Comradeship as the Only Salvation

The theme that the only thing that makes the war bearable is the bond between soldiers, and that without it, they would be lost.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Brotherhood

The Brotherhood The Shared Experience The soldiers share everything: food, danger, fear, and hope. They are closer than brothers. The bond is forged in the crucible of war. The Support When Paul is paralyzed by fear, the voices of his comrades save him. When he is wounded, they carry him. The comradeship is a lifeline. The Meaning In a meaningless war, the only meaning comes from the relationships. The comradeship is the only thing that keeps them human.

The Loss of Comradeship

The Loss of Comradeship The Dwindling Group One by one, the friends die. The group shrinks until Paul is alone. The loss of comradeship is a loss of reason to live. The Loneliness Paul is the last of his class. He has no one to share his thoughts with. The war has taken his friends. The End Without comradeship, there is no salvation. Paul's death is a release from the loneliness. The bond of the comrades is the only thing that made the war endurable.

Throughout the novel

After the deaths of Kat and the others