In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque demonstrates, through the character of Paul Baumer, how the war destroyed almost an entire generation of men. Because these men no longer hold a place in life and are unable to relate to previous generations, they are collectively referred to in history as the “lost generation.” Remarque highlights Paul's departure and the linguistic differences between the two generations to show how Paul comes to realize that he is part of this lost generation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Ironically, Paul's leave is unfortunate, but it serves an important purpose in showing how much Paul has grown from his family and past youth. During his leave Paul learns of his inability to communicate with previous generations due to his war experiences. Remarque shows that Paul no longer feels any connection with civilian life as soon as Paul enters his hometown. For example, when Paolo gets off the train, he meets a Red Cross worker who calls him "comrade", but he thinks to himself: "...I don't want any of it" (156). Paul responds in this negative way because he feels angry at her attempt to associate with him by calling him "buddy." Paul knows that only soldiers at the front can call each other comrades because they have experienced the brutality of war together. By calling Paul a comrade, he represents the previous generation's misuse of language because they do not know the true meaning of camaraderie in war, but try to use it anyway. This lack of association with civilian life Paul feels carries over into his home. When his mother greets him, he immediately realizes that he can't say anything: "We say little and I'm grateful that you don't ask anything. What should I say?" (159). This serves as a sign of Paul's loss of communication with previous generations, because even when his mother later asks him about the front: "Was it very bad out there, Paul?" (161), he responds compassionately by saying, "No, Mom, not so much. There's always a lot of us together, so it's not that bad" (161). However, the main reason he does this is not to protect his mother from fear, but because he is aware that the effort in trying to explain the horrors of war to her would be futile. If he had tried to describe to her what he experienced on the front, she would not have been able to understand his descriptions of his pain and suffering. Furthermore, translating these experiences into words presents a challenge to Paul, as the language of war would be meaningless and empty to the previous generation. However, by not telling the truth, he deepens the gap between him and his mother. While on leave, Paul is also reluctant to talk to his father about the war. This shows a further move away from the past and closer to his isolated and lost generation. Remarque uses even the smallest incidents during Paul's leave to show how Paul notices the generation gap. Paul's father asks Paul to keep his military uniform on, but Paul refuses because he sees no purpose in doing so. When Paul puts on his "civilian" clothes, he notices that they have become too tight and he cannot put them on properly. These clothes represent his old civilian life and, equally, just as he cannot fit into his clothes, he cannot fit into his previous social role either. Due to these various incidents, Paul realizes that things will never be the same with both of his parents. Paolo faces similar difficulties when he meets other inhabitants of his hometown: "Here I am.