Chapter Eleven
In chapter eleven of the novel All Quiet on the Western
Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, many tragic events are described. This
chapter is one of sorrow and despair, filled with death. Each word in this
chapter makes the reader feel the pain of the solider, the pain of loss and
death of those around him. It condemns the characters worst fears of losing
those that he has come closest to on the battlefield.
“War is the
cause of death like cancer and tuberculosis, like influenza and dysentery”.
(pg271) This quote alone sets the stage for this chapter of gloom. The main
character talks of how each day passes practically unnoticed. How each of them have grown so accustom to
the war their minds have ceased to think of nothing else. How no man remembers
what life outside the war could possibly be like. “It is as though formerly we
were coins of different provinces; and now we are melted down, and all bear the
same stamp”. (pg272) The main character goes on to talk about how the death all
around them has left them as animals.
This
chapter tells of how Detering, having seen a cherry tree, goes, in a sense mad,
for his longing of home has surpassed his control. The main character, Paul,
tells of how one morning Detering was gone. He goes on to say that Detering had
absurdly gone toward Germany, and so was caught by the field gendarmes;
military police. We then hear no more about Detering, for the main character
himself hears nothing of him. Müller, one of the main charcters, we learn is
dead. We go on to find out that he was shot at point-blank in the stomach. He
lives for a short time longer, but in utter agony.
“Germany
out to be empty soon,” says Kat’. (pg 281) At this point in the book the
characters seem to be loosing hope that the war will ever end. German forces do
not have the food, the artillery, or any such supplies to match the
competitors. “For one hungry, wretched German soldier come five of the enemy,
fresh and fit” (pg286).
Leer, a
character that went to school with the main character, Paul, has been shot. The
boy bleeds out, at the same time Bertinick the Company Commander is shot. Soon
after, the main character and Kat have been hit, Kat is hit in the bone, and
bleeds fast. Paul carries Kat over his shoulder, stopping to get out of the way
of the firing that is over them. Paul makes it to the shelter where the doctors
and surgeons can tend to Kat, but only to find that his work has been for
nothing. Kat is dead. “Only the Militiaman Stanislaus Katczinsky has died. Then
I know nothing more” (pg 291).
Part 2: Describe a
Character
Stanislaus
Katczinsky
Stanislaus
Katczinsky from be beginning looks to be a father figure. In the beginning he
seems to have a positive or at least a not-defeated view of the war stating it
would not be such a bad war if only they could get some sleep. He is described
as the leader of the group. A man who is “shrewd, cunning and hard bitten...”
with “a remarkable nose for dirty weather, good food and soft jobs.”(pg03).
Later it is said that he has to have a sixth sense for finding supplies. During
most of the hard times he and his comrades go through he is the one to find
something to cheer up his comrades, most of the time it is either food or
somewhere to sleep. Though the story behind it is not mentioned in the novel it
is said his greatest accomplishment in the area would be to finds a few crates
of lobster for the men. At one time while being bombarded and running low on
food there are multiple attempts to get food to the front. Then it is stated
“Finally Kat tries, and even he reappears without accomplishing anything”
(pg107) Food great necessity in the book and because of this Kat is a great
friend to have. One such occasion when they were going hunger he and Paul go and
steal geese to eat and use the feathers for a pillow. However it is not just
good times for Kat. He seems to also have to make hard decisions in order to
protect his younger followers. One such example would be when after rescuing a
soldier and he realizes that the soldier is going to die, he asks the hard
question to end it for him so as to keep the young soldier from
suffering.
Most of the time Kat has a
veteran like position to him. Where most of the men in the story are somewhere
near 18 or 19 years old Kat is 40. The majority of times when the narrator is
talking about older soldiers, it is in jealous nature. He and his friends were
thrown into the fray at a young age with no life experience to help them after
the war and little to cling onto to keep sane such as a wife or children.
However Kat often gives helpful advice and is shown to be like a sort of wise
elder to listen to and respect even though he does not out rank them. Other
times he seems to be in a daze. One such time is when he is talking about men
getting literally getting blown out of their clothes by mortars. He is killed in
the end by a stray piece of shrapnel to the back of his head as he was being
carried by Paul back to the medical area in order to treat his leg. He is the
last of the group to die besides the narrator Paul, and was probably Paul’s
closest friend. After Kat dies the book skips some time to when Paul is sent to
rest for inhaling some poison gas which to me is a sign that Paul has given into
depression and most likely does not care too much about the time after Kat
dies.
