Reading Response Chapter 1-3 AQWF

• Introduces Paul Baumer, the narrator of the novel, and the other members of the Second Company, a unit of German soldiers fighting during the period of World War 1


• The chapter depicts the soldiers relaxing and being relieved from the front lines, the soldiers had spent their last 2 weeks constantly fighting


• The company that originally had 150 men now only has 80 men due to a massive attack on the last day


• It shows the company relaxing, smoking, and playing cards, trying to forget the horror of the battle and token it had taken on the army


• "The first bombardment showed us our mistake, and under it the world as they had taught it to us broke in pieces."


• "It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by war"


• Paul remembers about himself prior to the war, he used to write poetry, but now he only thinks about how being a soldiers has taught him valuable life lessons


• Paul and some of his friends in the company stood up to Corporal Himmelstoss, who always humiliated his recruits


• Paul was with Kemmerich, near his hospital bed, tellig him that he was going to be okay and he would return home to his family, Paul goes to find the doctor, who refuses to come, when he returns Kemmerich is dead


• Before Kemmerich died, he said that his boots should be given to Muller, and that is what Paul does in the end after Kemmerich dies


• Kat thoughts also shown, he believes that if everyone got equal pay and food, the war would end quickly


• Kat thinks that the generals and national leaders should battle one another with clubs in an open arena-the country with last survivor wins the war


• Paul and some of his comorades then beat up Corporal Himmelstoss, when he was returning from his favorite pub