All Quiet on the Western Front Characters
Paul Bäumer | He is the novel’s narrator and protagonist. |
Stanislaus Katczinsky | He is a resourceful, caring soldier who becomes Paul’s closest friend. |
Albert Kropp | He is one of Paul’s classmates who also enlisted for the war. |
Müller | Müller is another classmate of Paul’s. He is a practical man, always looking for ways to make life in the trenches a little bit more comfortable. |
Tjaden | This character is a locksmith and one of the biggest eaters in Paul’s company. Despite his small size, he always seems to be hungry. |
Franz Kemmerich | He is a close friend of Paul’s from school. Franz is one of the first to experience the true horrors of war, losing a leg early in the story. |
Lieutenant Bertinck | He is the company commander. Lieutenant Bertinck is a good leader, respected by his men for his fairness and bravery. |
Kantorek | He is the schoolmaster who encouraged Paul and his classmates to enlist. |
Haie Westhus | He is a peat-digger. Haie is a large man with a good sense of humor, taking life in the trenches in stride. |
Detering | Detering is a farmer and misses his wife and farm. He is deeply disturbed by the destruction of the earth caused by the war. |
Gérard Duval | He is a French soldier whom Paul kills in No Man’s Land. Duval’s death deeply affects Paul, as he was a printer with a wife and child at home. |
Joseph Behm | The first of Paul’s classmates to die in the war. His death was particularly brutal and meaningless, shaking Paul and his friends. |
Corporal Himmelstoss | A former postman, Himmelstoss enjoys the power the military gives him and often abuses it. |
Mittelstaedt | He is one of Paul’s old classmates. Mittelstaedt becomes an officer and enjoys tormenting Kantorek when he is drafted into the army. |
Kindervater | A bed-wetter like Tjaden. He is a minor character who comes into conflict with Himmelstoss over the bed-wetting issue. |
Lewandowski | He is a patient at the Catholic hospital where Paul and Kropp are recuperating. |
Sister Libertine | One of the nuns at the Catholic hospital. She is kind and compassionate to the soldiers. |
Ginger | The cook for Paul’s company. He is initially reluctant to give the men double rations after a battle reduces their numbers. |
Wilhelm Heinrich | He is a young recruit whom Paul tries to train. Wilhelm’s fear and inexperience represent the senseless loss of young life in the war. |
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Lets Talk About the characters
All Quiet on the Western Front characters are at the heart of Erich Maria Remarque’s famous novel. They bring the story to life. You’ll meet Paul Bäumer, a young German soldier. He shows us the harsh reality of war. Other characters like Albert Kropp and Müller are his friends.
They too, face the war’s horrors. Each of these All Quiet on the Western Front characters helps us understand the soldiers’ struggles. We see their hopes and fears. This makes the story memorable and powerful.