All Quiet on the Western Front Essays: Can’t Go Home Again :: All Quiet on the Western Front Essays

Cant Go Home again All Quiet on the Western Front   During his leave, perhaps Baumers most striking realization of the vacuity of words in his origin society occurs when he is alone in his old room in his parents house. After being unsuccessful in looking ating a leave of his old society by speaking with his mother and his arrest and his fathers friends, Baumer attempts to reaffiliate with his past by once again becoming a resident of the place. Here, among his mementos, the pictures and postcards on the wall, the familiar and comfortable brown leather sofa, Baumer searchs for something that allow for allow him to feel a part of his pre-enlistment world. It is his old schoolbooks that symbolize that older, more(prenominal) contemplative, less military world and which Baumer hopes will mould him backrest to his younger innocent ways. I indirect request that quiet rapture again. I want to feel the same powerful, nameless urge that I used to feel when I turned to my books. The breath of desire that then arose from the colored backs of the books, shall study me again, melt the heavy, dead lump of lead that lies somewhere in me and brace again the impatience of the future, the quick joy in the world of thought, it shall bring back again the bewildered eagerness of my youth. I sit and wait (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 151).   But Baumer continues to wait and the sign does not comply the quiet rapture does not occur. The room itself, and the pre-enlistment world it represents, become foreign to him. "A sudden feeling of foreignness suddenly rises in me. I cannot find my way back" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 152). Baumer understands that he is irredeemably lost to the primitive, military, non-academic world of the war. Ultimately, the books are worthless because the words in them are meaningless. " delivery, Words, Wordsthey do not reach me. Slowly I place the books back in the shelves. Nevermore" (Remarque, All Quiet VI I. 153). In his experiences with traditional society, Baumer perverts language, that which separates the valet de chambre from the beast, to the point where it has no meaning. Baumer shows his rejection of that traditional society by refusing to, or being unable to, use the standards of its language. Contrasted with Baumers experiences during his visit home are his dealing with his fellow trench soldiers.