# Chapter II explained — All Quiet on the Western Front

> Chapter companion for All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.

## What happens

Paul Bäumer reflects on the brutal training under Corporal Himmelstoss, which forged a hard, practical comradeship among the recruits. He then sits with the dying Kemmerich, who asks Paul to give his boots to Müller. Paul contrasts the older soldiers' rooted lives with his generation's emptiness, cut off from their past and filled only with the war's harsh realities.

## Themes in this chapter

### Dehumanization and Loss of Identity

Training under Himmelstoss reduces recruits to automatons; Paul notes that 'a bright button is weightier than four volumes of Schopenhauer.'

### Comradeship and Brotherhood

The shared suffering under Himmelstoss forges a strong esprit de corps, which Paul calls 'the finest thing that arose out of the war.'

### Alienation from Civilian Life

Paul reflects that his generation has been cut off from their past; the war has made them a 'waste land' with no roots.

### Critique of Authority and Militarism

Himmelstoss's petty tyranny and the absurdity of parade-ground discipline are exposed; the recruits learn to distinguish necessity from show.

## Character check-ins

### Paul Bäumer

Narrates the chapter; recalls training under Himmelstoss and sits with the dying Kemmerich.

### Albert Kropp

Part of No. 9 platoon; defies Himmelstoss and helps empty a latrine bucket over his legs.

### Müller

Watches for Kemmerich's boots; pragmatic and clear-sighted about the war's necessities.

### Franz Kemmerich

Lies dying in the hospital after leg amputation; asks Paul to give his boots to Müller.

### Corporal Himmelstoss

The strict disciplinarian who torments the recruits; his authority is eventually undermined.

### Tjaden

Mentioned as one of the recruits targeted by Himmelstoss's harassment.

### Haie Westhus

Mentioned as another recruit who suffers under Himmelstoss's training.

### Kantorek

Referenced as the teacher who called the boys 'Iron Youth' and pushed them toward war.

## Key lines

> We learned that a bright button is weightier than four volumes of Schopenhauer.

Military appearance and drill are valued more than intellectual or philosophical depth.

_Highlights the inversion of values under military training._

> We became hard, suspicious, pitiless, vicious, tough—and that was good; for these attributes were just what we lacked.

The brutal training made us callous and resilient, which was necessary for survival at the front.

_Reflects the theme of dehumanization as a survival mechanism._

> We had as yet taken no root. The war swept us away.

Unlike older men, the young soldiers had no established life or career, so the war consumed them entirely.

_Illustrates the alienation of the younger generation from civilian life._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/all_quiet_on_the_western_front_se/chapters/ii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/all_quiet_on_the_western_front_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/all_quiet_on_the_western_front_se/chapters