All Quiet on the Western Front

The new recruits who arrive to the front are a rhetorical framing device that allows Paul to further illustrate the contrast between innocence and experience that he establishes in the previous chapter. It allows him to emphasize how stark the contrast truly is. He does this in his characterization of the experienced Katczinski, whom he describes as having a “sixth sense” (20). Kat is so skilled at finding food and knowing where to look for it, that the company is amazed. Paul mentions that “by trade he is a cobbler, I believe, but that hasn’t anything to do with it; he understands all trades” (21). Juxtaposed with the new recruits, Kat represents the wisdom of experience.

However, Paul also uses the characterization of Kat as an exploration of what wisdom really is and how it is gained. The practical and instinctive intelligence of Kat is highlighted in how he’s always a step ahead of things. He never seems to stop looking for a way to make life better even at the front. His approach is minimal, yet his mastery is unmistakable to the men. By contrast, Paul describes Albert Kropp as a “thinker” because he has a vivid imagination and uses it often (23). He imagines a scene in which the leaders of these armies must duke it out in a sort of gladiator ring to see who wins the war. While Paul does not explicitly declare that imagination is not wisdom, in war, Kat’s practical and instinctive outlook is better suited to survival.

The beating of Corporal Himmelstoss is an important moment in the book, as it demonstrates that the men have come full circle. Their experience in the war, and the truths that it has revealed to them, have made them superior to the likes of Himmelstoss, if not in rank, certainly in merit. The beating of Himmelstoss is therefore a rite of passage. The young, teenaged boys who Himmelstoss used to frighten and intimidate no longer exist. In their place are now hardened and cold-blooded men who are no longer afraid of inferior men. Paul points out the irony that this proves the training methods employed by Himmelstoss have actually worked.