3 comrades brief. Erich Maria Remarque "Three Comrades": book review. More about Patricia Holman

“Three Comrades” is a novel written in 1936 and belongs to the list of the “Golden Fund of World Literature of the 20th Century”. It is included in Remarque’s trilogy about the “lost generation” along with the novels “On western front without change" and "Return". The story that Remarque created in the work “Three Comrades” summary which allows you to find out the main plot twists and issues, remains relevant today.

1. Otto Kester is a thoughtful man, pedantic, calm, a former pilot. In the novel, he owns a workshop where his friends work. He always helps his friends out of trouble and helps them solve problems.
2. Gottfried Lenz is a cheerful man who is always in a good mood. Loves to talk, joke and have a good time. In the novel, his life is cut short at a fascist rally: he is hit by a random bullet.
3. Robert Lokamp is a former soldier and survivor of the First World War. Having no profession or education, he changes jobs without staying in them for too long. Robert cannot come to terms with the past and constantly recalls the war years. Because of the war he has no permanent job, home and family, he often thinks about it. He is transformed by a girl - Patricia, with whom he falls in love. This relationship changes his worldview and character.
4. Patricia Holman is Lokamp's lover. She is very beautiful, smart, open to new experiences and people. Likes to relax, joke, and have a good time. She is mortally ill with tuberculosis, but this did not break Patricia: she was able to maintain her fortitude during this illness and follow her principles until the end of her life.

Through the relationships of these heroes, Erich Maria Remarque reveals the theme of the “lost generation”: generations of people who went to war at a young age and lost the opportunity to form as an individual, start a family, and develop perseverance of character.

Summary by chapter

The novel has a total of 28 chapters, each of which represents a complete fragment of the story.

Note! The narrative can be roughly divided into three parts: the beginning of the development of events, the climax and the conclusion.

A brief retelling will help you quickly understand the topic.

The story takes place in the late 20s in post-war Germany. There is devastation all around, lack of jobs. People are trying to get food by any means, and protests break out on the streets from time to time.

Initial chapters

Three friends who returned from the war are trying to find themselves and settle down in the new world. They repair and resell used cars.

The story begins with Robert Lokamp turning 30 years old. He is sad for lost opportunities, remembers his life and realizes that he has achieved nothing. He drowns out the melancholy in his soul with alcohol.

In turn, he recalls all the years of his life: how he was called up for service at the age of 18, the revolution after the war and famine, arrests, the death of his mother, attempts to build a life in a post-war society. At the beginning of the story, all this was in the past, life had improved as much as possible under those conditions.

In the evening, friends go to the races, where they take part. There they meet a girl named Patricia Holman, the action moves to a tavern, where the men and their new acquaintance drink and chat. New acquaintances talk all night, share their memories, discuss different topics. All the men really liked Patricia, especially Robert, who felt attracted to her.

Middle of the story

The next morning, Robert keeps thinking about his new acquaintance. He remembers last night and replays all the conversations in his head to understand how Patricia feels about him.

Readers get to know the place where he lives - the boarding house Frau Zalewski, and his neighbors. Together with Robert, the childless Hasse couple live in the house, who constantly quarrel due to lack of money, Count Orlov, who misses his homeland and has no relatives and friends in a foreign country.

The widow Bender, who lost two children in the war, also lives there, and the student Blok, who never has a job and is always hungry. In the novel, this place symbolizes the haven of people who cling to the past and do not think about the future: all residents are united by the lack of a permanent place in life, thoughts about the past, problems in the present.

Robert plucks up courage and calls Patricia, inviting her on a date. But during the meeting he behaves timidly, cannot carry on a conversation and gets drunk from his worries. At home, he realizes that he behaved inappropriately; on the advice of a friend, he sends flowers to the girl. The next day he apologizes and takes the girl on a second date. They have a good time, ride in the car, talk a lot. They have fun in an amusement park, find a lot in common, and feel a kinship of souls. Robert has the feeling that he has known Patricia not for 2 days, but for many years.

