Paul Baumer is the central character in this chapter who symbolizes the lost generation of German soldiers after World War I. He describes the inner destruction caused by the war and has lost all hope after all of his friends and comrades, including Muller and Kat, have died. Paul is now solely focused on survival and fighting based on instinct rather than any cause or purpose, having become detached from his humanity after all he has witnessed and endured in the war.