mer is overwhelmed at being home. His joy and relief aresuchthat he cannot speak; he can only weep (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 140). When he and his mother greet eachother, he realizes immediately that he has nothing to say to her: "We say very little and I am thankfulthat sheasks nothing" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 141). But finally she does speak to him and asks, "Was it verybad outthere, Paul?" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 143).Here, when he answers, he lies, ostensibly to protect her from hearing of the chaotic conditions fromwhich hehas just returned. He thinks tohimself, Mother, what should I answer to that! You would not understand, you could never realize it. And you never shall realize it. Was it bad, you ask.You, Mother,--I shake my head and say: "No, Mother, not so very. There are always a lot of us together so it isnt so bad." (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 143)Even in trying to protect her, by using words that are false, Baumer creates a separation between hismother andhimself. Clearly, as Baumer sees it, such knowledge is not for the uninitiated. On another level,however, Baumercannot respond to his mothers question: he understands that the experiences he has had are sooverwhelmingthat a "civilian" language, or any language at all, would be ineffective in describing them. Trying toreplicate theexperience and horrors of the war via words is impossible, Baumer realizes, and so he lies. Any attemptat tellingthe truth would, in fact, trivialize its reality.During the course of his leave, Baumer also sees his father. The fact that he does not wish to speak withhisparent (i.e., use few or no words at all) shows Baumers movement away from the traditional institutionof thefamily. Baumer reports that his father "is curious [about the war] in a way that I find stupid anddistressing; I nolonger have any real contact with him" (Remarque, All Quiet VII. 146). In considering the demands of hisfatherto discuss the war...
