Remarque three comrades detailed retelling. Analysis of Remarque's work "Three Comrades"

Three comrades who went through the First World War - Otto Koester, Robert Lokamp and Gottfried Lenz - meet Patricia Holman. The relationship between Robert and Patricia begins to develop, the young people are in love with each other.

Robert Lokamp learns that Patricia is suffering from tuberculosis and takes her to the sea, where she becomes ill. Lokamp sends Patricia to a sanatorium at the insistence of doctor Jaffe. Having received a telegram from the girl, they go to her sanatorium and learn from the doctor that she does not have long to live. Robert spends his remaining days with her, Patricia dies.

This book teaches us friendship, love, awareness of ourselves in this world.

Read summary Remarque Three Comrades

Robert Lokamp, ​​Gottfried Lenz and Otto Kester after the First World War 1914-1918. They open a workshop where they repair cars. The income from it is small, but it allows them to live more or less stably. No one has any hope for the future: unemployment and hunger are all around. None of them thinks far ahead, but the past of their colleagues does not let go. On his birthday, Robert remembers his childhood, conscription into the war, the death of fellow soldiers, Otto’s wounding, the putsch - Otto and Gottfried were arrested. And then inflation, unemployment, hunger and devastation. Returning from the war, Robert began working as a pilot and then as a racer.

At a public auction, the comrades bought a car, which they repaired themselves and named “Karl”. Sometimes on the road, Kester, Lenz and Lokamp would fool around, enthusiastically overtaking more expensive cars. That’s how they met Patricia Holman one day: near the restaurant where they were going to celebrate Robert Lokamp’s birthday, the friends met a Buick that they had recently overtaken on the road. The Buick's passenger was Patricia, who decided to join their celebration. From the first day, Robert fell in love with Patricia, and he sometimes invited her for walks. He began a dialogue with the girl when he gained courage thanks to alcohol.

Friends buy taxis at auction due to lack of income and earn extra money using them. There is no income from taxis, so Lokamp participates in the races and wins. Otto Koester takes part in races where his car's main rival is the Nutcracker. Everyone was confident in Otto's victory, which happened.

Robert and Patricia became closer and closer: they often walked, shared everything with each other and retired. When Robert visited Pat's apartment for the first time, the girl told him about her difficult past, that she had no relatives and was sick with tuberculosis. Then he thinks that Patricia needs a wealthier man to help her. Lokamp later sold the Cadillac, which he had repaired himself, for a large sum, which allowed him and Patricia to go to the seaside. On the sandy shore of the sea, Lokamp often thought about his fellow soldiers with whom he whiled away his time. During another car ride, Pat becomes ill. The comrades found Dr. Jaffe, who began to treat the girl. The doctor shows the guy Pat’s medical history and offers treatment at a sanatorium, but the young people are in no hurry to make a decision. Pat lay at home for several days, so Robert gave her a puppy so that the girl would not feel lonely.

It's getting colder. Dr. Jaffe informed Robert that Patricia must be sent to the mountains immediately. There is clean air in the mountains, which will have a beneficial effect on Patricia’s condition. On the train, Robert sees former patients of the sanatorium; they have come here more than once. This means that people still return home from the sanatorium.

They stayed together in the sanatorium for a week. The head doctor allowed Robert to move into Pat's room next door. Robert Lokamp learns that Patricia's condition is worsening, so he turns to alcohol. Fortunately, Kester helped him come to his senses. The comrades sold the auto repair shop due to the huge debts of their company. Gottfried Lenz goes to a rally where there was fascist propaganda. Otto and Robert spend the whole day looking for their friend and finally find Lenz, but during an argument in the crowd he is shot at and dies. Kester and Lokamp promise each other to take revenge for Lenz. They meet the killer in a suburban restaurant, but he manages to escape. In the end, Alphonse killed the criminal. After a while, a letter arrived from Patricia, in which she asked her friends to come as soon as possible. Robert and Kester rushed to Pat in the Karl. The doctor consoled them, talking about the incredible recoveries of the patients, but the friends understood everything.

Patricia Holman realizes that she does not have long to live, but tries to hide this from her comrades. And they don't tell her anything about Gottfried's murder. Otto leaves the sanatorium and after some time sends them money. Robert has realized that he sold “Karl” and is upset. He spends a lot of time with Pat, allowing her to do whatever she wants and enjoy moments of happiness. Patricia is exhausted every day, she can no longer get out of bed. The girl dies at night.

