appropriate response. It was that abstraction I stabbed ... Forgive me,comrade. We always see it too late. Why do they never tell us that you are poor devils like us, that yourmothers are just as anxious as ours, and that we have the same fear of death, and the same dying and thesame agonyForgive me, comrade; how could you be my enemy? If we threw away these rifles and this uniform you could be my brother just like Kat ..." (Remarque, All Quiet IX. 195)In addition to the obvious brotherhood of nations sentiment that appears in Baumers eulogy, it isinteresting tonote that Baumer sees that Duval could have been even closerlike Katczinsky, a member of Baumers innercircle of Second Company.All of the sentiments, all of the words, that Baumer articulates to Duval are admirable, but they areabsolutelyfalse.As time passes, as he spends more time with the corpse of Duval in the shell-hole, Baumer realizes thathe willnot fulfill the various promises he has made. He cannot write to Duvals family; it would be beyondimproprietyto do so. Moreover, Baumer renounces his brotherhood sentiments: "Today you, tomorrow me" (Remarque, AllQuiet IX. 197). Soon, Baumer admits, "I think no more of the dead man, he is of no consequence to me now"(Remarque, All Quiet IX. 198). And later, to hedge his bets in case there happens to be justice in theuniverse,Baumer states, "Now merely to avert any ill-luck, I babble mechanically: I will fulfill everything,fulfill everythingI have promised you but already I know that I shall not do so" (Remarque, All Quiet IX. 198).Remarques point in this episode is clear: no one is exempt from the perversion of language vis-a-vis thewar.Even Paul Baumer, who had been disgusted by the meaninglessness of language as demonstrated in his hometown, himself uses words and language that are meaningless. Once he is reunited with his comrades aftertheshell hole episode, Baumer admits "it was mere drivelling nonsense that...
