Sometimes it is difficult to put a finger on what is most important in our lives. Most of the time we value what benefits our own interests rather than giving a thought to the people around us, such as our friends and family. However, there are some exceptions. In his novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Eric Maria Remarque shows readers how, in war, comradeship and friendship can easily overpower individual interests, even during the most difficult of times. Several times Remarque uses the narrator, Paul, to demonstrate how friendship is more important than anything else, whether it be on leave from active duty, during battle, or recovering from injuries in a hospital.

The first example comes in chapter 7, when Paul is issued a seventeen-day leave from service to go home and visit his family. Rather than gloat and rejoice over the fact that he will be...