Picture or drawing Three comrades

Other retellings for the reader's diary

• Summary of Snap Seton-Thompson

  One day a hunter received a puppy as a gift from his friend. Having freed the dog from the parcel box, the man immediately had to jump on the table, as the small bull terrier was very aggressive.

• Summary of The Fall of the House of Usher Edgar Allan Poe

  The narrator receives a message from a good friend whom he has not seen for many years. Asher begs him to come to him, so the young man, unable to think of anything better, gets on his horse and rushes to meet him.

• Summary of the Death of Tarelkin Sukhovo-Kobylin

  The work continues the story of a certain Tarelkin, where it was mentioned earlier in the book “Krechinsky’s Wedding”. And it all starts with the fact that our character did not receive any money for conducting numerous cases,

• Summary Turgenev The End of Chertopkhanov

  One misfortune after another befalls the main character of Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev’s work “The End of Chertopkhanov”. My beloved Masha left the man. A little later, the hero was overtaken by a new misfortune. His friend died

• Brief summary of lilac bush Kuprin

  A young and poor officer named “Almazov” came home from a speech at the Academy of General. headquarters and sat down in his office without taking off his clothes. The wife immediately realized that something bad had happened

I can talk about this novel for a long time. The mere fact that it is filled with various kinds of aphorisms and weighty truths of life brings it to the same level as the works of famous contemporaries. And this ability is unsurpassed by Remarque, to write such books in moments of spiritual adversity, as if living in them and, together with his heroes, solving the problems of that time, not at all fantastic, but real, which affected all the inhabitants of Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

“Three Comrades” is Remarque’s third book, concluding the trilogy about the lost generation (“All Quiet on the Western Front” and “The Return”). Its author wrote for almost 4 years; it is known that he first published a short novel “Pat”, and then remade it into a full-scale picture of the morals of post-war Germany. The writer himself at that time was already living in exile, in neutral Switzerland, fearing for his life. His creations were burned in German squares, calling them treacherous and enemy machinations. Therefore, the work was saturated with the grief and despair of a man who was also killed at Nazi rallies, like his hero Lenz.

Just before the publication of the novel, he was offered to return to Germany, but, knowing the rules of the secret police, he refused. After publication in German (he originally published the book in Denmark), he was officially stripped of his citizenship.

What is the novel about?

Analysis of the novel “Three Comrades” by Remarque is deeply rooted in history. Germany had just recovered from the blood and destruction of the First World War. But, in addition to destroyed buildings and dead people, it left many survivors, whose destinies were torn to shreds by the crisis that overtook them. Suffering from unemployment, poverty, and lack of adequate social security, these people found solace in bars and entertainment venues. Where it was possible to forget and be forgotten at the same time, where even the most acutely ill soul under the influence of alcohol calmed down for a moment, and the pain temporarily subsided.

And in this gloomy picture of screams, post-war political outbursts, ghosts of the past and nightmarish awakenings in cold sweat, E. Remarque shows us three friends, military comrades who, now in peacetime, continued their journey together (these are Robert Lokamp, ​​Gottfried Lenz and Otto Kester). This is what the book “Three Comrades” is written about. They work in a car workshop owned by Kester, which is how they stay afloat. They essentially live by memories, since no bright future is visible through the darkness of destruction and death. The main character often remembers how they fought together, how life turned out after the war. And, despite the oppression of memories, the friends did not lose their sense of humor and tried not to bring up the tangled and dark backwaters of their destinies too often, so as not to go crazy. After all, if you think too much about the bad and don’t know how to joke, then you can probably lose your mind.

