In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque demonstrates, through the character of Paul Baumer, how the war wiped out almost an entire generation of 'men. . Because these men no longer have a place in life and are unable to establish relationships with previous generations, they are collectively referred to in history as the "lost generation." Note highlights Paul's leave and the linguistic differences between the two generations to show how Paul realizes that he is part of this lost generation.Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Ironically, Paul's leave of absence is unfortunate, but it serves an important purpose in showing how far Paul has strayed from his family and his past youth. While on leave, Paul learns of his inability to communicate with previous generations due to his wartime experiences. Note shows that Paul no longer feels any connection with civilian life upon his arrival in his hometown. For example, when Paul gets off the train, he meets a Red Cross sister who calls him “comrade,” but he says to himself, “…I don’t want that” (156). Paul responds in this negative way because he feels irritated by her attempt to associate with him by calling him a "comrade." Paul knows that only soldiers at the front can call each other comrades since they experienced the brutality of war together. By calling Paul a comrade, she represents the misnomer of the previous generation, because they do not know the true meaning of camaraderie in war, but try to use it anyway. This lack of association with civic life, according to Paul, carries over into his home. When his mother greets him, he immediately realizes that he cannot say anything: “We say very little and I am grateful that she does not ask for anything. What should I say? (159). This is a sign of Paul's loss of communication with previous generations, even when his mother then questions him at the front: "Was it very bad there, Paul?" (161), he responds with compassion by saying: "No, Mother, not so much. There are always a lot of us together so it's not so 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 to explain to her the horrors of war would be futile. If he tried to describe to her what he had experienced on the front, she would not be able to understand his descriptions of his pain and suffering. Additionally, putting these experiences into words poses a challenge for Paul, as the language of war would be meaningless and meaningless to the previous generation. However, by not telling the truth, he widens the gap between him and his mother. During his leave, Paul also hesitates to tell his father about the war. This shows a further move away from the past and more towards his isolated and lost generation. Note also uses even the smallest incidents that occurred during Paul's leave to show how Paul notices the generation gap. Paul's father asks Paul to keep his military uniform, but Paul refuses because he sees no reason to do so. When Paul puts on his “civilian” clothes, he realizes that they have become too tight and that he cannot fit into them properly. These clothes represent his former civilian life and, likewise, just as he cannot fit into his clothes, he cannot return to his former social role either. Because of these different incidents, Paul realizes that things will never be the same again with both his parents. Paul faces similar difficulties.