Over time, young people realize that they are in love. Friends happily accept Patricia into their circle. Robert creates the illusion that everything is starting to get better: he successfully sells one car, gets some money, he develops a relationship with his girlfriend, and they go on vacation to the sea.

The lovers spend the first days together, walking and talking a lot. Robert is fascinated by Patricia, her love for life and desire to do whatever she wants, without being attached to anything. He admires the girl’s character and behavior.

Patricia's disease

The euphoria of happiness is interrupted by Patricia's illness - it turns out that she has been sick with tuberculosis for a long time. One day she becomes ill and starts bleeding. The girl is sent to the hospital.

Friends find Dr. Jaffe, who is treating Pat. He says that it can be cured if you follow the regimen and all the recommendations. The doctor advises going to a sanatorium in Switzerland, where the climate and conditions are best suited for the girl.

Simultaneously with these events, problems arise in the workshop, the men make the difficult decision to sell their small business. Fascist rallies are raging in the streets. There are uprisings in the city from time to time, and henchmen of fascism walk the streets. Robert doesn’t care about politics; he is treating his beloved. Lenz regularly attends rallies; at one of the meetings, in a street shootout, he is hit by a bullet and dies. Friends find the killer and take revenge.

Completion of the story

Robert is trying to find money for the girl’s treatment; his friends help him with the proceeds from the sale of his favorite cars. The man understands that this is a very big sacrifice on their part, but he cannot refuse.

Patricia is getting worse, but she claims that she does not want to spend time in sadness and longing. She is in a good mood, positive, still loves life and communication. The girl does not lose hope.

Young people talk a lot, joke, discuss their feelings, and remember the short time they spent together. Patricia is slowly dying, Robert was with her until the last minute, calming her down and listening to her. IN last minutes his beloved did not recognize him.

Problems of the work: brief analysis

Erich Maria Remarque shows how the war created a lost generation of young people who, after returning from the war, cannot find their place in life. They returned home to a state that is experiencing decline and economic recession resulting from defeat in the war. The state of the country creates many problems for the heroes: the need to constantly look for work, pay for housing, and treatment. The main problems that emerge against the background of all this:

1. Post-war depression, which concerns not only social standards, but also the people who live in the country.
2. The hopelessness that has become part of the lives of all the characters: Pat’s illness, Robert’s difficulties. Fate constantly tests them with its blows, the heroes sacrifice something, lose something.
3. The problem of losing loved ones. It is relevant both for the war and for post-war society; everyone experiences this loss differently.
4. The key problem is the question of friendship. Friends support each other, help in difficult times, and sacrifice a lot. It is thanks to these feelings that they feel alive, reveal themselves at their most the best side. Revenge for the death of a friend, selling a business to help to a loved one– these actions testify to the reality of the characters’ feelings and their willingness to share what is most precious to them.
5. The problem of fascism - political question The novel also touches on this. Events develop against the backdrop of the establishment of a dictatorship, the characters have different attitudes towards the riots on the street, but this applies to each of them. Lenz even dies in an accidental shootout.

Important! The novel “Three Comrades” is deep and multifaceted; it talks about friendship, love, war, faith and its loss.

It begins optimistically - before the readers are heroes who drink a lot, joke and talk. They live their lives carefree and enjoy every moment.

But gradually the essence of this lifestyle is revealed - people hide their souls, their fears from the past and experiences behind the festivities. Each of the heroes has their own story associated with losses and war. And this lifestyle is a screen behind which they try to hide their real selves.

Germany after the First World War. Economic crisis. The crippled destinies of people and their souls. As one of the characters in the novel says, “we live in an era of despair.”

