All Quiet on the Western Front Ch. 10 Litblog

Mary Ann MacDonald
Period 5
2-6-13

Chapter 10

 

Summary: The boys are sent to guard a supply dump at a vacant village nearby and they take the chance to live luxuriously by bringing in beds, adopting a cat, and making a feast but they are bombed once because the enemy sees their smoke. They leave taking the supplies and cat with them and while evacuating another village Kropp and Paul are injured by a shell. Paul's leg is broken and Kropp's leg has to be amputated at the thigh but he survives. An injured man named Lewandowski is excited when his wife arrives and the boys help arrange private time for him and his wife he has been separated from for two years. Paul receives leave to go home and visits his mom, who is very weak.

Quotation: "What do they expect of us if a time ever comes when the war is over? Through the years our business has been killing;- it was our first calling in life Our knowledge of life is limited to death. What will happen afterwards? And what shall come out of us?" (264).

Quotation Significance: Paul is telling us that he doesn't know what he would do if the war was over. He has no plans when all he knows of life and living is death itself. He has no idea what will happen to him afterwards.

Reflection: The boys guard a supply dump and they live luxuriously for a few weeks. Amid all the dying and the terror they wanted to pretend and reassure themselves that life can still be good. They adopt a cat, roast pigs, and make feasts. They even get blankets and sleep in soft beds. But then Kropp gets injured and once his leg is amputated Kropp loses all the fight in him and Paul knows that he wants to commit suicide. He won't talk and he must feel useless now. All he knew how to do was be a soldier and now this is ending for him. His whole life is gone and he doesn't know where to go next or how to deal with it. Paul feels badly for him but Paul is ready to go back into battle after his broken leg heals up quickly along with his broken arm. Paul even visits his mom, who is even weaker than before. She is dying from cancer and Paul is trying to find a way to deal with it. The boys also want to help Lewandowski reconnect and spend intimiate time with his wife because the boys want the same thing for themselves someday so they distract the nurses and talk loudly so the man and his wife can have privacy.

Discussion Question: Why is Kropp so upset about his leg being amputated? How is Paul dealing with his thoughts about war and why it should end?