War can destroy a young man mentally and physically. One might say that nothing good comes out of war, but in Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, there is one positive characteristic: comradeship. Paul and his friends give Himmelstoss a beating in which he deserves due to his training tactics. This starts the brotherhood of this tiny group. As explosions and gunfire sound off a young recruit in his first battle is gun-shy and seeks reassurance in Paul’s chest and arms, and Paul gently tells him that he will get used to it. The relationship between Paul and Kat is only found during war, in which nothing can break them apart. The comradeship between soldiers at war is what keeps them alive, that being the only good quality to come out of war. During training Paul and his schoolmates come across Colonel Himmelstoss who teaches them the survival skills needed in the front. During training Himmelstoss tortures the recruits but is indirectly teaching them to become hard, pitiless, vicious, and tough soldiers. Although the training seems senseless and cruel to Paul and his classmates, it prepares them for life at the front. The training regimen awakens a sense of esprit de corps the group spirit shared by those in the same group. Paul’s battle with Himmelstoss shows a brighter side of warfare, which is comradeship that develops in death-defying situations. The value for comradeship is appreciated more in the field when the men depend on each other to survive. Between missions Paul and Kat take a moment to teach the young recruits. Kat’s experience will teach the recruits to recognize the type and size of shells by the sound. As incoming artillery begins, soldiers cry out and run for cover. A young recruit finds himself in Paul’s chest while Paul is trying to calm him from crying and shaking. The comradeship between the recruit and Paul shows how soldiers take care of each other. Without any hesitatio...