Three school and then front-line comrades - Robert Lockman, Gottfried Lenz, Otto Kester - work in a car repair shop. Robert turned thirty. Birthdays are always a little sad and bring back memories. Robert sees pictures from his recent past: childhood, school, in 1916 he, eighteen years old, was drafted, soldiers' barracks, Kester's wounding, the painful death of fellow soldiers from gas suffocation, from severe wounds. Then 1919 Putsch. Kester and Lenz were arrested. Hunger. Inflation. After the war, Kester was a student for some time, then a pilot, a racer, and finally bought an auto repair shop. Lenz and Lokman became his partners. The earnings are small, but you can live if “the past did not suddenly appear and stare at you with dead eyes.” For oblivion there is vodka.

Kester and Lenz solemnly greet Robert. Lenz gives the command to “stand up” and lays out gifts - six bottles of old rum miraculously obtained somewhere. But the holiday is later, now is work.

Friends bought an old car at an auction, which looked very funny, equipped it with a powerful racing car engine, and called it “Karl” - the ghost of the highway. They work until dusk and, having rolled out the repaired Cadillac, decide to go to the suburbs in the Carl to celebrate their birthday. Their entertainment is to fool the owners of expensive and luxurious cars, whom they let ahead and then jokingly overtake. Stopping along the way, the friends are about to order dinner when the Buick they overtook pulls up. It turned out to be a passenger - Patricia Holman. Having united, they arrange a fun feast.

After a wild celebration, Robert returns to his lair - the furnished rooms. People live here, brought here by fate for various reasons. The Hasse couple quarrel all the time over money, Georg Blok is stubbornly preparing for college, although the money accumulated while working in the mine has long since run out and he is starving, Count Orlov is held by the throat by the past - Robert saw him turn pale once at the sound of a car starting up. cars - amid this noise, his father was shot in Russia. But they all help each other as best they can: with advice, kind attitude, money... Next to the boarding house there is a cemetery and not far from the International cafe. Robert worked there for some time as a tapper.

Robert makes an appointment with Patricia - Pat, as her friends call her. He is waiting for her in the cafe, sipping cognac. The cafe is crowded, and they decide to go to the bar. Robert tries to imagine who she is and how she lives. The bar owner, Fred, greets them, and Robert begins to feel more confident. Valentin Gauzer, an acquaintance, is alone in the hall. Robert on the front: he received an inheritance and is now drinking it away. He is happy that he is alive. His motto: no matter how much you celebrate, it’s not enough. Robert explains that this is the only person who made a small happiness out of a big misfortune.

The novel is rated by critics as the most humane classic work. Few authors were able to so accurately show the characters of the actors and play on their contrast. In the novel, a person is shown from the side when he is at the bottom of despair. Erich Maria Remarque began writing the novel “Three Comrades” in 1932. The author was a former front-line soldier and subsequently became an ardent pacifist.

In contact with

The fate of the work

The book was written by Remarque as a saga about his generation. Remarque “Three Comrades” summary appeared on German only after the Second World War, i.e. a decade later. Few can imagine emotional condition writer who completed the work only in 1936.

In my homeland the author turned outcast, the German fascists made him this way. The Nazis staged raids while watching a film based on the classic's work, and the circulation of his books was banned. The book almost immediately acquired the status of a world bestseller, but in its homeland Remarque’s book was banned. The novel has an intriguing and life-affirming plot that shaped a new German spirituality.

Three comrades

The book is written about love, friendship, courage. The book teaches how to withstand the blows of fate with dignity and move on. The novel is written about Remarque's generation. It begins with the events that occurred on the morning of Robert Lokamp's thirtieth birthday. The first chapter has t the main role in the entire work. It tells about the character of the characters, here the reader gets acquainted with the main characters of the work. Robert comes to a car repair shop, where he works as a mechanic before his main job.

1. Robert has known his colleagues since childhood.

1. His friend is the proactive, strong man Otto Kester.
2. And the second friend is artistic and soulful person Gottfried Lenz.

