Christopher Gage
Mrs. Trimble
10-3 English Language Arts 20F
15 November 2016
Abusive Leaders In the First World War many of the soldiers encountered leaders that abused their powers in negative ways. In the novel All Quiet On the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, many of the soldiers have bad experiences with higher ranking leaders. Paul Baumer, Stanislaus Katczinsky, Leer, and many other soldiers had to do questionable things because their leaders told them to. Through leaders like Himmelstoss, Kantorek, and The Kaiser, Remarque reveals the abusive traits of many of the leaders in the novel All Quiet On the Western Front. Corporal Himmelstoss is an important authority figure with Remarque’s novel All Quite On the Western Front. Himmelstoss mismanages the little power he has over the recruits in a way that does not help toward the survival of the men in real battle. …show more content…
He is the embodiment of the stereotype of an insecure man who uses his power in negative ways to hinder the spirits of the soldiers he leads. The personality of Himmelstoss is revealed in the quote: “…It’s simply amazing, I tell you, that the ordinary tommy sticks it all up here on the front-line” (45). During peace-time Himmelstoss is a postman who doesn’t get any power in his daily life. During war-time he is appointed as a Corporal who is in charge of training recruits. He is very cruel to the recruits he trains; he makes them do ridiculas things because he likes to bully them. He bully’s the recruits for no reason. Baumer does not agree with how Himmelstoss trains the recruits. Himmelstoss grows to dislike Kat, Tjaden, Kropp, and Baumer because of their insubordination with his ideals. Himmelstoss treats Baumer and his friends worse than any of the other soldiers by making them do ridiculas things. Tjaden is a bed wetter, Himmelstoss believes that this is due to laziness, so he places Kindervater, another bed wetter from a local unit in the same bunk as Tjaden. Himmelstoss’s cruelty is expressed in this quote, “Himmelstoss put these two so that one occupied the upper and the lower bunk. The man underneath of course had a vile time” (46). The man on the bottom often found himself sleeping on the floor. This method of trying to get them to stop wetting beds does not work. When Himmelstoss comes to the front Haie Westhus, Albert Kropp, Tjaden, and Baumer plot to get revenge on him for what he did to them in training camp. They brutally beat Himmelstoss by whipping and suffocating him. This attack on the Himmelstoss shows that Baumer and his friends are not above the cruelty of Himmelstoss. After being exposed to the front Himmelstoss changes and becomes more modest. Baumer understands that what Himmelstoss did to them prepared them for the front, but they didn’t learn much to help them survive. Himmelstoss was a regular civilian who gained power when war broke out but only to abused that power. Baumer and his friends are affected in a way that makes them despise the abusive and cruel authority of many of the leaders within the novel. Himmelstoss is one of many leaders that used their power in negative ways. Like Himmelstoss, Baumer’s school teacher, Kantoerk misused his power too but in a different way. Kantorek used his power as a school teacher to influence the boys; he represents the ideals of a
Mrs. Trimble
10-3 English Language Arts 20F
15 November 2016
Abusive Leaders In the First World War many of the soldiers encountered leaders that abused their powers in negative ways. In the novel All Quiet On the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, many of the soldiers have bad experiences with higher ranking leaders. Paul Baumer, Stanislaus Katczinsky, Leer, and many other soldiers had to do questionable things because their leaders told them to. Through leaders like Himmelstoss, Kantorek, and The Kaiser, Remarque reveals the abusive traits of many of the leaders in the novel All Quiet On the Western Front. Corporal Himmelstoss is an important authority figure with Remarque’s novel All Quite On the Western Front. Himmelstoss mismanages the little power he has over the recruits in a way that does not help toward the survival of the men in real battle. …show more content…
He is the embodiment of the stereotype of an insecure man who uses his power in negative ways to hinder the spirits of the soldiers he leads. The personality of Himmelstoss is revealed in the quote: “…It’s simply amazing, I tell you, that the ordinary tommy sticks it all up here on the front-line” (45). During peace-time Himmelstoss is a postman who doesn’t get any power in his daily life. During war-time he is appointed as a Corporal who is in charge of training recruits. He is very cruel to the recruits he trains; he makes them do ridiculas things because he likes to bully them. He bully’s the recruits for no reason. Baumer does not agree with how Himmelstoss trains the recruits. Himmelstoss grows to dislike Kat, Tjaden, Kropp, and Baumer because of their insubordination with his ideals. Himmelstoss treats Baumer and his friends worse than any of the other soldiers by making them do ridiculas things. Tjaden is a bed wetter, Himmelstoss believes that this is due to laziness, so he places Kindervater, another bed wetter from a local unit in the same bunk as Tjaden. Himmelstoss’s cruelty is expressed in this quote, “Himmelstoss put these two so that one occupied the upper and the lower bunk. The man underneath of course had a vile time” (46). The man on the bottom often found himself sleeping on the floor. This method of trying to get them to stop wetting beds does not work. When Himmelstoss comes to the front Haie Westhus, Albert Kropp, Tjaden, and Baumer plot to get revenge on him for what he did to them in training camp. They brutally beat Himmelstoss by whipping and suffocating him. This attack on the Himmelstoss shows that Baumer and his friends are not above the cruelty of Himmelstoss. After being exposed to the front Himmelstoss changes and becomes more modest. Baumer understands that what Himmelstoss did to them prepared them for the front, but they didn’t learn much to help them survive. Himmelstoss was a regular civilian who gained power when war broke out but only to abused that power. Baumer and his friends are affected in a way that makes them despise the abusive and cruel authority of many of the leaders within the novel. Himmelstoss is one of many leaders that used their power in negative ways. Like Himmelstoss, Baumer’s school teacher, Kantoerk misused his power too but in a different way. Kantorek used his power as a school teacher to influence the boys; he represents the ideals of a