1st hour notes on Theme Essay

Transcription

1 1st hour notes on Theme Essay Theme 1. Look through DJs for ABSTRACTS 2. Determine whether each abstract affects one character, two or three, or most 3. Pick the best abstracts, and decide what each character teaches us about that abstract. 4. Seek a pattern... what is the AUTHOR trying to say? 5. Check that pattern against the rest of the book. See if it breaks anywhere. 6. Write a formal thesis. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque explains that although animalistic instinct is the only way to survive the front, it destroys a soldier emotionally. 1

2 Figure out what literary elements support the theme... brainstorm! In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque explains that although animalistic instinct is the only way to survive the front, it destroys a soldier emotionally. 2

3 1st hour sample essay... the grayed out portion is where an AP student might take this same idea... it is not part of the required paragraph. Requirements: clear topic sentence, claims, evidence, commentary, and closure. Three claims or arguments are standard. Erich Maria Remarque described soldiers as saying, We want to live at any price; so we cannot burden ourselves with feelings which, though they might be ornamental enough in peace me, would be out of place here. These soldiers put survival ahead of all else; however, survival is not the only driving force in his most famous novel. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque explains that although animalisc insnct is the only way to survive the front, it destroys a soldier emoonally. The symbolism throughout this novel supports the idea that animalisc insnct is ulmately destrucve. Trees present the most obvious symbol. Early in the book when Franz is dying, Paul tells him that he can go home and look out from the window across the fields to the two trees on the horizon (Remarque25). This line is intended to comfort Franz and is part of a pattern of the characters seeking emotional protection from trees.in fact, near the end, Paul comments that all the despair and pain he s felt may wash away when he has a chance to stand once again beneath the poplars and listen to the rustling of their leaves (Remarque 254) In both cases, the trees represent the emotional protection the men cannot provide themselves. The idea of the trees being on the horizon suggests that the comfort is far off in the distance, and for Franz, it is. He dies. And Paul never does stand under his poplars because, like Franz, he dies. But the fact remains that they turn to trees for that comfort they seek. More importantly, the rowan tree appears in the end as a symbol of moral protection. The rowan is a hearty tree that grows in rocks and the Celts often used the wood in their magic, believing that the rowan conferred protection on the wearer. Paul stands beside the rowan, describing the berries of the rowan stand[ing] red among the leaves (Remarque 254). Up to this point, Paul has searched for emotional protection, but over and over, he has failed to find it, and the front has turned him into an animal with instincts that overcome his human kindness, but standing under the rowan, he makes the decision to stand up and embrace his humanity. A more difficult, but ultimately more persuasive symbol, involves water. Water symbolizes need for a connection to others emotionally; however, animalistic instinct corrupts that need. The men cross the water of the river to get to the French women who offer to sleep with him. These women offer themselves in return for food, but Paul seems to want not the animalistic sex, but the emotional connection with a woman that he might find in a girlfriend or wife. He comments that he is lost in remoteness, in weakness (Remarque 132). Once he crosses that river, he is no longer the animalisc soldier Paul who joked about sex; he is the human Paul seeking a connecon with another human soul. However, that human Paul is weak remote lost. That water shows up again when Paul goes home. Right before arriving home, Paul sees water again, which is appropriate when he is about to reconnect to others. However, this me the water is stagnant and green creepers and weeds grow in the snking water with its acid smell (Remarque 162). So if water is that emoonal connecon, the connecon has grown sick and dangerous. The waters of Paul's emoonal life and his connecon to others is not rong and corrupt. So clearly the symbolism in this novel proves that animal insnct corrupt human morals and emoons. However, this same idea is even more evident in. 3

4 6th hour notes on Theme Essay Theme 1. Look through DJs for ABSTRACTS 2. Determine whether each abstract affects one character, two or three, or most 3. Pick the best abstracts, and decide what each character teaches us about that abstract. 4. Seek a pattern... what is the AUTHOR trying to say? 5. Check that pattern against the rest of the book. See if it breaks anywhere. 6 Write out a formal theme. 4

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6 Figure out what literary elements support the theme... brainstorm! In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque claims that although animalistic instinct helps soldiers survive and great soldiers can control it, the instinct can overpower their humanity. 6

7 Erich Maria Remarque described soldiers as saying, We want to live at any price; so we cannot burden ourselves with feelings which, though they might be ornamental enough in peace me, would be out of place here. These soldiers put survival ahead of all else; however, survival is not the only driving force in his most famous novel. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque claims that although animalisc insnct helps soldiers survive and great soldiers can control it, the insnct can overpower their humanity. The symbolism throughout this novel supports the idea that animalisc insnct destroys humanity and morality. Trees present the most obvious symbol. Early in the book when Franz is dying, Paul tells him that he can go home and look out from the window across the fields to the two trees on the horizon (Remarque25). This line is intended to comfort Franz and is part of a pattern of the characters seeking some human comfort from trees. In fact, near the end, Paul comments that all the despair and animal fury he s felt may wash away when he has a chance to stand once again beneath the poplars and listen to the rustling of their leaves (Remarque 254). In both cases, the trees represent the emotional protection from that cold horror of the front the men cannot provide themselves. The idea of the trees being on the horizon suggests that the comfort is far off in the distance, and for Franz, it is. He dies. And Paul never does stand under his poplars because, like Franz, he dies. But the fact remains that they turn to trees for that connection with humanity they need and they are constantly denied. More importantly, the rowan tree appears in the end as a symbol of Paul s moral connection with his own humanity. The rowan is a hearty tree that grows in rocks and the Celts often used the wood in their magic, believing that the rowan conferred spiritual protection on the wearer. Paul stands beside the rowan, describing the berries of the rowan stand[ing] red among the leaves (Remarque 254). Up to this point the front has turned Paul into an animal with instincts that overcome his human kindness, but standing under the rowan, he makes the decision to stand up and embrace his humanity. A more difficult, but ultimately more persuasive symbol, involves water. Water symbolizes need for a connection to others emotionally; however, animalistic instinct overpowers that need. The men cross the water of the river to get to the French women who offer to sleep with him. These women offer themselves in return for food, but Paul seems to want not the animalistic sex, but the emotional connection with a woman that he might find in a girlfriend or wife. He comments that he is lost in remoteness, in weakness (Remarque 132). Once he crosses that river, he is no longer the animalist soldier Paul who joked about sex; he is the human Paul seeking a connecon with another human soul. However, that human Paul is weak remote lost. That water shows up again when Paul goes home. Right before arriving home, Paul sees water again, which is appropriate when he is about to reconnect to others. However, this me the water is stagnant and green creepers and weeds grow in the snking water with its acid smell (Remarque 162). So if water is that emoonal connecon, the connecon has grown sick and dangerous. The waters of Paul's emoonal life and his connecon to others is not rong and corrupt. So clearly the symbolism in this novel proves that animal insnct corrupt human morals and emoons. However, this same idea is even more evident in (transion to next paragraph). 7

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