Chapter 9 of All Quiet on the Western Front

Journey and Reunion

Paul's Company Travels: Travels for a few days. Difficulty finding his regiment.
Reunion: Finds comrades Müller, Kat, and Kropp. Paul feels a sense of belonging.

Rumors: War may be ending; potential deployment to Russia.
Kaiser's Visit: Kaiser (German Emperor) arrives to review the company. Men are curious but find him disappointing.
- Questions Raised: Role of Kaiser in the war; legitimacy of the war itself.
- **Philosophical Discussions: **
  - Kropp: Soldiers on both sides just protecting their homelands.
  - Tjaden: Countries as abstractions.
  - Kat: Rulers benefit from war through fame and power.
  - Kropp's Simile: War compared to fever—unwanted but overpowering.

Change in Uniform: Soldiers change back into their old uniforms.
Gruesome Sights: Dead men hanging from trees, soldiers with severe injuries.

Attack Begins: Paul shelters in a shell hole.
French Soldier's Arrival: French soldier (Gérard Duval) tumbles in.
- Initial Stabbing: Paul stabs him with a dagger but does not kill him instantly.
- Slow Death: Soldier dies over time. Paul tries to comfort him with water and empathy.
- Moral Conflict: Paul debates killing him to end his suffering but cannot.

First Killing: First time Paul kills a man with his own hands.
Emotional Turmoil: Silence after death is unbearable. Imagines the man's life, feels remorse.
French Soldier's Identity: Discovers soldier's name is Gérard Duval; he was a printer with a wife and child.
Following Morning: Paul wants to discuss the incident, but comrades Kat and Albert advise him to forget and move on.

Detachment of Power: Soldiers realize the separation between those in power (like the Kaiser) and the soldiers on the frontlines.
Need for Comrades: Importance of having comrades to manage emotions and trauma.
Psychological Vulnerability: Paul is highly vulnerable to the psychological impacts of war, especially after killing Duval.