War Can Be Humanizing

The Collins Gage Canadian dictionary defines dehumanize as: “To deprive of human qualities or attributes. ” Based on Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, there are most definitely several aspects of war that are not, by definition, dehumanizing and can in fact make young soldiers more human. Due to the heightened sense of compassion that is felt, the bonds that are formed between soldiers, and the perspective on what’s of value in life that is gained, war can undoubtedly be a humanizing experience for those that go through it.Though one may be quick to assume the opposite, war can certainly amplify a soldier’s compassion, thereby making him more human.

This becomes evident when Paul Baumer, a character in All Quiet on the Western Front, says: “Comrade, I did not want to kill you. If you jumped in here again, I would not do it, if you would be sensible too. But you were only an idea to me before, an abstraction that lived in my mind and called forth its appropriate response. It was that abstraction I stabbed. But now, for the first time, I see you are a man like me.I thought of your hand-grenades, of your bayonet, of your rifle; now I see your wife and your face and our fellowship.

Forgive me, comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that your mothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and the same agony – Forgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy? If we threw away these rifles and this uniform you could be my brother just like Kat and Albert.Take twenty years of my life, comrade, and stand up – take more, for I do not know what I can even attempt to do with it now. ” (223).

Paul’s compassion becomes obvious when realizes the soldier he had just killed is no different from himself and he addresses the soldier as “comrade”, while instructing him to take some of his life, for Paul has just taken the rest of his. Once he sees the other soldier for what he is, just another human being, he can easily relate to him and feels incredibly guilty about what he has done.Having seen so many of his friend’s lives taken in battle, and being effected by it, also permits a soldier like Paul to understand the significance of taking a life and how it will effect that persons loved ones. This allows the men in battle to feel more compassion for the enemy as well. By really seeing the men they are killing and understanding the effects that it will have on their enemy`s loved ones, a soldier’s compassion can be easily intensified by the experiences of war.The friendship that develops between soldiers is a significant part of how war can be humanizing as well.

There are several instances in the novel when Paul mentions how Kat is a father figure and the other men in the company are like his brothers. Going through something as traumatic as war together would make it difficult not to develop a strong connection, much like the one the boys have in the novel, and building close relationships with others in such a hopeless place would make anyone feel more human.A part of being human is that in order to lead happy lives we need to interact with others, and have some form of support system. As a result, forming that support system through the brotherhood of war and feeling that sense of comfort amongst such destruction is most definitely humanizing. Being around those that they consider family, gives soldiers the support they need to continue on and feel like they still have some attachment to a civilized, humane world.Soldiers can also be humanized in war by gaining perspective on what is truly valuable in life.

Experiencing all the destruction of war allows a soldier to value life more when sent home, and seeing an overwhelming amount of death while in battle would put into perspective how quickly life can end. Soldiers become more thankful for all that they have, and more appreciative of the little things in life, much like Paul describes when he says: “These are wonderfully care-free hours. Over us is the blue sky.On the horizon float the bright yellow sunlit observation-balloons, and the many little white clouds of the anti-aircraft shells...

We hear the muffled rumble of the front only as a very distant thunder, bumble-bees droning by quite drown it. Around us stretches the flowery meadow. The grasses sway their tall spears; the white butterflies flutter around and float on the soft warm wind of the late summer. We read letters and newspapers and smoke. ” (9).

Even early on in the novel, Paul can appreciate the time when everything has slowed down and he can enjoy it.Living through war and in such awful conditions can put into perspective how fortunate soldiers are when they return home, and can enrich a soldier’s life with value that it was once lacking. The compassion that is learned, the friendship that is formed, and the perspective that is gained, are all significant aspects of what makes war a humanizing experience, as shown by Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front. Without these, war would be completely unbearable and inhumane.