All Quiet On The Western Front: Kat and Paul?

As All Quiet on the Western Front progresses and develops, there is one key aspect of Remarque’s writing that is fascinating to follow. At the beginning, when Kat and Paul share a goose together, in a seemingly peculiar wartime ritual, the reader may notice this as odd but brush it off. When Paul returns back from leave and meets up with Kat again, the mood of Kat towards Paul is, again, one of fatherly love. And, when Kat is wounded near the end, Paul carries him, in a last act of desperation, to safety, showing a clear connection between the two. There is a clear father-son relationship between Kat and Paul, in which Paul seems reliant on Kat as more than just a comrade in war.

Shortly after the beginning of the war a seemingly irregular event occurs. Kat and Paul are together and Kat suggests a goose roast to which Paul readily agrees. In itself, having a goose roast is not odd, but viewing the age difference between the two, one must wonder whether there is some sort of hidden meaning or agenda beneath the drama of the situation. As the reader continues in this section, language is presented that reinforces this idea. One might theorize that Paul’s intrinsic sense of camaraderie towards Paul is attributed to the war, however it is deeper than that. Perhaps Paul, only a young man, is feeling a sense of sadness about being at war and is relying on Kat as more than a comrade; even as a father-figure to replace his home-life being cut short. Paul thinks to himself how close they are, sharing a “more complete communion with one another than even lovers have” (94). What can be a more complete love than the love between family members? Paul even seems to be soothed by the mere sight of Kat, thinking that the very concept of Kat’s being reminds him of home (95). This sense of comfort, exhibited in the relationship between Kat and Paul, is probably a way to prevent Paul from becoming homesick. Remarque shows this relationship in an overt way, using odd language, but a deeper sense of understanding can be gained when viewing this event side-by-side with some of the other encounters in the book.

The goose is only one part of Kat and Paul’s peculiar relationship. After being home, on leave, Paul returns to the front lines. He brings potato-cakes and jam to Kat and Kropp, even though his mother slaved over them, in great pain, for him. Is it that he loves his friends more than his family? It is possible that, at the time, he feels a greater sense of loyalty to his friends, and has a deeper bond with them. When Kat tells Paul how good the cakes are, Paul feels as if he “could almost weep” (201); not because he gave the cakes away, but because he has pleased Kat. While at home Paul yearns to be back at the front lines, where he says he belongs (201), and upon hearing the voice of Kat upon his return, a “new warmth flows through him” (212). As he feels like he “ought never to have come on leave” (185), the loving feeling which he has for Kat seems to transcend even the love he has for his own family. If this were peacetime these actions might be considered odd, but in war a deeper sense of camaraderie and companionship develops, and his feelings for Kat seem to be only a higher plane of companionship.

As the war continues, Paul’s feelings for Kat do not diminish. As the only two left, when Kat is wounded in the leg, Paul does have a sense of responsibility for Kat’s wellbeing. However, as the reader may notice, a sense of responsibility is much different than carrying the other individual miles for help. Nevertheless, as Paul carries Kat on the long trek to the medical station they recount the times they have spent together. Oddly enough, Paul feels gloomy that that they are going to be separated at last, whereas he was barely upset over the death of many of his friends. Perhaps the reader will accept his reactions towards the other occasions of death in their circle as the inevitable desensitization that comes from his prolonged time at war, but when Paul becomes miserable that Kat is hurt (288-289), the reader may once again question the relationship between Paul and Kat. In fact, Paul himself even admits that “when Kat is taken away [he] will not have one friend left” (288); after Kat’s death he is in a cloud. He tries to tell himself that “all is as usual,” (291) but he soon comes to the realization that he truly does not know how to cope without Kat.

As any prolonged period of time with one group yields intense friendships, war does the same. And, as a young recruit, a father figure may be what Paul needs to cope. However, the ways in which war brings them together, as “lovers,” is interesting to note. Whatever the attachment, it seems to be beneficial, seeing as though Kat and Paul live the longest in their group. Paul’s fascination with Kat, although it does not seem to move beyond an innate sense of camaraderie, is a key factor to observe in the development of Paul’s character, and a crucial element in the success of this book.