Vocabulary in All Quiet on the Western Front

Deliberately shut out and rejected by a group, so that the person is treated as if they do not exist or belong. Here it means being completely excluded by classmates and community for refusing to enlist.

The final violent physical struggle of a person or animal in the moments just before death. The word emphasises that dying is a brutal physical reality, not an abstract duty.

An unwillingness or hesitation to do something, held back by doubt or discomfort rather than outright refusal.

To conquer or overwhelm the world with energy and ambition, seizing every opportunity. Here the soldiers say they no longer feel that youthful drive.

A state of complete confusion and inability to understand what is happening around you. Kemmerich's face shows this as he cannot grasp why he is dying.

An instinctive ability to perceive danger or opportunity that cannot be explained by the ordinary five senses. Kat uses it to find food and avoid harm at the front.

Fresh troops sent to strengthen a military unit that has suffered losses. Here they are young recruits who arrive to replace the men killed in battle.

Made to suffer terribly, as if sacrificed against one's will. Applied here to all of creation — animals, earth, and men — writhing in the agony of bombardment.

Extreme physical or mental pain that is almost unbearable. Used here to describe the collective suffering of wounded horses and men under shellfire.

Shaken by violent, uncontrollable spasms or upheaval. Here it describes a small patch of ground torn apart and heaving from continuous artillery explosions.

A large-scale, organised military attack intended to break through enemy lines and gain ground. The word refers to the Allied assault the regiment is bracing for.

Extremely tiny or insignificant — here pronounced 'my-NYOOT.' It stresses how small and fragile two human lives are against the vastness of night and death.

A feeling of not belonging or being out of place in surroundings that should feel familiar. Paul experiences this when he returns home and cannot reconnect with his old life.

To hold on desperately to something for support or stability, especially when everything else is falling apart. Paul holds onto his identity as a soldier to keep his sanity.

Losing all emotional or mental control and collapsing under the pressure of overwhelming stress. Paul uses it to mean a complete psychological breakdown.

To change something completely from one state or condition into another. A single order, Paul reflects, could turn enemies into friends — or friends into enemies.

A fenced-off or walled area used to confine people or animals. Here it is the wire compound where Russian prisoners of war are held.

Small, cheaply made objects of little monetary value. The Russian prisoners carve these from wood and trade them for scraps of bread.

Disappointed and let down after discovering that something you believed in or admired is not as great or meaningful as you thought. The soldiers feel this after the Kaiser's inspection.

A fellow soldier or close companion who shares the same dangers and hardships. Paul uses it to address the dying French soldier as an equal rather than an enemy.

Surgically removed a limb from the body, usually because it is too badly damaged or infected to save. Kropp's leg is cut off after he is wounded at the front.

The gradual wearing down and destruction of a force through continuous losses over a long period, rather than in a single decisive battle.

Abandons military service without permission and without intending to return, which is a serious crime punishable by death in wartime.

Limited itself strictly to, saying nothing more than. The army report said only one thing and nothing else about that day's fighting.

An official daily military communiqué issued by headquarters summarising the state of the front lines. Its bland language contrasts bitterly with Paul's death.