My first friend started a career as a pilot and later became a racer. Otto is the most unpredictable among his friends, he drives a great car, and he is a professional auto mechanic. The second friend has always been the life of the party, he jokes a lot. Gottfried is sociable and enjoys attention from women. He also has many friends among bartenders. Robert Lokamp has a business spirit, so he often negotiates. They have been together since childhood, grew up together, studied and fought together. And now they work together. They have a strong friendship, which is what men have:

1. They are frank with each other.
2. Friendly.
3. They help each other in difficult situations.
4. Self-respect reigns between them.

Robert's birthday

Robert went deep into himself and began to remember own life. He falls into deep thought. He sees the cleaning lady, the elderly Frau Stoss, who thinks that there is no one in the room and drinks from a bottle of rum that the mechanics had not finished drinking. It’s Robert’s anniversary today, so he doesn’t reproach the woman, but pours her another glass. When the woman leaves after congratulating Robert, sad memories come over him. Further, his life is presented in a certain chronology:

Friendship between Robert and his friends

Thanks to war and revolution main character one left. The novel does not mention whether Robert has any relatives, but friends have replaced them. They work together in a car repair shop, spend their leisure time together, help each other financially and morally, and run their simple business together. When dark memories of war and death began to emerge in their memory, they suppressed them by drinking alcoholic beverages.

They had ex-soldier syndrome, when the ghosts of dead comrades come in a dream and there is no strength to forget all the horror experienced... The author described this state based on his own experience. Here is a description of the entire generation of Germans who, after the war, found themselves unclaimed by society. But not all people succumbed to general despair, among them three friends Lokamp, ​​Lenz and Kester. They managed:

1. Repair cars.
2. We purchased a Cadillac and repaired it for sale.
3. For the sake of interest, they turned an old wreck into a sports coupe, which had a powerful sports engine.

Episode on the way

Robbie celebrates his birthday and Gottfried gives him an "amulet against evil rock", which he inherited from the granddaughter of the Inca leader. Otto gives him 6 bottles of rum. They planned a picnic in the evening, but there was a work day ahead. On the way to a picnic, friends are having fun. They play in contrast appearance car and its contents. Friends call the car Karl.

This evening next to them drove a fancy Buick, his driver decided to boast to his girlfriend about the car’s capabilities and overtakes Karl several times. But after this, the three comrades overtake the Buick, leaving it far behind. The Buick driver caught up with his comrades near a roadside cafe where they planned to sit. Binding, a Buick driver, introduces his companion, Patricia Holman, to his comrades. They unconditionally liked the pretty, mysterious and silent girl. At the end of the feast, Robert takes the girl’s phone, ostensibly to make sure that she arrived home safely.

Pension Frau Zalewski

In this chapter, Remarque describes the mini-hotel and its inhabitants. This building was typical of those times where people survived with the last of their strength. Robert and his neighbors lived in this building, who were not happy in their personal lives. Among the neighbors are the following heroes:

These people ended up in the boarding house because of the war and revolution. The next day, Robert wakes up in his apartment and goes to have breakfast at the International Cafe. As a result, the man decides to call Patricia Holman.

Two dates with Patricia

Robert hasn't had much contact with girls before, so he's shy and clumsy. The conversation with Patricia did not work out, so the man drinks for courage. When Robbie realizes that he is drunk, he returns to his home. Gottfried Lenz gives Rob good advice- send the girl a bouquet of roses. Pat accepted the flowers and Robert asked her out a second time. The young man teaches Patricia how to drive the Karl. During the date, the young people felt attracted to each other. In the evening they visit a bar, where they meet Gottfried, and together they go to have fun at the amusement park.

Patricia Holman

Patricia is a very charming young girl, there have always been many fans around her. But, unexpectedly for herself, she falls in love with a simple auto mechanic. She wants happiness, but her body is affected by tuberculosis. She had previously been treated for this disease and felt better. She believes that she is still young and will be able to overcome her illness. When the girl was convinced of her feelings for Robert, she invited him home.

