The Roles of Literature and Film in Shaping Culture: An Examination of All Quiet on the Western Front and The German Lesson

This paper examines the cultural impacts of All Quiet on the Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues) and The German Lesson (Deutschstunde). More specifically, it examines the impacts of the works through the shaping of German identity and public memory following World War I and World War II, as well as any long-term impacts that have lasted into the present day. These two works of literature, as well as their respective film adaptations, can serve as vehicles for national reflection, education, and confrontation of the past. This paper will examine the key themes of All Quiet on the Western Front and The German Lesson, such as the dehumanizing effects of war, loss of innocence, duty versus moral responsibility, and the suppression of art. By examining these themes and the impacts of these two works both within Germany and across the world, this paper attempts to prove that literature and film can be used as tools to impact culture.