Tuesday, November 10, 2009

All Quiet #4

Why does the narrator, at the end, say "I must be a printer [...] be a printer, printer--" (524)?
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9 comments:

  1. wayneNovember 11, 2009 at 9:40 AM

    Because the man he killed is a compositor, he thinks he killed a printer. He feels guilty and wants to continue the job of dead man. Also, I think he wants to be a printer to record the cruelty, the pain, and the helplessness of the war, to tell us the truth of war, to announce his anti-war purpose.

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  2. AnonymousNovember 11, 2009 at 9:51 PM

    I agree with Wayne about the narrator wanting to continue the job of the dead man. On page 524, the 4th paragraph the narrator says, "I swear blindly that I mean to live only for his sake and his family, with wet lips I try to placate him". The narrator is trying to push himself forward in his new role of living on behalf of the man he murdered.

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  3. Tsegu KahsayNovember 12, 2009 at 2:50 PM

    The narrator wants to continue the job of the compositor Gerald Duval like dtwelve89 and blogstalker said. He not only wants to continue Duval's job but also to fight through writing and printing what he has experienced in the war field.

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  4. dtwelve89November 12, 2009 at 6:10 PM

    Yes I agree with Wayne and Blogstalker, the narrator forces himself into the role of the man he has killed. If he simply ignored the fact that he was a printer and left it as that then there would be one less printer in the world. However, if the narrator would become a printer himself then that empty role would be once again filled. Therefore, I suppose that the narrator believes that only then by doing so will some aspect of the man's life he has taken will continue.

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  5. Qi LiNovember 13, 2009 at 12:39 AM

    The narrator said that at the end of the chapter just because it was the only way he could find to make himself feel better. It was the only way for him to reduce his guilt. It was the only way for him to forgive himself a little bit.
    However, in fact, he knows whatever he do will not change anything. Gerard, who was killed, lost his life. Gerard's wife lost her husband, Gerard's daughter lost her father...
    The narrator suddenly realized the man was a tunic means the world lost a tunic. If the narrator become a printer, the world will not lose a tunic.
    For us, we know it is meaningless for him to make himself to be a printer. But for the narrator, it is a redemption of his heart. I think if he didn't make this goal, his heart would lost in the war.

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  6. Benson O.oNovember 13, 2009 at 12:29 PM

    After killed the French, the narrator felt guity and shame about what he did. The only thing he can do is continue the job of Duval and also be a printer that record the war, record what they have experienced.He will remeber what he did forever and that will bother him whole life. But he doesn't want other suffering in the same situaiton, so that he want to be a "printer" and tell the rest of people that stop hurting each other and stop the war.

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  7. Daniel FreemanNovember 13, 2009 at 6:26 PM

    strong comment, qi li

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  8. Rebecca^0^November 13, 2009 at 7:25 PM

    I agree above students’ opinions. Furthermore, I think at the end said wanted to be a printer not only he could feel better of himself, but also he was self-hypnosis. Maybe in his deep heart, he was still thinking that Gerard Duval, the printer was alive. He didn’t kill the printer. Moreover, he wanted to be the printer because he believed he could replace the printer. He thought that he could try his best to live in Gerald Duval’s way. Also, he wanted to be the printer because of he wanted to hide his fear and sadness.

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  9. karen-zhongNovember 13, 2009 at 10:31 PM

    I think “be a printer” was the best way for the narrator to atonement, and the best role for him to still live in the world, He did not willing to do killed Gerard, but it was a fact that could not change, he did kill him; he felt very uncomfortable. I think he even cannot live well in his following life, He might wanted to use his life time to exchange Gerard’s, but it could not; so, he might want to continue Gerard’s life, he chose to be a printer, to continue the job that Gerard still not finish; to fulfill the responsibility that Gerard carried. It might make the narrator felt well.

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