Question

In the book All Quiet on the Western Front- What does Paul mean when he says "It is very queer that the unhappiness of the world is so often brought on be small men"?

Answer 1

In this excerpt, the author is saying that it is strange to see how a lot of unhappiness can be brought on by "small men," or men who are not particularly powerful. This applies to Kantorek, the teacher. Although he is not "powerful" as a teacher (in the sense of being celebrated or rich), he is able to bring a lot of misery to the world by persuading his students to join the war.

Answer 2

Paul is the main character of the book. This book illustrates his story and him, as the narrator. This dialogue applies to the patriotic teacher, Kantorek, who has no experience in military, and diverts students to choose war.

However, this excerpt illustrates Pual's feeling of how men, with no or little power, can bring in unhappiness into the world (here, by enrolling themselves into war). For instance, Kantorek is just a teacher and is not at a very high post to influence individuals. But, he keeps persuading kids to join war. Which, in return, brings a lot of misery to their lives as well as to the whole world.