Paul Baumer

In All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul Bäumer is the main character and narrator. Prior to the war, Paul was close to his family, thoughtful, sensitive, and enjoyed writing poetry. But during the war, Paul’s personality and emotions changed with the trauma of the war. He is unable to cope with the death of his fellow friends/soldiers and feel as he once did at home. Paul finds it hard to express his negative experiences associated with the war and think about his future. Through fighting in the war, Paul’s character endures hardship and the loss of many people who were close to him.

Paul’s character changes more towards the end of the book. An example of this is when Paul gives away the jam and potato cakes his mother made for him to the Russian prisoners. This is because the cakes remind Paul of his mother’s pain and suffering. Paul’s views on death start to change as the war goes on. Paul has to kill a French soldier who jumped in his shell. He describes the experience as agonizing, since the soldier didn’t pass away until several hours later. Paul had bandaged the soldier and given him water. After the soldier passed away, Paul talks with the dead soldier, explaining that he didn’t want to kill him. Later on, Paul then witnesses the death of one of his closest friends, Kat, while Paul was trying to save him.

Throughout the novel, Paul’s character changes from being a content guy before the war to a lost and haunted soldier after the war. Paul is the only survivor of the original group of classmates. He feels he is left with a bleak future after he receives leave from the war from inhaling poison gas. While Paul’s on leave, he thinks about his fellow soldiers and what their generation will face. Paul has basically lost all hope in himself and his generation. Paul is killed on a peaceful October day. His face seemed to express relief as if it was alright for him to let go.

Cody, Will, Tess, Mustafa