Main characters

1. Robert Lokamp is the main character of the novel. A person of fine mental organization, sensitive, reflective and deeply unhappy. For most of the action, he sits in a bar in search of oblivion. His heart was painfully wounded by the trials of the war years, losses and the feeling of chaos around him. He had already turned 30, but he had neither a family, nor a job, nor even his own home. Added to the midlife crisis is the crisis of the worldview of the surviving soldier, who is mentally still on the defensive. The man drowns out his bitter thoughts with chatter and drink, but fate gives him a chance to reconsider his position in life: he fell in love and accomplished a feat by letting a woman into his bristling inner world. Love transforms the hero, he becomes sensitive, attentive and even happy, his cynicism gives way to sentimentality. However, all his hopes for the future die after Patricia's death.
2. Patricia Holman is the main character of the novel “Three Comrades”, Robert’s beloved. A sickly beautiful woman with delicate features and a slender figure. The external fragility is explained by the fact that Pat is sick with tuberculosis. As a child, she experienced hardships, was malnourished, and as a result, like hundreds of such children, she acquired death hidden in her chest. The girl, however, is cheerful and open to new experiences. She sincerely loves and gives all of herself without reserve. Her sense of humor, love of life, responsiveness and openness make her a loyal friend to Lokamp's comrades.
3. Gottfried Lenz is one of the comrades, a “paper romantic.” A young man with a light and cheerful disposition, he was a firebrand and choleric. Always in high spirits. A little talkative, often ironic, jokes and expresses general opinions. Judging by the huge number of photographs from different countries, he traveled a lot, possibly serving in intelligence. He also has a rich front-line past. Tragically dies at a fascist rally, where he is fatally wounded by mistake.
4. Otto Kester is a serious and thoughtful person, the most pedantic character in the novel “Three Comrades.” During the war he was a pilot, and after that he became interested in amateur racing, converting a Cadillac into a racing car. It is he who owns the workshop where all his comrades work. He has practical savvy and a strong-willed character, and more than once helps his friends, who are less adapted to existence, out of trouble. He is sympathetic and kind, perceives Robert’s misfortune as his own, and plunges headlong into his problems, although he himself lives no better. Pat owes the last months of her life to his generosity, which she painfully snatched from illness.
5. Karl (Cadillac racing car) is Kester’s invention, a phenomenally fast car that has won races more than once. He also helps his comrades in any emergency situation and is sensitive to the emotional state of the driver.

The meaning of the work

Remarque wanted to show how war creates a lost generation, how it cripples the lives of innocent people on both sides of the barricades. Although the young people fought on the side of the aggressor, they themselves did not want world domination, but they fully experienced the retribution for the ambitions of their state. The decline in all spheres of society depicted in the novel is the result of Germany's defeat in the First World War. Hence all the troubles of the three comrades: complete disorder, internal crises, poverty, lack of prospects, problems with alcohol and disappointment. Lenz became a victim of a social cataclysm (emerging fascism); Pat became mortally ill from malnutrition due to the shortage of martial law. The writer depicted the black mark of war on the fate of the heroes, so the main idea of ​​the novel “Three Comrades” can be considered an anti-militaristic, humanistic message to eternity, a warning to posterity about how ugly and terrible the bloodbath really is. When the spectacular battles pass, what remains are people ground in the millstones of history.

