In the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries Europe was undeniably approaching World War I. Sir Edward Grey was quoted as saying, “The lamps are going out all over Europe. We shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.” This quote is directly related to Erich Maria Remarque’s book, All Quiet on the Western Front. The characters in this novel, as well as all other young World War I soldiers, represent the lamps in Grey’s statement.
The young men that fought for their countries in World War I were a metaphor of a desperate European society as well as a lost youthfulness caused by the trials and tribulations of war. Sir Edward Grey made the statement, “The lamps are going out all over Europe.” When he said this, the British Prime minister was using lamps to represent the purity of the generation that was involved in the war. That generation of young men around 20 years of age would be forever corrupted by the horror of war. Their childlike demeanor was forever lost and they were transformed into humans who had witnessed what no 20 year old should. Lamps are often associated with light and light is used to represent new thoughts and ideas.
Light is a symbol of progress and passion, something lost for the soldiers in the First World War. This is shown in the novel when Paul and Muller appear to care more about Kemmerich’s boots than the fact that he is dead. It appears their emotions are depleted. When they discuss “peace-time” it seems so far out of their reach, so unobtainable. Sir Edward Grey was correct when he said that he would never be able to witness the lamps being lit again. It was too large of an endeavor for the shell-shocked soldiers to regain their innocence.
The Term Paper on The Cold War And The New World Order
The Cold War and the New World Order (1) It would not be an exaggeration to say that Gold War served as metaphysical foundation, upon which international relations were based, from the time of Churchills famous Fulton speech in 1946, to 1991, when Soviet Union has painlessly ceased to exist. One month prior to committing suicide in his bunker, Hitler had prophesied: With the defeat of the Reich ...
It was an impossible task to rid their minds of what they saw on the battlefields. Their brains would be forever trained to treat death and destruction as just all part of life. Paul Baume r and all the soldiers of World War I are a metaphor for European society in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries because they lived in desperation. All of Europe was looking for something to believe in just as the soldiers needed something to believe in on the battlefield. Society was neglecting the middle class values and religion and turning towards power by the strong and ir rationalism. This attitude had to be implemented in the war by the soldiers.
In the prime of their life, 20 year old soldiers were taught to destroy all that they were supposed to be passionate about at their age. They had to destroy human life and feelings and emotions. This forever changed their generation. The dismay and terror of World War I extinguished the lamps of a young generation. Their innocence and virtue would be distorted for the rest of their lives.
