(Numbers indicate the chapter you should refer to.)
In what person and tense is the book written? Who is the narrator? Give a brief description of the narrator.(1-3)
What has happened to Kemmerich? What does Muller want from him?(1-3)
How does Remarque specifically illustrate the truth of Paul’s statement that, "To no man does the earth mean so much as to the soldier"?(4-6)
In what setting does the heavy shelling of Chapter 4 take place? What is ironic about this setting?(4-6)
List several signs which indicate to the soldiers that there will be heavy fighting soon.(4-6)
According to Paul, what keeps the men from "going to pieces"?(7-9)
What does Paul mean by this statement, "Words, words, words---they do not reach me"?(7-9)
What are Paul’s feelings toward the Russian prisoners in the nearby prison camp?(7-9)
Why does Paul refuse chloroform while the surgeon is dressing his leg?(10-12)
What details in Chapter 11 indicate the disintegration of the German army?(10-12)
What is your reaction as a reader to the news of Paul’s death at the end of the book? Why does the author have Paul die? Do you think Paul was, in fact, "almost glad the end had come"?(10-12)
Possible Discussion Questions
Reread the brief preface to the book. Consider the author’s denial of the book as an "accusation, " a "confession," or an "adventure." Having read this book, would you agree or disagree with this denial?
This book is said to have shattered a "conspiracy of silence" regarding this war. Soldiers who returned would answer politely but give no details as to the horrors they endured. Which scenes do you think would have been (and still are) particularly shocking to a society largely unaware of the specifics of combat?
