All Calm on the Western Front: Catalyst for Change All Quiet on the Western Front is a book written by Erich Maria Remarque. It was a book written to reflect the human cost of war. This shows us how war has a dark side that most people don't see until it's too late. In the novel, he describes a group of young men who at first think war is glorious. But as the war drags on, the group discovers that the war isn't all it's cracked up to be. As the war progressed, they saw their friends die or be wounded for life. Then the end comes when only one person remains. All Quiet on the Western Front is set in Germany where a group of young boys are first encouraged to join the army. Thinking it would be a great adventure, they enlisted, not knowing the fate that awaited them. First, the group is sent for training. They are not in a serious mood, thinking that war conditions are not as bad as they really are. When the boys are sent to the front, it's only then that they begin to realize how bad war isn't. It was then that the boys were cramped in the trenches. Some soldiers were shocked by the constant bombardment. When one of the boys was injured, he was taken to a hospital where there were many injured soldiers. Some soldiers had to have parts of their bodies amputated to survive. When Kemmerich was in the hospital, Müller asked him for his pair of boots. The boots were a visible reminder to the boys of the cost of war. Paul then has to face his own conscience when he kills one of the Frenchmen. He does not see the face of an enemy but just the face of another human being. He tries to comfort himself by promising to help the family of the fallen soldier. After Paul is relieved from the front line, he decides to go on leave and return home. But when he tries to tell everyone about the horrible conditions in the trenches, everyone laughs at him or calls him a coward. Paul returns before his leave ends, wishing he had never come home. Ultimately, when Paul loses Kat, Paul realizes that the war has destroyed his way of life..