"At the sound of the first droning of the shells we rush back, in one part of our being, a thousand years. By the animal instinct that is awakened in us we are led and protected. It is not conscious; it is far quicker, much more sure, less fallible, than consciousness. . . . It is this other, this second sight in us, that has thrown us to the ground and saved us, without our knowing how. . . . We march up, moody or good-tempered soldiers—we reach the zone where the front begins and become on the instant human animals."
Why would Paul characterize himself and his comrades as "human animals"?
I feel that Paul was connecting himself and his fellow comrades as human animals because of the way being in a life and death situation can affect you, and give you that adrenalin rush. The teens enrolling and participating in the army made them become one, and totally changed Paul and his friends, because of the strenuous work they had to endure and the mental “workout” each man went through during this time period. They have almost become fearless, and like many animals in the wild, they have gained that sense of instinct, and protection towards themselves. Like a skunk in the wild, its instinct is to protect itself by lifting its tail and spraying its enemy. (I know really odd example.) I think Paul was trying to say that it is animal instinct to protect yourself, and an instinct is something that you don't have to think about, it is just happens. So when in war, it's all about connecting with your instincts and letting go of your thoughts because like Paul said, “ But had he not abandoned himself to the impulse he would now be a heap of mangled flesh”. (Pg 56) So I think that humans have the same instinct as an animal, but it is hidden because of how much we are forced to connect with our mind, instead of our instinct. It takes something that can alter your life, to make those impulses or instincts present.
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2 comments:
Emily, I read your post and I really liked the analogy you used to prove how the soldiers have become "human animals". Although it sounds really funny to compare people to skunks, I thought it was a great example. It made so much sense to me because like you said, skunks don't necessarily think about what they are doing. It is instinct for them to defend themselves, and the soldiers have the same instinct - survival.
I think when Paul and the other soldiers "let go of their thoughts" they are losing one of the only things that set them apart from animals: emotion. Although it can be argued that animals have emotions as well, I believe that humans emotions run deeper. But when a person is surrounded by as much death and violence as Paul is, their emotions become numb. He has to be, if he didn't he would suffer much more.
Once again, just like animals, the soldiers have to adapt to their environment.
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