All Quiet on the Western Front Project: Paul Baumer Character Analysis

Paul Baumer is the central character of the book, All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque. Paul Baumer is also the narrator of the novel. Through his narration, he helps us to understand what life was like during the First World War. Paul Baumer is against war. He also changes throughout the novel. “...it has transformed us into unthinking animals in order to give us the weapon of instinct-it has reinforced us with dullness, so that we do not go into pieces before the horror, which would over-whelm us if we had clear, conscious thought.” (273-274) The war causes Paul Baumer to stop thinking and base his actions on his instincts. When he get the privilege to go back and visit his family and his old life, he even starts to struggle. Paul Baumer is a central, changing character in the book All Quiet on the Western Front. His emotions lead us and introduces us to the life style during the First World War.

 

MISSION: YELLOW SUBMARINE

Today was SMASH DAY, the day in science class where we have more fun than usual and perform tasks related to science. In today's mission, we were to create a periscope-like device that would allow us to see inside a castle on land from a submarine under water. (That is, to see inside a cardboard box on a table from underneath the table). We were given 10 sheets of scrap paper, a piece of cardboard, four tiny mirrors, and tape. 

Our group came up with only one plan and stuck to it. We started to put together our periscope, which took more time than we expected. We didn't have time to try the device out. It was only during the "spy time" that we realized how difficult it was to use our periscope. The structure of our periscope wasn't strong enough, and so the device "bent" easily, making the slightest change in the angles of our mirrors which would mean failure. Soon after discovering this, we made a sudden change of plans, and completely changed our design. The communication that we had to decide this modification was rather simple. "CHANGE OF PLANSSS!!!", and we squished our entire paper device into a long rod, attempting to simply look inside from only one mirror that was at the very end of our periscope. It was a really funny scene actually. We really should've planned more carefully at the beginning of the mission, and try to think of different alternatives. 

I do have a few tips and suggestions for those who would like to try this out. Firstly, YOU MUST TRY YOUR PERISCOPE OUT BEFORE YOUR ACTUAL MISSION (especially if you are making it out of unstable material like paper). Secondly, you must remember that sometimes the best solution is the simplest one. It is also very important to keep ideas coming in as you perform the task.