1. Himmelstoss had a huge transformation throughout the book. He was an innocent postman before the war and during the war he was a man who wanted power and he also treated the soldiers who were below him in ranking very poorly. He proves to the other soldiers that he is not that tough. He is sent to the front to fight he gets just as scared as some of the other soldiers which results in him trying to make amends with other soldiers. In the end, not everyone can be so brave and only want power.
2. Paul Baumer – A relationship forms between him and Kat throughout the chapter. Without spoken words they become best friends.
Stanislaus Katczinsky (Kat) – Forms a strong friendship with Paul when they capture a goose to eat.
Tjaden – Goes on house arrest after being very sarcastic to Himmelstoss
Corporal Himmelstoss – Shows his authority when Tjaden harasses him.
3. I'll quiet on the western front takes place during world war I and shows how the war can turn boys into men very quickly. It starts out when the boys are young men and areally recruited into. The war by a man named Kantoreck who has a very powerful way of persuading boys to Eliot themselves into the war. After they enlist, the young men realize that the training camp is not a vacation spot. They also realize that Corporal Himmelstoss is not a person to mess with. He thinks that he is much more powerful than the rest of the men whose rankings are below his. When the men are called to the front Himmelstoss and the rest of the men realize that everybody has a to have a fear of something. During the first half of the Nov Paul and Kat form a very good friendship that lasts until the end when they both die.
The novel also talks about what the men will do after the war. Many of the answers were to find a girl or just get drunk. Little do they know at the time and they all die in the war. Not just physically but emotionally as well.
4. In this chapter, there are a few important events that stand out throughout the story. With a brief overview, Paul and his comrades continue to become very close, and develop a likewise mentality in which they all share. There are several instances throughout this chapter in which Paul and his friends display closeness and camaraderie. They have a shared interest in their display of authority, their adult life being in war, and not to mention their age. Paul and his friends were brought into war so early in their life, therefore they no nothing other than war, and that is a shared mentality they all possess.
To start off with, Mueller is asking all of the others what they plan to do after they get home from war. In reality, they know nothing other than war, since they were involved at such an early age. Because they are so young, many of their answers reflect their potential immaturity. Haie and Tjaden both reflect on something that they currently do in the army. Haie claims that he will remain in the army, simply because his previous civilian job is so awful. In reality, he really has this idea because he is so currently and heavily involved, it seems to be the only thing his mind can imagine. War is the only thing these men know, and is how they are living their lives.
Later on in the chapter, Paul and Kat attempt to steal some geese they heard about earlier. Kat only gets away with one goose, and brings it back to their hooch to cook it and eat with Paul. In this instance, Kat and Paul connect with one another. They do not necessarily speak to another, but there is an intimate connection that Paul feels with Kat. I suspect this is because they have a shared mentality through the war. Not only that, but they have a shared mentality towards authority, as well as the other soldiers do. All the soldiers have a shared mentality towards Himmelstoss, which helps show the men are on the same level, and can have a shared mentality in order to become closer. With that being said, Kat and Paul have a shared closeness that even some lovers don’t have. While roasting the goose, they have time to shy away from war, and have a peaceful time to just think and reflect on the situation they are both in, and how they are in it together, doing the same thing at the same level. Paul is a young man and very inexperienced, so this is a new part of his life, and, how he sees it, is his future.
Lastly, the men reflect on their views towards authority, regarding Himmelstoss in particular. They have been at war long enough to fully understand their position in the war, and don’t fully respect Himmelstoss anymore. Himmelstoss regards Drill and Ceremony as important, if not more important, than actual warfare. The men, on the other hand, have experienced war first hand, and, if you will, grew up in warfare. Because of this, they understand that Himmelstoss is pompous, and does not reflect the best interest of the men, hence losing respect of the men. I believe this goes to show how military authority can go to any man’s head, regardless of current status, military or civilian. This ties into how Paul and his friends have a close-knit relationship and how they can reflect upon one another how they are all in same position, disrespect the same man, and view their future as what they are all experiencing throughout that time.
