by Friday, and complete the text by Tuesday, Feburary 19. Be prepared for an assessment of the entire text next week.
Write a minimum of two dialectic journal entries and comment on two student posts. Choose one salient quote and:
1. Explain what the quotation means in the context of the text
2. Why it is important/interesting to you.
"To me the front is a mysterious whirlpool. Though I am in still water far away from its centre, I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking me slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into itself."
-All Quiet On The Western Front, pg. 55.
I really like this quote because of how it is written. How the author uses a whirlpool to describe the front, it's very powerful and poetic as well. The front does suck soliders in, they are young boys who don't want to kill. They're far away from the middle and don't want to do anything wih the war and kill. But slowly they learn to kill, the front is sucking them in, like a whirlpool. They cannot do anything and then it is difficult to get pulled out from the whirl. After the war, they can be physically, mentally, nad emotionally scarred. The whirl has changed them forever and they will never be the same again.
Write a minimum of two dialectic journal entries and comment on two student posts. Choose one salient quote and:
1. Explain what the quotation means in the context of the text
2. Why it is important/interesting to you.
"To me the front is a mysterious whirlpool. Though I am in still water far away from its centre, I feel the whirl of the vortex sucking me slowly, irresistibly, inescapably into itself."
-All Quiet On The Western Front, pg. 55.
I really like this quote because of how it is written. How the author uses a whirlpool to describe the front, it's very powerful and poetic as well. The front does suck soliders in, they are young boys who don't want to kill. They're far away from the middle and don't want to do anything wih the war and kill. But slowly they learn to kill, the front is sucking them in, like a whirlpool. They cannot do anything and then it is difficult to get pulled out from the whirl. After the war, they can be physically, mentally, nad emotionally scarred. The whirl has changed them forever and they will never be the same again.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Abstract
Abstract
The setting is going to be in the barracks playing cards during World War One. Michael the communist [the red] and Alexander [the white] get into a discussion on their opinions on the war. Michael starts off saying that all the war is because of the rich people. Alexander says that they are fighting for their country, for their families, and what they believe in. Michael gets into the argument by saying that the people, who lead this war, are rich and are using the soldiers, who are middle class or poor, to fight the war for them. Also, that the soldiers are all brothers and should fight against the rich people all together and not fight against each other. Alexander argues about the bad that the Germans have caused and shouldn’t let that slip by and defend their country. The argument continues between them until the card game is finished. Alexander sees that he’s lost the card game and says “I lost, you won…up for another round?” Michael agrees and they start playing cards again. Scene ends.
The setting is going to be in the barracks playing cards during World War One. Michael the communist [the red] and Alexander [the white] get into a discussion on their opinions on the war. Michael starts off saying that all the war is because of the rich people. Alexander says that they are fighting for their country, for their families, and what they believe in. Michael gets into the argument by saying that the people, who lead this war, are rich and are using the soldiers, who are middle class or poor, to fight the war for them. Also, that the soldiers are all brothers and should fight against the rich people all together and not fight against each other. Alexander argues about the bad that the Germans have caused and shouldn’t let that slip by and defend their country. The argument continues between them until the card game is finished. Alexander sees that he’s lost the card game and says “I lost, you won…up for another round?” Michael agrees and they start playing cards again. Scene ends.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Character Bios
This characters name is Alexander (Sasha). He is 25 years old and lives in Russia with his wife and 2 kids. He spends most of his time with his family, his wife being his high school sweet heart and the two kids being a 9 month old girl and 3 year old boy. These are important times in a kids life and he wants to be there for them. How can his son learn to be a man without a father figure around? He wants to help his country and serve in war but he has doubts on what good its going to do.
This Character's name is Michael (Misha). He is from Russia and serves in the Russian army during World War One and is seventeen years old. He is an only child and just graduated from high school and is pro communist. Michael is very eager to support his country and fight in the war. However, he gets involved in communist acts and the Russian revolution. Michael has brown hair and eyes and is six feet tall.
