<P> Indeed, the only person he remains connected to is his dying mother, with whom he shares a tender, yet restrained relationship . The night before he is to return from leave, he stays up with her, exchanging small expressions of love and concern for each other . He thinks to himself, "Ah! Mother, Mother! How can it be that I must part from you? Here I sit and there you are lying; we have so much to say, and we shall never say it ." In the end, he concludes that he "ought never to have come (home) on leave ." </P> <P> Paul feels glad to be reunited with his comrades . Soon after, he volunteers to go on a patrol and kills a man for the first time in hand - to - hand combat . He watches the man die, in pain for hours . He feels remorse and asks forgiveness from the man's corpse . He is devastated and later confesses to Kat and Albert, who try to comfort him and reassure him that it is only part of the war . They are then sent on what Paul calls a "good job ." They must guard a supply depot in a village that was evacuated due to being shelled too heavily . During this time, the men are able to adequately feed themselves, unlike the near - starvation conditions in the German trenches . In addition, the men enjoy themselves while living off the spoils from the village and officers' luxuries from the supply depot (such as fine cigars). While evacuating the villagers (enemy civilians), Paul and Albert are taken by surprise by artillery fired at the civilian convoy and wounded by a shell . On the train back home, Albert takes a turn for the worse and cannot complete the journey, instead being sent off the train to recuperate in a Catholic hospital . Paul uses a combination of bartering and manipulation to stay by Albert's side . Albert eventually has his leg amputated, while Paul is deemed fit for service and returned to the front . </P> <P> By now, the war is nearing its end and the German Army is retreating . In despair, Paul watches as his friends fall one by one . It is the death of Kat that eventually makes Paul careless about living . In the final chapter, he comments that peace is coming soon, but he does not see the future as bright and shining with hope . Paul feels that he has no aims or goals left in life and that their generation will be different and misunderstood . </P> <P> In October 1918, Paul is finally killed on a remarkably peaceful day . The situation report from the frontline states a simple phrase: "All quiet on the Western Front ." Paul's corpse displays a calm expression on its face, "as though almost glad the end had come ." </P>

All quiet on the western front german movie