Issues

1. The problem of post-war depression in society: economic, social and personal crisis. War never brings anything good or useful. It only wreaks havoc and destruction. And our heroes knew this like no one else. The most difficult attempts to rise from the universal bottom, to climb contrary to the laws of time, to try to increase the pennies that one has, and finally to preserve oneself - this was the meaning of the existence of German society at the beginning of the 20th century. Many of those who were lucky enough to have their own corner could at least not pay for it, or simply rent it out in order to have a little more money. Others made money as best they could, including by not the most humane methods, oscillating between petty scams and outright robbery. The only places that enjoyed obvious success were bars and cafes, where people sat due to their despair and desire to forget. But over time, the money ran out, and even these establishments had regular guests replaced by empty chairs.
2. It is no coincidence that the problem of marginalization of society and emerging fascism is posed in the novel “Three Comrades.” The aggressive regime persecuted the author and expelled him from Germany. Within this environment there were many people who not only began to obey the law, but also lost their self-esteem. It is through the fault of one of these people that one of the comrades, Gottfried Lenz, becomes a victim of a skirmish at a fascist rally, who, apparently, with his activity attracted the attention of supporters of the new regime. On this day, Robert, Kester and Pat lose one of their friends. However, the last of them will never know about it.
3. The problem of total hopelessness. The fate of Robert himself is very sad. Tired of the endless veil of death before his eyes, our hero continues to receive blows of fate one after another. First Lenz dies, then the money runs out and their already meager business collapses. We have to sacrifice the workshop. And when it turns out that Pat is seriously ill, then in order to save one friend, Otto and Robert have to sacrifice another. They are selling Karl, their racing car, which they so carefully collected bit by bit, because, of course, they did not have money for a new car. And even despite the help, Pat's powers are becoming weaker and weaker. Robert had just met his man, whom he fell in love with, when she immediately began to literally melt before his eyes. He himself, Robert, understood that he was unable to reverse this process. Patricia Holman's serious illness sucked the strength out of her and pulled her into the world that Lokamp knew firsthand. And he never wanted to let her go. But man is not omnipotent. In this situation, the hero could not change anything. Just like in my ruined life. Just like in Lenz's life. Nothing could be done.
4. The problem of losing a loved one. In the book “Three Comrades,” Robert’s experiences of the gradual loss of his beloved woman occupy a special place. And with every moment they become aggravated, growing, and after Pat’s death they seem to subside and freeze, as if one light of a small star, abandoned and forgotten by the entire Universe, suddenly decided to go out, leaving behind neither an explosion nor anything else. Only a huge black hole sucking the human soul into oblivion.
5. The Problem of Unbelief: The Death of God in the 20th Century. And in this sense, the loss of faith in God by Robert and other residents of Germany is very easily explained. Even at the rally, friends made it clear that society needs a kind of “religion.” And who would have thought that in another ten years this religion would become a totalitarian regime that would put their compatriots to flight? God is dying in the hearts of people in the 20th century. There remain only wounds from the guns that thundered earlier and are now silent. Robert very well characterizes the belief in God in that period: “... the gray endless sky of a crazy god who invented life and death to have fun.” Without a deity, the abandoned world began to look for the meaning of life and moral support in the extravagant theories of the ideologists of the Third Reich. This depressing trend is only hinted at in the near future, which we sense in the novel “Three Comrades.”
6. Loss of meaning in life. Robert's beloved, gradually fading away, seems to leave him alone with this chaos, in which he does not see the light. With the hostility of the country in which he lives, with the lack of faith in something. There is no place for the hero here; Pat remained the only meaning for him. But then she dies, and Lokamp, ​​abandoned by God, country and his woman, finds himself no longer easily torn to shreds, sick and trying to make ends meet. He loses all meaning of existence, and the lack of continuation of the story after the death of Patricia Holman dryly and firmly tells us that the life thread of a person has been broken.
7. The problem of friendship. I would also like to mention the title of the work, because, in fact, there were not three comrades at all. After reading the novel, I found many more friends there. This included Alphonse, who treated the guests with warmth, and the driver Gustav, who became Robert’s friend and subsequently provided him with considerable support. Even the car “Karl” is the main vehicle of our heroes, even he was a comrade, you just need to remember with what warmth Remarque brought his descriptions, often personifying in the car a reliable friend who always helped out three comrades. But the main reason why the book could be called "Four Comrades" was, of course, Lokamp's beloved Patricia Holman. My review is largely dedicated to her - as one of the central characters of the novel. Pat was not only a great friend to his friends, she managed to become a friend to Robert himself. This is where the theme of love is revealed. This is a sensual, heartfelt connection, and next to it stands friendship, which is in no way inferior in strength to the relationship between three comrades in arms. And Robert himself was already beginning to tell Pat not that she was cute and all those other compliments that girls are so pleased to hear. He called her “Pat-buddy,” as if trying to emphasize how significant and multifaceted this woman was for him. She was the fourth comrade.

Ending

The book is, of course, tragic, filled with deep meaning, first of all, about that sublime feeling that has always worried all of humanity and has not lost its relevance. This feeling was Robert's fatal love for Patricia. Life dies in him along with her. The woman in the novel symbolizes hope: after her death, the country is destined to once again plunge into the darkness of the fruitless ambitions of statesmen, and its people, in the person of Robert, will suffer a hopeless longing for a peaceful sky. Pat was this oasis in the midst of chaos. Looking at her, even Robert’s friends felt renewal and joy, but they have no place in a world where war is brewing again: we see fascist rallies, which will soon develop into the bloodiest event of the 20th century. So gracefully, through a love story, Erich Maria Remarque, who is an eyewitness and participant in the events, expresses a gloomy prediction for his country. Now we know that it came true, and both Robert and Otto failed to build a new life. The end of the book “Three Comrades” remains an open ending, where the tragedy is only felt and not literally conveyed.

