Who is Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front?
In this lesson, we will discuss Paul Baumer, the main character and narrator of Erich Maria Remarque's novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Paul volunteers for the German Army, where he is changed by the extreme physical and mental distresses of war.
Who is Paul Bäumer?
This article deals with Paul Bäumer the pilot. For the fictional Paul Bäumer, see All Quiet on the Western Front. For the late member of electronic music group Bingo Players, see Bingo Players Paul Wilhelm Bäumer (11 May 1896 – 15 July 1927) was a German fighter ace in World War I .
Is Paul Baumer a remarque?
Critics differ on the degree to which Baumer is Remarque, but the general consensus is that Paul Baumer is foremost a fictional creation who recounts a story that evokes the absurdity of war. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial.
How old is Paul Bäumer in POWL boy?
Paul Bäumer (powl BOY -mehr), a nineteen-year-old soldier in the German army during World War I. Because he has been drafted so young, he wonders what he will be able to do to earn a living if he ever becomes a civilian again.
How old is Tjaden in all quiet?
nineteen-year-oldTjaden (JAH-duhn) A thin, nineteen-year-old soldier with an immense appetite.
How old are the soldiers in All Quiet on the Western Front?
nineteen years oldPaul describes his fellow soldiers: he, Leer, Müller, and Kropp are all nineteen years old. They are from the same class in school, and each enlisted in the army voluntarily. Tjaden, a locksmith, is a voracious eater but remains thin as a rail, making Paul wonder where all the food goes to on his skinny frame.
How old is Katczinsky in all quiet?
forty years oldStanislaus Katczinsky A soldier belonging to Paul's company and Paul's best friend in the army. Kat, as he is known, is forty years old at the beginning of the novel and has a family at home.
Was Paul Baumer a real person?
Paul Wilhelm Bäumer (11 May 1896 – 15 July 1927) was a German fighter ace in World War I.
How is Kat a father figure to Paul?
Paul describes his relationship with Kat as one of brotherhood; furthermore, their relationship is also reminiscent of a father-son relationship. Paul's relationship with his own father is strained, but Kat takes on the role of Paul's father by teaching Paul how to survive the war.
How did Kemmerich lose his leg?
Franz Kemmerich had enlisted in the army for World War I along with his best friend and classmate, Paul Bäumer. Kemmerich is shot in the leg; his injured leg has to be amputated, and he dies shortly after. In anticipation of Kemmerich's imminent death, Fredrich Müller was eager to get his boots.
Who is Kat's helper?
Haie Westhus: A giant boy about 19, he is a peat-digger by trade. He is Kat's main helper.
Who is Haie Westhus?
Haie Westhus is a character from Erich Maria Remarque's famed anti-war novel of World War I, All Quiet on the Western Front. Haie is a former peat digger who dreams of staying in the army after the war and retiring as a police officer, all so he doesn't have to return to the backbreaking work of peat digging.
Who is Himmelstoss?
Lesson Summary Himmelstoss is a character from Erich Maria Remarque's World War I novel All Quiet on the Western Front. He's a training officer at the training camp the boys must attend before being deployed to the front lines, and he's universally hated because he's a bully.
What age did Paul Baumer join the war?
Plot summary. All Quiet on the Western Front tells the story of a group of young Germans who enlist in World War I after being captivated by slogans of patriotism and honour. It is narrated by the protagonist, Paul Baumer, who is 20 years old.
How does Paul react to Kat's death?
How does Paul respond to Kat's death? He is delirious and hopeless. He can barely stand, and his eyes nearly role back in his head.
Why does Paul lie to Kemmerich's mother?
Paul's mother becomes sadder as the end of Paul's leave looms closer. Paul visits Kemmerich's mother to deliver the news of her son's death. She demands to know how he died. Paul lies to her by telling her that he died quickly with little pain and suffering.
What does Paul Baumer symbolize?
Paul Baumer is considered representative of "The Lost Generation," which refers to people who came of age during WWI and were forced to suddenly tr...
What happens to Paul Baumer in All Quiet on the Western Front?
Paul finds himself significantly changed by his experiences in the war. He becomes detached and struggles to feel connected to his former life or t...
What is Paul like as a character in All Quiet on the Western Front?
Paul begins as an average, quiet student living in a small German village. However, during the war he is forced to learn to detach from his emotion...
Was Paul Baumer a real person?
Paul Braumer is a fictional character and was not a real person. However, his experiences are described in very realistic terms because they were b...
Why was All Quiet on the Western Front banned?
The novel was banned after being deemed traitorous by the Nazi party in Germany. This was because of its honest representation of the conditions an...
