All Quiet On The Western Front - 1585 Words

The loss of innocence is an evident yet bitter theme in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. The group of young men, introduced at the beginning of the book, had no idea of the hardships and brutalities of war that come. Following their disclosure to battle and the front, the boys instantaneously become men. They are no longer naive and innocent. The theme is also shown with the protagonist, Krebs, in the short story â€Å"Soldier’s Home.† Krebs is home on leave, and does not have passion for life anymore. This saddening topic is also shown in the poem â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth.† All three of these works of literature have the same surreal and sorrowful characteristics, that dismally happens to many young men. In the short story,†¦show more content†¦She asks Krebs if she is his beau and if he loves her. He gives very monotone and lifeless answers to her, saying â€Å"Sure,† or â€Å"Uh-huh.† His sister, although, does not buy this , and holds the belief that he does not love her. His mother asks Krebs if he loves her as well. He responds, â€Å"No, I don’t love anybody. It wasn’t any good. He couldn’t tell her, he couldn’t make her see it.† (Hemingway 5) Naturally, she reacts upset and dejected, obviously not understanding what Krebs has seen and gone through. Krebs’ behavior after he came home from the war is typical for most. He has definitely lost his outlooks on life he had before. â€Å"He had tried so to keep his life from being complicated. Still, none of it had touched him. â€Å" (Hemingway 6) Of course, he had not been exposed to the brutalities of war then. He came home a new man. He cannot unsee what he lived through. As much as his family wishes he was, Krebs has let go of his innocence and pleasure for life. The poem by Wilfred Owen, â€Å"Anthem for Doomed Youth,† the descriptive language used can give readers a view of how detrimental war is f or young men. â€Å"Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -- The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells.† (Owen) This quote means that nothing can restore these men back to their original selves.