All Calms Down on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is considered the greatest war novel of all time. Narrated by 19-year-old Paul Bäumer, this book describes the brutal experience he endured while fighting with the German army on the French front during the First World War. This book stands out from the rest of the war novels written at this time because most others left out the dehumanizing experiences that the soldiers survived. Note not only wrote a war novel, he wrote about the trials and tribulations they went through, the unglamorous lifestyle they led, and most importantly, he includes his inner thoughts on war and life after war. Paul's attitude toward war fluctuates throughout the novel. At first, Paul remembers how he willingly joined the war after hearing several patriotic speeches given by his teacher, Kantorek. Several of Paul's classmates enlist with him and together they embark on the terrifying war journey to the front lines. Paul and his friends quickly realize that not only are they fighting for survival, but also to maintain their humanity. He doesn't sugarcoat any aspect of war life, he tells it exactly how he and his friends experienced it. Describing what it was like to “go beyond the top,” Bäumer says: “We see men living with their skulls shattered; we see soldiers running with both feet cut off, they stagger on their shattered stumps until the next shell hole” (Remark 134). Bäumer makes such statements as if he had emotionally detached himself from the war; for him, these brutal scenes have become part of his daily life. The uplifting attitude he begins with slowly fades as he begins to separate his emotions from the horrific scenes he is expected to encounter on a daily basis. His attitude throughout the novel changes because he almost feels