All Quiet On The Western Front Ch. 9 Litlbog

Mary Ann MacDonald
Period 5
2-5-13

Chapter 9

Summary: Paul returns to the front and finds that Kat, Muller, Tjaden, and Kropp are all alive and well. The emperor of Germany comes to visit them and after he leaves Paul volunteers to go out in the open and gather info about the enemy's strength. On the way back Paul gets lost and hears an attack coming and he has to crawl in a shell hole to play dead. An enemy soldier comes in and Paul kills him. Paul has to wait in the hole because it is too light and talks and treats to the dying soldier, whose name is Gerard Duval. Paul reads him letters from his family and promises to send the family money. Paul returns and tells the boys about killing the man.

Quotation: "But now, for the first time, I see you are a man like me...Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony-Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy?"(223).

Quotation Significance: Paul has stabbed an enemy soldier and for the real first time he knows that this man isn't his enemy and as he is dying Paul makes promises to him and tries to ease his pain. Paul now recognizes that this man has the same hopes and fears as him. He refuses to believe that this man is his enemy.

Reflection: Paul feels terrible for killing that soldier and this guilt is eating him alive. He refuses to now believe that the men they are shooting are their enemies and he now only wants peace. This was the first man that Paul kills in hand-to-hand combat and this is hard for him to swallow. He finds that the name of the man is Gerard Duval and he has a wife and a child. Paul feels horrible knowing that this family will be cut off from a loving father and money so Paul promises to write to his wife and send her money. But Paul knows he won't be able to keep this promise. Paul realizes that this man has the same fears and hopes as him and that he is only trying to survive.

Discussion Question: