War is depicted as a horrible situation that strips away everyone's innocence, as well as joy and happiness. War completely changes a person through the dehumanizing violence illustrated by Paul, an innocent young man transformed by war into a man stripped of everything. The symbols that support this theme are his books and his hash browns which both support the effect that the war had on Paul in changing his perspective and taking all of his relationships into joy. The books represent the shadow that the war has cast while the potato pancakes signify the love and blessing that goes unrequited by Paul since he lost the ability to feel in a constant state of emotion.