My name is Corporal Himmelstoss. I am a postman outside of the war who must suck up to others. In the war, I am a trainer. These boys don't know discipline, they won't survive five minutes without this. I will condition them so when they face the trenches and enemy fire, they won't be unprepared.
...I am at the front line. My former recruits now seasoned veterans. They are not happy to see me. It is time to charge, but I cannot bring myself to do it. I hide. Paul jumps in beside me and calls me a coward. I cannot believe how right he is. My superiors charged right by me; I cannot show them my fear. I jump out, my pants are wet with... water... and rally the men.
I survived and have seen what these men have suffered through. No longer will I be so harsh; they have seen enough. I am told that with only half of the company surviving, the rations will be given out as normal. I will not have that. Give them double. They have earned it.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
List of important characters and my interpretation
Important characters:
- Paul Bäumer: Narrator and main character in the novel. The book is told from his point of view and the struggles he goes through.
- Stanislaus Katczinsky: Paul's best friend in the army. Has been enlisted longer than Paul has and helped him [Paul] and the remainder of the second company overcome the initial terror of trench warfare. He also found many supplies that without, would have caused harder times on the men.
- Albert Kropp: Intelligent and skeptical classmate of Paul's that questions the causation of the war. Paul's best friend aside from Kat.
- Müller: Paul's classmate that keeps looking beyond the war for what him and his comrades would do.
- Tjaden: Constantly hungry bed wetter and classmate of Paul's. Enlisted alongside Paul and served alongside him until Paul was killed.
- Kantorek: The school teacher that brainwashed them into enlisting for honor and glory.
- Corporal Himmelstoss: A postman that was a training officer and let the power go to his head. Tried to make amends with the company he abused so much in training when he went to the front himself and fought a skirmish.
- Gérard Duval: A French printer that Paul kills in No Mans Land. Has a wife and daughter that Paul promises to write to in his panic driven grief.
- Franz Kemmerich: Classmate of Paul's. Gets a minor wound and contracts gangrene. Dies shortly thereafter in the hospital.
- Detering: A comrade of Paul's. Owns a farm and has a wife. He longs to be back home.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
SDP Project outline
Social
Democratic Party (SPD) of Germany
Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands
·
Overview
o
One of the 2 major political parties
§ Christian Democratic
Union/Christian Social Union (conservative)
o
Currently governs at federal level with CDU/CSU
(2013)
o
Part of 13 state governments; 9 are governed by SPD
Minister-Presidents
o
Member party of Party of European Socialists and
Socialist International
o
Oldest extant political party (1863) in German
Parliament
o
One of 1st Marxist-influenced parties in the world
o
Centre-Left
o
Chair person/Vice Chancellor: Sigmar Gabriel
o Headquarters is in Willy-Brandt-Haus in Berlin
o Student Wing: Socialist German Student Union
(1946-1961)
§ Juso-Hochschulgruppen (Since 1973)
o Women’s Wing: Association of Social Democratic
Women
·
History
o
Drew their initial support from
blue-collar trade union workers
§ Few
white-collar workers and intellectuals
o
From 1919 to 1932 the Social Democratic
Party received the most votes nationally
o
The SPD was committed to the reform of
Weimar society
o The
SPD was one of the most active opponents during the anti-Semitism that was
happening during the Weimar years
·
Political Platform
o
History
§ Established
in 1875 as a Marxist party
§ Major
shift showed differences between
·
Heidelberg Program of 1925
·
and Godesberg Program of 1959
o
Socialist working-class party to modern
social-democratic with capitalism
§ After
WWII re-establish as socialist (Kurt Schumacher)
·
Represent working class and trade unions
o
Current Platform
§ Seeks
social democracy
·
Freedom, justice, and social solidarity
are the basis
§ Social
market economy needs to be strengthened and output distributed fairly
·
Will ensure affluence of all
§ Works
to protect poor with welfare state
§ Fiscal
policy without burden on future generations while erasing budget deficits
§ Aims
to ensure global peace
·
Balance global interests with democratic
means
·
European integration is priority
§ Advocates
economic regulation to limit potential losses for banks and people
·
Common European economic and financial
policy
§ Environmentally
sustainable growth
·
Influential
and Current Leaders
o
August Bebel
§ Most
well known as one of the co-founders of the Social Democratic Party.
§ He
was born on February 22nd 1940 and died on August 13th, 1913.
§ He
is famous for writing a book called “Women and Socialism” in 1879, which helped
gain Marxist ideas in Germany.
§ It
also talked about the social emancipation of women.
§ In
office from 1892-1911.
o
Eduard Bernstein
§ SDP
theorist and politician and founder of evolutionary socialism and revisionism.
§ First socialist to genuinely deal
with the whole situation of homosexuality.
o
Sigmar Gabriel
§ Current
leader of the overall SDP
§ In
office since the 13th of November, 2013
§ He
was chaired the SDP since 2009.
§ He
has bestowed the nickname Siggi Pop.
§ From
2005 to 2009 he was the Federal Minister for the Environment, and Nuclear
Safety, and Nature Conservation.
§ In
2011 he was elected party chairman of the SDP, in receiving 91.6 percent of the
votes.
·
Base
of Support
o
Social Distribution:
§ Non-Catholic workers,
social progressive causes, and increased economic equality
§ Initially
against Social Market Economy and Western integration, but later accepted them
to appeal wide range voters after death of its post-WWII leader Kurt
Schumacher.
§ Still
for economic causes of unionized employees and working class voters.
o
Geographic Distribution:
§ Cities
of Northern and Western Germany along with Berlin.
§ During
20th century: metro area of Ruhr area
·
coal mining and steel production were
the biggest source of revenue.
§ Governed
Free Hanseatic City of Bremen since 1949
§ Less
support from the Southern Germany
·
States
led by the SDP
o
Berlin
o
Brandenburg
o
Bremen
o
Hamburg
o
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
o
North Rhine-Westphalia
o
Rhineland-Palatinate
Bikash B.
Ella B.
Anne M.
Derek R.
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