This Character's name is Michael (Misha). He is from Russia and serves in the Russian army during World War One and is seventeen years old. He is an only child and just graduated from high school and is pro communist. Michael is very eager to support his country and fight in the war. However, he gets involved in communist acts and the Russian revolution. Michael has brown hair and eyes and is six feet tall.
Monologue
It feels as if I live in a daze, in a fog.
My mind isn’t working; I’ve turned into a killing machine.
My arms and my legs aren’t connected to me.
The nightmares live on inside of me.
Nightmares of a kid sitting scared stiff on the ground.
Only the earth is there to protect him.
The sound of gunfire rings through his ears.
He wishes he could have done more in his small nineteen years.
And I mean, this kid is terrified.
I know this because,
That kid was me.
My mind isn’t working; I’ve turned into a killing machine.
My arms and my legs aren’t connected to me.
The nightmares live on inside of me.
Nightmares of a kid sitting scared stiff on the ground.
Only the earth is there to protect him.
The sound of gunfire rings through his ears.
He wishes he could have done more in his small nineteen years.
And I mean, this kid is terrified.
I know this because,
That kid was me.
Reflection
Today's discussion in during class brought up very strong ideas and opinions. What I thought interesting was how people get affected by war. In the book, "All Quiet on the Western Front," it talks about this. The men enlist into the army, or get drafted in, at about nineteen years of age, sometimes even younger. They just graduated from high school. They're young, high-spirited, curious, and enthusiastic. At home they haven't got much, parents, some interests, and maybe a girlfriend but that's about it. Some of the other men in the war are older, around thirty or forty years old. They take the war as a mere interruption in their lives. At home, they have a career, interests, a wife, children, and their own home. They can go back to their lives not nearly as scarred as the younger ones. The war shapes these young ones lives.
All Quiet on the Western Front
Read through chapter 4 (up to page 75). In this chapter Paul states:
"At the sound of the first droning of the shells we rush back, in one part of our being, a thousand years. By the animal instinct that is awakened in us we are led and protected. It is not conscious; it is far quicker, much more sure, less fallible, than consciousness. . . . It is this other, this second sight in us, that has thrown us to the ground and saved us, without our knowing how. . . . We march up, moody or good-tempered soldiers—we reach the zone where the front begins and become on the instant human animals."
Why would Paul characterize himself and his comrades as "human animals"?
Your task: Discuss the meaning of this quotation and the experiences the boys are enduring internally. In addition to your posting, comment on one other student's post.
Post: Minimum 200 words
Comment: Minimum 100 words
During war, people let out their human nature. The quotation is saying that once the first explosive comes, the sounds of firing, then the animal inside of each solider has "awakened". This is when their true human nature and instincts have come out. They march up civilized like good soldiers, and haven't experienced battles yet. They stand straight and good mannered until the fire shots. The fire which signals "GO!” It's as if a trigger as been set off in their brain, a gate opens and their instincts emerge. Soldiers start screaming, shooting, running, and stabbing. They act like total lunatics, barbarians, like ANIMALS. They are animals in a human body. This is what I think Paul means. He describes himself and his comrades marching up good-mannered. However, once the fire shoots, everything completely changes. Humans run up to each other like animals, doing anything they possibly can to kill the others, and do anything they can to stay alive. They do whatever it takes to survive, that’s human nature. We all have this, it’s our instinct. It’s so amazing that in less than a second, a person can act totally unlike himself, like an animal in that short point in his life. Then when everything is over, he can go back to his family and home as his own good-mannered self. This quotation really shows us true human nature.
"At the sound of the first droning of the shells we rush back, in one part of our being, a thousand years. By the animal instinct that is awakened in us we are led and protected. It is not conscious; it is far quicker, much more sure, less fallible, than consciousness. . . . It is this other, this second sight in us, that has thrown us to the ground and saved us, without our knowing how. . . . We march up, moody or good-tempered soldiers—we reach the zone where the front begins and become on the instant human animals."
