Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part B (2025)

Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front (1929) provides insightful insights into psychological trauma, especially in WWI. The novel, narrated by the protagonist Paul Bäumer, a young German soldier, plunges readers into the horrors of trench warfare. Through Bäumer, Remarque discovers the disillusionment that soldiers face, capturing the enormous psychological cost of war. The narrative conveys how war erodes the human essence, leaving troops emotionally desensitised and disconnected from their pre-war existence and their fundamental sense of self. In this context, Remarque's depiction of trauma extends beyond physical harm; it encompasses the psychological impact on the victim, which includes enduring worry, sadness, and a pervasive sense of isolation. The trauma of the soldiers is portrayed as a continuous, invisible companion that keeps them from reintegrating into society after the war is over. Another critique of the novel centres on the dehumanising elements inherent in war. The soldiers are reduced to instruments of survival, while their mental and emotional pains often go unnoticed by the rest who are untouched by the battlefield. The widespread feeling of hollowness in the experiences of the soldiers, worsened by the horrors they witness, highlights the moral and psychological damage caused by war. All Quiet on the Western Front interrogates the broader human condition to highlight the deep and lasting scars that war leaves on the mind, and the value of war as a means of resolving conflict. The novel continues to be a time-defying reflection on the psychological costs of war, with its vivid and empathetic portrayal of trauma.