Using imagery, Remarque is able to communicate an anti-war theme in the novel All Quiet on the Western Front. For example, after a recruit creeps under his arm while a strong and deadly attack,Paul says,“Cries are heard between the explosions”(61). The reader can hear how painful and loud war can get toward soldiers trying to defend …show more content…
For instance, after a recruit was throwing a fit while opening and closing his fist, Paul then describes how,”He had collapsed like a rotten tree”(109). In this simile, the recruit is being compared to a rotten tree and the author wants the reader to see how war affects youth physically, mentally, and emotionally that weakens them.War is tiring, bringing them near to death too soon, essentially spoiling their life. After, the recruit was wanting to step outside during the strong bombardment, Paul describes the recruit by saying,” Then again he has the glowering eyes of a mad dog”(109). With the recruit, being compared to a mad dog in this metaphor, we can see the recruit going crazy over the mental strain. This metaphor is anti-war, since it shows how a young soldier is infected by the stress of the war and affects him by abhorring his fellow comrades for not letting him go outside. These two pieces of evidence shows how figure of speech can demonstrate an anti-war theme in this novel. Imagery and figure of speech are used by Erich Maria Remarque to express anti-war theme in this novel. This serves to teach how Erich uses different strategies or methods to express anti-war in this