Death in Literature (Essay Sample)

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In the face of death our humanity can shine
Death is the single common rite of passage for all of mankind. Essentially, various people have controversial reactions to this predicament called death. In essence, death brings out a different aspect of each individual, even if only for a moment. The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and All Quiet on the Western Front by Eric Remarque are tales of some of the most traumatic events in human history. Both cover a period of profound chaos and violence among people. Despite the fact that the two stories portray significantly diverse contexts, the Scramble for Africa and World War I respectively, the mutual denominator circles back to the matter of death occurrences on massive scales. From these grim tales, despite the fact that cruelty and callousness is prevalent over goodness and compassion, it is apparent in both scenarios that in the face of death, our humanity can indeed shine.
In Eric Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, when Franz Kemmerich is still on his death bed, he demonstrates an act of kindness and consideration. Earlier on his friend, Muller, from the army had requested him to leave him his boots as he would not need them where he was headed owing to the fact that he had undergone a leg amputation. However, Kemmerich had been reluctant as he regarded his boots as one of his most-prized possessions. Later however, on his death bed he reconsidered and instructed Paul Baumer, a fellow soldier, to give the boots to Muller. "You can take my lace-boots with you for Muller" (Remarque 14).
Observably also, in Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front a soldier’s act of humanity is depicted in the face of death. Being a soldier, Paul Baumer has obviously witnessed death on a predominant scale. However, during one occasion after his leave, he spends some time at a certain training camp near a group of prisoners-of-war from Russia. He is suddenly overcome by a certain feeling while reminiscing about the war and death and draws the conclusion that the Russians are merely people like him as opposed to subhuman enemies. He wonders how precisely war can make enemies out of people who initially have no actual grudge against each other. "A word of command has made these silent figures our enemies...any non-commissioned officer is more of an enemy to a recruit, any schoolmaster to a pupil, than they are to us. And yet we would shoot them again and they at us if they were free" (Remarque 91).
Additionally, during battle Paul finds himself separated from his company and is therefore prompted to hide in a certain shell hole. As chance would have it, a French man jumps into the shell hole after him and instinctively, Paul stabs him. After all, he is a soldier and that is what they do to their opponents. However, as the man dies a slowly and painfully, Paul is unexpectedly overcome with remorse for being responsible for his anguish. The feeling that the enemy soldier is not really an enemy but rather a war victim just like him takes over once again. In this state of mind Paul looks peruses the soldier’s belongings and learns that his name was Gerard Duvai, a husband and father of one. This ordeal haunts Paul even when he reunites with his friends. "Comrade, I did not want to kill you. If you jumped in here again, I would not do it…I will write to your wife…she shall not suffer, I will help her, and your parents too, and your child" (Remarque 106). Regardless of the fact that this show of humanity was merely temporary as Paul never wrote to the Frenchman’s family, it represents a strong indication of the goodness in people that often lies underneath, and sometimes surfaces in the face of death.
Moreover, a manifestation of humanity is notable in the events preceding Kat’s death, Paul Baumer’s friend and fellow soldier in Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. When Kat is hit at the war front, Paul risks his life in an attempt to save his friend’s life. As luck would have it though, Kat is killed when his head is sliced open by a piece of shrapnel while in Paul’s arms. The act of humanity is apparent in the act of selflessness when Paul carries a badly-injured Kat out of harm’s way. "I jump up, eager to help him. I take him up and start off at a run, a slow, steady pace, so as not to jolt his leg too much" (Remarque 137).
In analysis of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, a show of humanity in the face of death is observed when Marlow, the main antagonist of the story, returns to England to visit the deceased Kurtz’ fiancé. Particularly, in an attempt to ease her pain, he offers her a misrepresentation of the actual events that occurred precedent to and during Kurtz’ death. It is evident from the story that Kurtz was a changed man from the one who left England. He had gone rogue for starters. Additionally, living in the Congo had scraped away all the sophistication and good-naturedness that he had initially presumed; instead Kurtz had been ‘darkened’ according to Conrad’s description, by living in the heart of darkness itself. Marlow deceitfully tells Kurtz’ fiancé that hers was the last name he spoke. In retrospect, this illustrates the decency of this merciful lie as he leaves out the fact that Kurtz had indeed taken a wife in the Congo. "The last word he pronounced was—your name…would they have fallen, I wonder, if I had rendered Kurtz the justice which was his due…but I couldn’t. I could not tell her. It would have been too dark— too dark altogether" (Conrad 130).
In addition, it is explicitly evident that Marlow had mixed feelings about Kurtz throughout the entire narration. While he had spent most of his adult life looking up to him, Kurtz was nothing like he had imagined when he set out for the Congo to work under him. Marlow had ignored all insig...