Kat

Stanislaus "Kat" Katczinsky

Kat was a soldier in the book, All Quiet On the Western Front.  He was there from the very beginning. When Paul and the rest of the gang came in as new recruits, he was already a veteran.  He taught them what to listen for, when to drop down, how to stay alive and many other important things.  He was their leader, he was their mentor, he was their protector, and he was their friend.  He was always out looking for food and supplies to keep his men fit.  None of them could explain how he could do it, but "magically" he was always able to find to find food.  When things were the bleakest, they would always look to him for guidance and like a father or big brother he would care for them.  When the troop morale was down, he lifted their spirits.  In the times that he, himself, was bleak, you could tell things were at a very low point.  Kat was the reason for Paul to go on. Kat was why Paul made it.  Kat and Paul had a deep connection. Without ever talking, at times, they connected and were so very close.  Kat had no real position on whos fault was whos for the war, all he knew was that it was happening and they were in it. Noone on either side had any reason to be fighting, but they were.  It was us or them to him.  Kat's death was very unexpected to me.  I'm glad that it waited until the very end of the book because without Kat, Paul was miserable.  Without Kat, even I felt no reason to go on.  If the end of the book wasn't but a few pages away, I don't think I could've gone on with it. To me, Kat was the most important part to this story.  He was the reason that Paul went on, and his bond with Paul was so immense that without Kat, the story was too tragic.