Question

Chapter 2 (p. 21-22)

Once it was different. When we went to the district commandant to enlist, we were a class of twenty young men, many of whom proudly shaved for the first time before going to the barracks. We had no definite plans for our future. Our thoughts of a career and occupation were as yet of too unpractical a character to furnish any scheme of life. We were still crammed full of vague ideas which gave to life, and to the war also an ideal and almost romantic character. We were trained in the army for ten weeks and in this time more profoundly influenced than by ten years at school. We learned that a bright button is weightier than four volumes of Schopenhauer. At first astonished, then embittered, and finally indifferent, we recognized that what matters is not the mind but the boot brush, not intelligence but the system, not freedom but drill. We became soldiers with eagerness and enthusiasm, but they have done everything to knock that out of us. After three weeks it was no longer incomprehensible to us that a braided postman should have more authority over us than had formerly our parents, our teachers, and the whole gamut of culture from Plato to Goethe. With our young, awakened eyes we saw that the classical conception of the Fatherland held by our teachers resolved itself here into a renunciation of personality such as one would not ask of the meanest servants--salutes, springing to attention, parade-marches, presenting arms, right wheel, left wheel, clicking the heels, insults, and a thousand pettifogging details. We had fancied our task would be different, only to find we were to be trained for heroism as as though we were circus-ponies. But we soon accustomed ourselves to it. We learned in fact that some of these things were necessary, but the rest merely show. Soldiers have a fine nose for such distinctions.

1. Identify the three allusions in this passage

2. Explain what “the whole gamut of culture from Plato to Goethe” means

3. Identify the simile in this passage. What does this comparison show about their training?

4. Identify the parallel sentence in this passage. What grammatically makes it parallel?

5. Identify the list in the passage. What point is he trying to make with this list?

Answer 1

Answer 1

The three allusions in this passage are:

• Schopenhauer: This refers to the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, whose works on metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics have been widely influential.

• Plato: This refers to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, who is best known for his dialogues and his theory of forms.

• Goethe: This refers to the German writer and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who is considered one of the most important figures in Western literature and thought.

Answer 2

"The whole gamut of culture from Plato to Goethe" refers to the range of intellectual and cultural achievements represented by the works of two influential figures from Western history: Plato and Goethe. Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher who is best known for his dialogues and his theory of forms, while Goethe was a German writer and statesman who is considered one of the most important figures in Western literature and thought. In this context, "the whole gamut of culture" refers to the broad range of ideas and cultural expressions that have shaped and influenced Western society, from the ancient Greeks to the modern era. The phrase "from Plato to Goethe" suggests that this range of culture is comprehensive and covers a broad period of time.

Answer 3

The simile in this passage is "we were to be trained for heroism as as though we were circus-ponies." This comparison suggests that the soldiers' training was thorough, regimented, and focused on developing specific skills and behaviors. It also suggests that the training was demanding and required a high level of discipline and obedience. The comparison to circus ponies suggests that the soldiers were being trained to perform a specific set of tasks and to follow orders without question, much like circus ponies are trained to perform tricks and follow the commands of their trainers. The simile implies that the soldiers' training was rigorous and that it required a great deal of effort and dedication to master.

Answer 4

The parallel sentence in this passage is "We learned in fact that some of these things were necessary, but the rest merely show." This sentence is parallel because it has two clauses that are grammatically similar and are joined by the conjunction "but." The first clause, "We learned in fact that some of these things were necessary," is a complete sentence that can stand on its own. The second clause, "the rest merely show," is also a complete sentence that can stand on its own. The two clauses are joined by the conjunction "but," which indicates that the clauses are contrasting in meaning. The parallel structure of this sentence emphasizes the contrast between the two clauses and helps to clarify their meaning.

Answer 5

The list in this passage is "salutes, springing to attention, parade-marches, presenting arms, right wheel, left wheel, clicking the heels, insults, and a thousand pettifogging details." This list consists of a series of actions and behaviors that the soldiers are required to perform as part of their training. The point that the author is trying to make with this list is that the soldiers' training involves a great deal of discipline and obedience and that they are expected to follow orders and perform a variety of tasks without question. The list also suggests that the training is demanding and that it requires a high level of dedication and effort to master. By including this list in the passage, the author is trying to convey the intensity and rigor of the soldiers' training and to show how it has a profound impact on their lives and their sense of self.