What If?

1. What if your mom died, and how would've you reacted?
2. What if you didn't have your leader Katczinsky you teach the ropes of war?
3. What if your mom didn't have cancer?  
4. What if none of your friends died during the war?
5. What if you didn't enroll in the war? Paul probably would've still been in school learning 
6. What if Joseph Behm didn't go to the war, and how would've react. 
7. What if you told Kemmicrk's mom the truth about how her son died. 
8. What if you didn't have to die on a quiet day. 
9. What if you died a long slow painful death. 
10. What if you decided to flee from the war? 

Feelings Towards Your Comrades

Throughout chapters 10-12 heroism shows up from Paul in situations that involve most of his friends dying. A notable death during the book was Katczinsky, one of Paul's dearest friends and leaders. While Katczinsky was scavenging for food, he then suddenly falls to the ground. Paul then fixes his wound, and senses that his shin is busted. Paul tries to find a stretcher for Katczinky, but there isn't on to be found. He Decides to carry him on his shoulders. Though while carrying him, Katczinsky may have died on the way. It describes that " Twice we rest. He suffers acutely on the way. We do not speak much."This shows us that Katczinsky is hanging on by a thread. Paul then finally gets him to a dressing station, and reluctanly has Katzinsky saved. Though Kat suffers a splinter to the head and dies. What this shows is that is dramatic irony that Katczinsky has carried and showed the boys everything that they know about what to do in a war. Though towards the end, Paul has carried Katczinsky like Katczinsky has carried them throughout the entire war. This to shows how Paul's feelings are towards his friends that he has made during the war.

Paul and his Encounters

On the way home, Paul is faced with situations that upset him in many ways. Such as his parents, former school teacher, and the Major from the army. The one encountering to me, that shows the most irony is the conversation between him and Kantorek in the bar. Kantorek ask him questions about the war and thinks he knows what has been going on, even though he really doesn't. He really just tells how to win the war and just go straight up, an attack the  French. Considering that it is impossible to do that, this upsets Paul. With all the bombing, deaths, and misery that has been occurring in the war. This then causes Paul to insult Kantorek and leave the bar. 

The War in the Air

The War in the AirBy Howard Nemerov

For a saving grace, we didn't see our dead,

Who rarely bothered coming home to die

But simply stayed away out there

In the clean war, the war in the air.

Seldom the ghosts come back bearing their tales

Of hitting the earth, the incompressible sea,

But stayed up there in the relative wind,

Shades fading in the mind,

Who had no graves but only epitaphs

Where never so many spoke for never so few:

Per ardua, said the partisans of Mars,

Per aspera, to the stars.

That was the good war, the war we won

As if there was no death, for goodness's sake.

With the help of the losers we left out there

In the air, in the empty air. 

The poem describes about how the war is spread through the air. I like in the last passage how he says " That was the good war, the war we won as if there was no death, for goodness sake". I also liked in the first passage, the one line were " For a saving grace, we didn't see our dead, Who rarely bothered coming home to die." My favorite part was they rarely bothered coming home to die, because so many died during the war, and many few were able to come home. 

1. For a saving grace, we didn't see our dead, - Nobody knew when they were going to die, but so many died 

    Who rarely bothered coming home to die     that few were able to have their death at their home.

2 That was the good war, the war we won   -      A war is a good war if only you win and if nobody dies while

As if there was no death, for goodness's sake.   in the war. 

3. Seldom the ghosts come back bearing their tales -    What I think the incompressible sea is a bunch of

Of hitting the earth, the incompressible sea,                soldiers being bombed on the earth