Coming of Age

In the beginning of the book Paul decides to join the war effort, which begins his process of transferring from boyhood to manhood. While on the front, Paul has many experiences that strip him of his child like innocence, and force him to become a man. He witnesses friends wounded and dying, animals being forced to suffer, and even has to take an enemy's life in hand to hand combat. For many people their transition from to childhood to adulthood is much more normal and slow-paced, however with Paul his transition must occur rapidly otherwise his life could be in immediate danger on the front. His rapid transition becomes even more clear when he gets to leave the front and return home for a few weeks. When back in his hometown at his own house, Paul sits in his room and wishes he could return to his childhood and just forget about the war; "I want to think myself back into that time. It is still in the room. I feel at once, the walls have preserved it. My hands rest on the arms of the sofa....There are a couple of flowers on the table. Pencil holders, a shell as a paper-weight, the ink-well-----here nothing has changed."(171) This quote demonstrates that Paul wants to return to his childhood, he wants that innocence back even if just while he is on leave. Sadly, the fact of the matter is that Paul cannot return to his childhood, he is now a soldier and a man, for better or for worse.

Here is a experience of coming of age during a war, from Lance Cpl. Ernest Prempeh from the war in Afghanistan.

http://www.marines.mil/unit/iimef/Pages/ComingofagethroughwarLanceCplErnestPrempeh.aspx