Independent Novel Study Protagonist Analysis

   The novel I am reading for the indepent novel study is "All Quiet on the Western Front" by E.M. Remarque. In this novel, the protagonist is Paul Bäumer, a german soldier serving in World War I; Paul also acts as the narrator throughout the novel. Personality wise, Paul is a character torn between his sentive, more humane side, and his military side which demans him to abandon human emotion. While put in many life and death situations, Paul relies on his 'animal instinct' to survive. However, a prolonged exposure to harsh experiences eventually begins to take over Paul, and so begins a struggle between a young aspiring poet with a loving family, and a bloodied soldier with love for no one. Paul Bäumer is a very likeable character in the way he acts and his general personality as first depicted, but with his flaws he is more captivating to the reader because it presents a conflict that the reader hopes to be resolved by the protagonist. Based on the analysis of the protagonist, Paul Bäumer, it can be predicted that the above mentioned traits of this character will have a large effect on how the plot unfolds throughout the novel.