Why would Paul characterize himself and his comrades as "human animals"?
Your task: Discuss the meaning of this quotation and the experiences the boys are enduring internally. In addition to your posting, comment on one other student's post.
Post: Minimum 200 words
Comment: Minimum 100 words
During war, people let out their human nature. The quotation is saying that once the first explosive comes, the sounds of firing, then the animal inside of each solider has "awakened". This is when their true human nature and instincts have come out. They march up civilized like good soldiers, and haven't experienced battles yet. They stand straight and good mannered until the fire shots. The fire which signals "GO!” It's as if a trigger as been set off in their brain, a gate opens and their instincts emerge. Soldiers start screaming, shooting, running, and stabbing. They act like total lunatics, barbarians, like ANIMALS. They are animals in a human body. This is what I think Paul means. He describes himself and his comrades marching up good-mannered. However, once the fire shoots, everything completely changes. Humans run up to each other like animals, doing anything they possibly can to kill the others, and do anything they can to stay alive. They do whatever it takes to survive, that’s human nature. We all have this, it’s our instinct. It’s so amazing that in less than a second, a person can act totally unlike himself, like an animal in that short point in his life. Then when everything is over, he can go back to his family and home as his own good-mannered self. This quotation really shows us true human nature.
When Monarchy Returns....Was it worth it?
After Napoleon abdicates in 1814, the revolution is officially over, and Louis XVIII is crowned King of France. Can you believe it? The monarchy returns!!! In light of our investigation of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, evaluate the legacy of the French Revolution. Do you believe it was a success or a failure? Your response should be atleast 150 words.
Before 1789, France lived in great poverty. There was an unequal distribution of wealth. The third estate was affected the most, they made up about 97% of the population and it included everyone except for the clergy and nobility. They were the poorest of the three estates, and they were the only ones taxed. There were no rights, no freedom, and no equality. The King, Louis XIV was doing nothing with the problems France was going through. Instead massive wars were waged, taking out loans, and overspending were taking place and the country went bankrupt. The people could not take any more of this. They started protests, riots, and storming. They started to confront the king. With an enlightenment idea of freedom, equality, and brotherhood a Revolution began. In 1789, a National Assembly was created. The third estate was now more powerful. There were many philosophies that were untraditional. The Philosophy that all men are created equal and certain rights were the beginning of a democracy. Even though, in 1814, Louis XVIII is crowned king of France and the monarchy returns the revolution was definitely a step forward into creating a better form of government. It made may for other ideologies such as nationalism, socialism, and eventually communism. Early communist leaders such as Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels both commented on the French Revolution to find important lessons. The French revolution made way for another form of government. It turned into communism, but then eventually it turned into a democracy.
Before 1789, France lived in great poverty. There was an unequal distribution of wealth. The third estate was affected the most, they made up about 97% of the population and it included everyone except for the clergy and nobility. They were the poorest of the three estates, and they were the only ones taxed. There were no rights, no freedom, and no equality. The King, Louis XIV was doing nothing with the problems France was going through. Instead massive wars were waged, taking out loans, and overspending were taking place and the country went bankrupt. The people could not take any more of this. They started protests, riots, and storming. They started to confront the king. With an enlightenment idea of freedom, equality, and brotherhood a Revolution began. In 1789, a National Assembly was created. The third estate was now more powerful. There were many philosophies that were untraditional. The Philosophy that all men are created equal and certain rights were the beginning of a democracy. Even though, in 1814, Louis XVIII is crowned king of France and the monarchy returns the revolution was definitely a step forward into creating a better form of government. It made may for other ideologies such as nationalism, socialism, and eventually communism. Early communist leaders such as Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels both commented on the French Revolution to find important lessons. The French revolution made way for another form of government. It turned into communism, but then eventually it turned into a democracy.
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