Criticism

“Three Comrades” is the third novel by Remarque, a writer who, by the time of its release, enjoyed worldwide fame. He became the voice of a lost post-war generation, unsettled, disillusioned and cynical. However, not everyone liked this voice. The Nazis clearly could not have liked the sentimental stories of Wehrmacht soldiers. The militarists, out of conviction, rejected the author’s peaceful message; it seemed to them that he was spoiling a society that needed to gather all its strength for revenge. That is why, after the publication of a new work, the writer was deprived of German citizenship.

In the USA, where he fled from persecution, his work was appreciated more highly. Hollywood immediately began filming the novel, and such literary stars as Hemingway personally met the emigrant and expressed their delight at the new work. Remarque is favorably received by the press, reviews of his works are extremely positive, but in Germany he was executed for family ties with the author (for example, his sister was killed, and he was sent a bill for the execution by mail).

Interesting? Save it on your wall!

The action takes place in Germany around 1928. Three former soldiers, comrades from the First World War - Robert Lokamp (Robbie), Otto Kester and Gottfried Lenz - have a small auto repair shop in the town.

They usually make money thanks to Inspector Barzig, an expert at the Phoenix insurance company, who supplies the auto repair shop with cars after accidents. In their free time, three friends drive an old car with a large body. For its modest appearance and the enormous speed that the car develops, three friends nicknamed it “Carl” - “the ghost of the highway.” In addition to repairs and driving, the comrades like to drink with Ferdinand and Valentin at the Alphonse pub or the International cafe, where Robbie plays the piano.

Robbie is friends with local prostitutes Lily, Rosa, transvestite Kiki and hermit widower Stefan Grygoleit, chairman of the Union of Cattle Traders. Not far from the Internationale, Lokamp rents a small apartment in a house near the cemetery. The mistress of the house, Frau Zalewski, loves Robert, and Frieda, the maid, is at enmity with him.

Robert, or Robbie, as he is usually called, met a charming girl from a wealthy family, Patricia Holman (Pat). Although Robbie and Pat came from different backgrounds, they developed a loving relationship. The novel depicts the development of their love against the backdrop of the economic and political crisis in pre-war Germany.

Issues

The novel continues the theme of the “lost generation”. People who have gone through the fear of war cannot escape the ghosts of the past. War memories constantly torment the main character. A hungry childhood caused his beloved to become ill. But it was the military brotherhood that united the three comrades Robert Lokamp, ​​Otto Kester and Gottfried Lenz. And they are ready to do anything for friendship. Despite the death that literally permeates the novel, it talks about the desire for life.

Robert Lokamp (Robbie) is the main character, and it is on his behalf that the author tells the story. Co-owner of the Avrema auto repair shop, he loves strong alcoholic drinks, and above all, rum.
Otto Kester is Robert’s friend since the war, the founder and co-owner of Avrem, an amateur racing driver. Calm and balanced in character.
Gottfried Lenz is Robert Lokamp's comrade since the war, co-owner of Avrem. Hot, cheerful, sensual, for which he is often called “the last romantic.” Tall and thin with a shock of straw hair on his head.
Patricia Holman (Pat) is a slender, thin girl with silky brown hair and long fingers. She came from an impoverished family of aristocrats.
Ferdinand Grau is a plump artist who paints the dead to order and loves to philosophize.
Valentin Gauser is Robbie's comrade from the war. He took it especially hard because he was very afraid for his own life. After returning from the front, he began to celebrate life and enjoy every minute of it - to drink away his entire enormous inheritance.
Alfons is the owner of the pub and a great friend of Lenz. Loves fights and choral music. A strong, calm man with small eyes.
Selected quotes “Walking beefsteak graveyard,” is the final phrase of drunken Robbie during an argument with a fat passerby.
Modesty and conscientiousness are rewarded only in novels.
“Only a fool wins in life, a wise man sees too many obstacles and loses confidence before he has time to start something,” Ferdinand Grau.
“We all live with illusions and debts... Illusions are from the past, and debts are against the future,” Gottfried Lenz and Ferdinand Grau.
“A woman should not tell a man that she loves him. Let her shining, happy eyes speak about this,” - Robbie.
Love begins in a person, but never ends there.
Happiness is the most uncertain and expensive thing in the world.
To be able to forget yourself is the motto of today, and endless thoughts, really, are useless!
It is necessary to deviate from principles sometimes, otherwise they do not bring joy.
Human life lasts a very long time for one love.
Morality is an invention of humanity, but not a conclusion from life experience.
“It’s better to die when you want to live than to live until you want to die,” Pat.
“If you want to live, it means there is something you love,” Pat.

