The dying man calls faintly for a woman named Elise, then lapses into weeping. ![]() In searching, Albert is slightly wounded. The offer of a reward for finding him fails. He and the others attempt to retrieve the wounded, one of whom pleads for rescue but lies hidden from the search party. He allows his mind and emotions to focus on the poplar avenue, which evokes nostalgic memories of home, of innocent play: "We loved them dearly, and the image of those days still makes my heart pause in its beating." Overcome with melancholy, he longs to immerse himself in the serenity of nature, but concludes, "e fear and love without hope."Īs the war drags on, Paul loses his sense of time. After the day's battle, he has difficulty recovering his composure. He and the others, after an hour's rest, consume French rations of canned corned beef, bread, and cognac.Īt nightfall, Paul clutches a dew-sprinkled gun and walks sentry duty in a cathedral courtyard under cover of mist. Paul sees glimpses of carnage as he rushes to capture enemy positions. ![]() Like robots, the men fall back to more stable positions, surprising the Allies with fierce resistance, then plunge ahead in renewed effort. The trenches, blown apart, attest to the fierceness of the fight. On the third day, heavy gunfire projects beyond Paul's dugout as the French launch an attack. His reason destroyed by falling shells, he rams his head against a wall. One soldier, overcome by claustrophobia, loses control and is forcefully subdued. Exhausted by the lengthy bombardment, lack of sleep, and inadequate food, the men battle insurgent rats, which scream in terror. Two parties attempt to locate food, then return empty-handed. Paul's trench is almost obliterated by exploding shells, which also hinder the cook from transporting rations from the rear. Although no attack begins, the men grow numb from the continual din of barrage. From nights of persistent shelling, green recruits vomit from fear, endangering the others with the spread of panic. Dispersal of Edamer cheese and rum suggests that hard times lie ahead. The law of averages seems to work against the men's chances of survival. Detering makes a game of outwitting the creatures. ![]() Fat rodents, which the men call "corpse-rats," gnaw the men's bread. German artillery is so worn that shells fall on German troops. Paul grows morose and superstitious about his fate after narrowly escaping death in either of two foxholes while passing from one to the other. Nightly, the British strengthen both troops and munitions - ominous reminders that the war shows no signs of ending. As they pass the shelled remains of a school, they see a hundred sweet-smelling pine coffins stacked against it, preparations for their own casualties. Rumors return the men's attention to a possible offensive.
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