To what extent does the literature of the First World War describe a search for normality despite the fact that the war called into question "civilian values" '?Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay For many of those who took part in World War I, "normality" was not found until well after the war. Shortly after the publication of novels such as All Quiet on the Western Front and A Farewell to Arms, many of his readers spoke out in defense of war literature, claiming that these novels represent an 'Erlosung,' or release, from the traumas of war. . It can be believed that literature of this type can help to rediscover this normality, to untangle "the tangled memories and emotions of the Great War, and to come to terms with it". (Barker 1979, p. 48). Since such novels based on war are considered useful for veterans, it is important to note that there are a series of events in these novels in which a person is looking for a new purpose. Most notable is a statement from All Quiet on the Western Front, in which Paul says: “We are no longer young. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are running away from ourselves, from our life. We were eighteen years old and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to tear it to pieces.” (Remarca 1929, p. 42). Here there is a very strong feeling that, for young people, the war has had the upper hand and is no longer the adventure they were looking for. As they transition from young men to men, it seems they want to return to the normality that existed before their deployment. This idea is also applied in A Farewell to Arms. As Frederic's relationship with Catherin grows, he too can see that he is no longer a young man at war, but an adult who longs to escape the violence and start a normal life with Catherine. He does everything in this sense, in particular refusing to have surgery so he can stay injured and avoid the front line: “I threw away that damned pylon so that it would become bad and I wouldn't have to go to the line anymore.” (Hemingway 2014, p. 30) It is interesting that Frederic fights his purpose in the war with alcohol. Seen as a form of escapism, there is no doubt that Frederic drinks to forget. It may be that the alcohol reminds him of home while blocking out the trauma. Similarly, Paul and Kat hunt for a better meal and arrive with horse meat, which they cook and eat. The simple fact that young people are looking for better food is an example of how much they want to return to normality, but the fact that they eat horse meat actually calls into question their "civilized value". This is also explored in both novels, particularly with the act of killing. Frederic shoots and kills a sergeant who refuses to help him push the ambulance out of the mud. The fact that both men are fighting on the same side and that Frederic shows no remorse in killing him is evidence of the truth that "civilized valor" has diminished among those involved in the war. On the other hand, Paul kills a British soldier in self-defense, but it is only after he realizes what he has done that he states "I would give a lot if he wanted to stay alive" (Remarque 1929, p. 105). . Although it is clear that Paul has been completely transformed by the war, there is still a great sense that he is very human; he acts as if the dying soldier is a normal person on the streets of his hometown and refuses to see him as an enemy. It is the knowledge that this man had a wife and a daughter that arouses the "civilized" in Paul, and it can be argued that a return to normality is sometimes not sought, but isnaturally from the inside. A natural movement of normality is also strong in the relationship between Frederic and Catherine. Above all is the fact that Frederic did not wish to start a relationship withCatherine, as he states that he “treated the sight of Catherine very lightly” (Hemingway 2014, p. 35). As his natural feelings develop, revealing in him a desire for normality, he begins to “feel alone and empty” (ibid) on the days when he cannot see her. Such withdrawal symptoms are evident that Frederic longed for a return to normality in what would otherwise be a very uncivilized war. Paul's visit to his home while on leave highlights the toll of war on the individual. Feeling disconnected from the start, he discovers that he "doesn't belong here anymore, it's a foreign world." (Remarque 1929, p. 79) With his father constantly questioning him about the war and his old schoolmaster insisting that they know nothing of the bigger picture of the war, Paul concludes that “I imagined the send-off would be different from this. In fact, a year ago it was different. Naturally, I am the one who has changed in the meantime.” (ibidem). It is clear that for Paul the definition of "normality" has been altered; it is no longer the safe environment of home, but the violence of the front line. It is clear that Paul had mistaken his homecoming for a homecoming much like the one before the war. Barker argues that “[Paul] Baumer's generation tries to find a way back to normality, even though the impossibility of the task is equally clear from the start.” (1979, p. 57). While this is absolutely true, perhaps the “impossibility of the task” is not as clear to young people as claimed. Most likely, if Paul had known that his return home would cause him distress, he would not have returned. At the end of the journey, Paul sees that “It will be like this too, if I'm lucky, when the war ends and I return here permanently. I'll sit here just like this and look at my room and wait. (Remarca 1929, p. 80). He is clearly aware of the effects the war has had on him, and is perhaps more aware at this point that a return to normality is unlikely. Despite this, Paul brings the flavor of home to the forefront. She gives Kat and Kropp some potato cakes and jam made by her mother. It's interesting to see Kat's reaction as she takes a bite. She immediately realizes that they were made by Paul's mother and says she "can tell by the taste." (Remarca 1929, p. 96). For soldiers, a bite of home-cooked food is a return to normality and, even more interestingly, exposes the eating conditions of war. We can assume that Kat is used to poorer tasting foods, and may therefore counteract quality tastes. Catherine, in Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, is also a character probably in search of normality. Although her role in the Great War was minor, she was deeply affected by its outcome. After her fiancé's death in the Battle of the Somme, she moves to Italy to find solidarity. Yet here she resumed her role as a nurse and found little solidarity in serving in the war. She tells Frederic that she was going to cut her hair when she learned of her fiancé's death, and that's because she "wanted to do something for him." (Hemingway 2014, p. 16). Throughout her relationship with Frederic, she likely strives for normality, which she hopes can be fulfilled by escaping the war. After meeting in Stresa and escaping to Switzerland, the two live together and "exist exclusively in and for their love". (Donaldson 1990, p. 97). Frederic and Catherine's "search for normality" takes place in Switzerland, but an evaluation of their life in the snow-capped mountains may show that normality is never. 33)