What is the message of All Quiet on the Western Front?
The novel has a strong anti-war message. Remarque emphasizes the psychological and emotional devastation that soldiers experience as a result of wa...
What is the central character in All Quiet on the Western Front?
As the novel’s narrator and protagonist, Paul is the central figure in All Quiet on the Western Front and serves as the mouthpiece for Remarque’s meditations about war. Throughout the novel, Paul ’s inner personality is contrasted with the way the war forces him to act and feel. His memories of the time before the war show that he was once a very different man from the despairing soldier who now narrates the novel. Paul is a compassionate and sensitive young man; before the war, he loved his family and wrote poetry. Because of the horror of the war and the anxiety it induces, Paul , like other soldiers, learns to disconnect his mind from his feelings, keeping his emotions at bay in order to preserve his sanity and survive.
What does Paul fear after the war?
The longer that Paul survives the war and the more that he hates it, the less certain he is that life will be better for him after it ends. This anxiety arises from his belief that the war will have ruined his generation, will have so eviscerated his and his friends’ minds that they will always be “bewildered.”.
Why did Paul write poetry?
Paul is a compassionate and sensitive young man; before the war, he loved his family and wrote poetry. Because of the horror of the war and the anxiety it induces, Paul, like other soldiers, learns to disconnect his mind from his feelings, keeping his emotions at bay in order to preserve his sanity and survive.
Who is Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front?
Paul is the main character and the protagonist, or the good guy, of the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Before volunteering for the German Army, he lived a quiet teenage life as a gentle young man writing poetry and plays.
Who wrote the book "All Quiet on the Western Front"?
First published in 1928, All Quiet on the Western Front is a novel written by the German writer Erich Maria Remarque. The book is based on Remarque's own experiences as a WWI solider, and it describes the incredible affects WWI had on the mind and body of the soldiers who fought in it. Remarque uses the character Paul Baumer to speak his mind, and to tell the reader his feelings about war.
Why is Paul relieved by death?
It is because of these anxieties and depressions that Paul is relieved by death. He dies on a relatively calm day at the front, when the army report reads: ''All quiet on the Western Front.''. While it is greatly ironic, or opposite of what is expected, it brings Paul a certain peace.
How old is Paul Bäumer?
Paul Bäumer (powl BOY -mehr), a nineteen-year-old soldier in the German army during World War I. Because he has been drafted so young, he wonders what he will be able to do to earn a living if he ever becomes a civilian again. In a battle, he stabs a French soldier and then, filled with remorse, tries to relieve the dying man’s pain.
What is the phrase for Baumer's death?
Ironically, Baumer is killed on a day that was so quiet and still that the "army report confined itself to the simple sentence: All quiet on the western front," and on his face was a calm expression "as though almost glad the end had come.".
How old is the narrator in Saul?
The sensitive twenty-year-old narrator (he has written poems and a play called "Saul") reaches manhood through three years of service as a soldier in the second company of the German army during World War I. His loss of innocence during the cataclysm is the focus of the author's anti-war sentiment.
Who is Franz Kemmerich?
He eases their minds during the bombardment. Franz Kemmerich. A childhood friend of Paul Baumer, Kemmerich longs to be a forester. Unfortunately, his dreams are dashed by the war, where he undergoes a leg amputation and then dies.
Who is Paul's mother?
Frau Bäumer, Paul’s mother. She saves her son’s favorite foods from her meager rations so that he can have them when he is on leave. She is dying of cancer.
Who was the soldier that Paul killed?
Gerard Duval. Lying in a shell hole during a bombardment, Paul suddenly finds the French soldier Gerard Duval on top of him. Instinctively Paul kills Duval, a typesetter in civilian life, by knifing him to death. The soldier's demise is slow and painful, and, overcome by guilt, Paul tries to ease his suffering.
When did Paul die in All Quiet on the Western Front?
Also Know, does everyone die in All Quiet on the Western Front? After years of fighting, Paul is finally killed in October of 1918, on an extraordinarily quiet, peaceful day. The army report that day contains only one phrase: “All quiet on the Western Front.”.
What happened to Paul in All Quiet on the Western Front?
He sits alone while recovering from a mustard gas attack and is at first saddened and then defiant. Sadly, Paul is killed in war on a day that the army calls quiet. Click to see full answer.
What is Paul Baumer's childhood friend's dream?
A childhood friend of Paul Baumer, Kemmerich longs to be a forester. Unfortunately, his dreams are dashed by the war, where he undergoes a leg amputation and then dies. He is Paul’s first eyewitness experience with personal loss.
