The_Sickles_That_Bind

The Sickles That Bind Death is a familiar character in stories of war. One might even make the argument that it is an integral being to any war account. However, rarely does Death assume so important a role as in Hikaru Okuizumi’s The Stones Cry Out and Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front. Not only does it take on the role of ending life; it is shown as an ever-present tie between insanity and reality. Paul Baumer, of All Quiet on the Western Front, wants to keep what is reality and what is in his mind clearly separated in order to maintain sanity. He does this by hiding his emotions toward the men in his company, upon whom he looks as his own brothers. “We don’t talk much, but I believe we have a more complete communion with one another than even lovers have” (Remarque 94). This shows Paul’s clear distinction between not saying what he feels and those feeling he has. Were he to bring his emotions to light, sheer acknowledgement would make keeping his head impossible. Thus, his absolute discretion is required to preserve sanity. Manase, on the other hand, requires that manase, war, sanity, reality, even, world, stones, own, life, over, must, death, western, paul, out, okuizumi, himself, day, been, should, remarque, quiet, paul’s, never, mother, men, heart, front, find, complete, because, always, ye, work, without