“Three Comrades” tells the story of the friendship of three friends who, in the post-war years, show all their dedication to preserve it. The feeling of mutual assistance and support for each other is very well described by the author of “Three Comrades” (summary), where, despite any obstacles in life, friends do not despair and are ready to support not only each other, but also those who need their help.

Robert Lokamp, ​​Otto Kester and Gottfried Lenz had been inseparable friends since school. Together they also went through. After graduation, they decide to open their own auto repair shop. Even if the income was small, it was enough to live on. Memories of the past war sometimes haunted friends and they often remembered their fallen comrades.

The proud property of the friends was the car they purchased, which they named “Karl”. Sometimes, rolling along the roads, they had fun on it, periodically overtaking other cars. In one of these “distillations” they meet Patricia Holman, who later becomes part of their company. Soon her friends called her Pat for short. Robert liked Patricia and invited her to dinner from time to time. Although he somehow lacked the courage to start a conversation, spending time in the bar, he gained courage with the help of alcohol. Robert always shows signs of attention to Patricia, for example, teaching her to drive a car. In this regard, Robert was helped by his friends, sending her flowers on his behalf. When they go to the amusement park, they win all kinds of prizes there, surrounding themselves with a crowd of fans.

Soon Kester, a master of auto racing, signs up to participate in races where “Karl’s” main competitor was “The Nutcracker.” After painstaking work, the car was ready for the race and everyone was waiting for victory. And she was. For some time, their company gained popularity after the victory. Robert and Patricia gradually became close to each other, meeting often and being alone with each other.

Due to the lack of regular income, friends decide to buy a taxi at an auction and take turns working on it. While working as a taxi driver, Robert meets Gustav. Later, Robert visits Patricia's apartment for the first time. In the conversation, she told Robert about her past and that she was alone in this world.

A little later, Robert sold the refurbished Cadillac at a profit. His friends were very happy about this deal. After this, Robert and Patricia go on vacation to the sea. There, lying on the beach, Robert remembers his colleagues with whom he also spent time on the seashore. During one of the evening car rides, Patricia becomes ill, and the next day she begins to bleed. Friends find Dr. Jaffe, who undertakes to treat her.

To prevent Patricia from getting bored during her illness, Robert brings her a puppy - a gift from his friend Gustav. Working as a taxi driver does not bring any profit and Gustav invites Robert to go to the races, where he wins. “Karla” was again prepared for racing in order to earn even more money.

A period of cooling has arrived. Jaffe asks Robert to immediately send Patricia to the mountains, where his friend will take care of her. They stayed there for a week. Soon, due to debts, the friends have to sell their auto repair shop. Soon Robert also learns that Patricia's condition is deteriorating and out of grief he gets drunk. But Kester comes to the rescue and helps him calm down.

Lenz goes to the demonstration. Robert and Kester go looking for him. At the rally there was the usual fascist propaganda, where promises were showered on people. Friends find Lenz, but as they leave they shoot at him and he dies. Kester rushes to find the killer. But soon the killer was punished. Then a telegram was received from Patricia asking her to come as soon as possible. On their "Karl" Robert and Kester came to Patricia. The doctor began to console them, talking about the miraculous recoveries of the patients, but for friends such consolations were familiar.

Patricia knows that she doesn't have much time left, but she tries to hide it from her friends. Friends have not yet said anything about the murder of Lenz. Soon Kester leaves and after a while sends money. Robert realizes that "Karl" has been sold. Robert's despair knew no bounds. Robert spends more time with Patricia, allowing her to enjoy moments of happiness in the short period of time remaining. But every day she became weaker. Soon she died.

This is how Remarque presented the plot of “Three Comrades” (summary), where he left a wonderful standard of friendship and mutual assistance for generations.