Guide Mentor

Character Role Analysis

Kat, Kantorek

All Quiet is a twofer in the mentor department: we have Kat, the true mentor, and Kantorek, the false prophet.

Kantorek's the teacher, so he seems a natural choice for the role. But this is a trap. His lessons to the boys fill their heads with ideas of glory and national pride—not to mention that girls love a man in uniform, wink, wink—but Kantorek knows nothing about war other than what he's read in books. He's no more knowledgeable than the boys he teaches, even if he can mold his ignorance into a stirring speech.

Kat, on the other hand, isn't much for speeches and grand ideals. His lessons to the boys are terse and harsh. But they're truthful. He teaches the boys what they need to know to survive. He's been to the Front, he's fought in the war, and he can see through the lies.