Who did Paul find on top of him?
Lying in a shell hole during a bombardment, Paul suddenly finds the French soldier Gerard Duval on top of him. Instinctively Paul kills Duval, a typesetter in civilian life, by knifing him to death. The soldier’s demise is slow and painful, and, overcome by guilt, Paul tries to ease his suffering. After the Frenchman dies, he searches his wallet for an address and finds letters and pictures of his wife and child.
What did Paul wish Kantorek had guided him to?
Paul expresses his rage at Kantorek’s unrealistic view of war that proved dangerous and fatal to most of his class, the “Iron Youth,” as Kantorek calls them. Instead, Paul wishes that Kantorek had guided them to a life of maturity and constructive actions. As a member of the local reserves, he is a poor soldier.
Who inherits Kemmerich's soft airman boots?
Muller is a young soldier who continues to study physics and think of exams during the war. He inherits Kemmerich’s soft airman’s boots; as he lies dying with an agonizing stomach wound, he wills the boots to Paul.
Who is Kropp in Paul's class?
Kropp is the best student in Paul’s class and joins him in rebelling against Himmelstoss. When he has to have part of his leg amputated, he threatens to kill himself. Eventually, with the help of his comrades, he resigns himself to his new condition and accepts an artificial limb.
What is the story of the peasant from Oldenburg?
He is a peasant from Oldenburg, who worries about his wife alone in their farm. He grows particularly nostalgic when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, and he hates to hear the horses bellowing in agony. After he deserts, he is captured and never heard from again. As in the case of most of the characters in the novel, he is another example of someone without a future who simply exists in a meaningless world.
What does Paul find when he returns home for leave?
When Paul returns home for leave, he finds himself disgusted by the way civilians view the war. No one but Paul knows the awful truth, and his knowledge has dislodged him from the society from which he came. When the red-cross sister calls him “Comrade,” Paul takes it as an affront.
What does Paul expect when he finally gets close to a girl?
Paul reveals that when he finally gets close to a girl, though, he realizes how much innocence he has lost.
What does Paul say in the book "I am wretched with helplessness"?
I am wretched with helplessness. Paul admits that he can’t figure out what to do for his hospitalized, dying comrade. In the midst of the war, Paul still tries to keep his humanity, and knows that he should stay by his friend’s side out of kindness. However, the war makes his kindness useless.
What does Paul say about comforting a dying man?
Paul can say nothing to comfort a man who is dying miles from home and family. Paul’s fight against futility will slowly wear him down to nothing. It is this other, this second sight in us, that has thrown us to the ground and saved us, without our knowing how.
What did Paul learn from the war?
Paul learns much in retrospect, gaining clarity through the gauntlet of war. Here he reflects that the people who shrank from war, who were branded as cowards, had the right idea. Those without lives of hardship embraced the idea of war as glory, but the people who had already known the depths to which life could sink smelled ...
Overview
This article deals with Paul Bäumer the pilot. For the fictional Paul Bäumer, see All Quiet on the Western Front. For the late member of electronic music group Bingo Players, see Bingo Players
Paul Wilhelm Bäumer (11 May 1896 – 15 July 1927) was a German fighter ace in World War I.
Background
Bäumer was born on 11 May 1896 in Duisburg, Germany. He was a dental assistant before World War I, and earned a private pilot's license by Summer 1914.
Involvement in World War I
At the start of the war, he joined the 70th Infantry Regiment. He served in both France and Russia, being wounded in the arm in the latter. He then transferred to the air service as a dental assistant before being accepted for military pilot training.
By October 1916, he was serving as a ferry pilot and instructor at Armee Flugp…
Post-War Career
After the war, Bäumer worked briefly in the dockyards before he became a dentist, and reportedly one of his patients, Erich Maria Remarque, used Bäumer's name for the protagonist of his antiwar novel All Quiet on the Western Front.
Continuing his interest in flying, he founded his own aircraft company in Hamburg. Bäumer died in an air crash at Copenhagen on 15 July 1927, age 31, …
External links
• Paul Bäumer page at theaerodrome.com
• Newspaper clippings about Paul Bäumer in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW
Bibliography
• "Casualty Compendium". Archive. No. 1. Air-Britain. 1981. p. 27.
• "Casualty Compendium: Part 2". Archive. No. 2. Air-Britain. 1981. pp. 53–55.
• Franks, Norman; et al. (1993). Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service, and Flanders Marine Corps 1914–1918. London: Grub Street. ISBN 9780948817731.
Further reading
• Franks, Norman (2004). Jasta Boelcke. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-904010-76-0.