innocence to experience
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Innocence to Experience
In the book All is Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, the main character, Paul, is hugely transformed. His experiences during the war are very harsh and they turn him away from innocence. He is no longer naive or ignorant of death and his transformation changes his views about life.
Paul is convinced by his teacher and his buddies to join the army without really knowing what he is getting into. Paul's teacher, Kanterek, calls the boys "iron youth" (18) and pleads with them " wont you join up, comrades?" (11). In pleading this, Kanterek fired up the students, including Paul, to fight in the war. The young men thought they were invincible, but when they got to the trenches, they realized their own mortality. Paul says, "The war has ruined everything for us," (87). Once they got to the front, they realized they are not "iron youth...