Patricia smart, educated and lonely. She was born to wealthy parents, from whom she received beautiful furniture. She rents two rooms in a house that once belonged to her parents. But Pat wants to earn her own living and is looking for a job as a record salesman.

In the 20s, the crisis in Germany worsened and the income from the workshop began to bring in less money. But the friends did not fall into despair. They rented a taxi and earned money on it. They then raced Carl. He, driven by racer Otto, takes first place.

Robert and Pat's love

Pat has a crush on Robbie and shows him her favorite places in the city. At the theater they meet her friend, Broiler, and he invites them to a restaurant. Pat loves to dance, but Robert doesn't know how to do it. Then the girl dances with Broiler. Robert is jealous of his beloved and gets very drunk. The situation is getting tense, perhaps a quarrel is about to occur between the young lovers.

But the couple made up:

1. Robert didn't say goodbye to Pat in the restaurant. The broiler takes them home and drops Robert off at the bar, where he gets very drunk.
2. When Robbie returns home, he sees a frozen Pat waiting for him near the door.
3. He warms his beloved with a cup of tea, and they spend time together until the evening.

Pat's illness returns

Soon Pat’s illness makes itself known. But this does not bode well. Robert was able to fulfill his old dream - he sold a refurbished Cadillac at a profit. Robbie brags about the check to his friends. Now that he has received his share, he will be able to go on vacation to the sea for 2 weeks with Pat. But something unexpected happened at sea - Pat developed a throat bleed. Robbie informs Kester about this and he brings her attending physician Jaffe to the sick girl on Karl. The doctor treats Patricia for several days and she feels better.

Robert is always next to his beloved. She really likes it gift - Irish terrier puppy. He became a joy and an outlet for her. But doctors strongly recommend taking the sick girl to a mountain sanatorium where seriously ill patients are housed. Among the patients, Robbie meets a patient who looks at him with calm courage. And he understands what Jaffe, who himself lost his wife, wants to tell him: very often people with serious illnesses live longer than healthy people.

Workshop for sale

Meanwhile, hard times are coming in Germany: hyperinflation has begun in the country and orders have stopped. But the friends found a way out: when they were passing the race track on Karl, they noticed a crashed Citroen. They were able to discourage competitors from repairing it. To repair the car, I had to buy expensive parts, but the profit had to justify the costs. But things didn't go so well. The owner of the car became bankrupt and the car had to be sold under the hammer. To cover debts, friends sold the workshop.

Death of Lenz

At that time Harmless rallies took place in Germany, which Gottfried Lenz became interested in. At one of the rallies, Robbie and Otto find their friend, and trying to calm him down, they lead him to the car. But Lenz fires at a Nazi militant and is killed on the spot. Otto and Robbie want to avenge their comrade by combing the city. But the bartender Alphonse beat them to it.

Death of Patricia

Robert learns by phone that his lover is on bed rest. Otto, who immediately realized something was wrong, takes his friend to the hospital on Karl. He and Patricia watch the sunset.

Friends know that he is the last in her life. Patricia's life ends an hour before dawn. In the morning, Lokamp receives a considerable amount of money from Krester. A friend sold Karl to raise money for the funeral.

One of the most powerful moments of the novel is the description inner world Robert, who realized that the girl next to him was already dead.

At night, Robbie does not leave a single step from Patricia, who has a throat bleed. But Patricia is doomed... And then Robert says beautiful words: “Then morning came, and she was no longer there...”

Conclusion

What happened next to Robert after the loss of his beloved friend and lover? Will circumstances break him? The author does not directly answer this question; the reader must figure out what happened to the main character. Robert was not left alone; his faithful friend and comrade Otto Kester is still with him. They have known each other for a long time and we went through a lot of troubles together. Usually after this people become closer.

It was described more than once in the novel that friends can work together and make the right decisions. Therefore, the reader can be sure that if luck turns up for friends, they will not miss it. Retelling the book does not convey the depth of the novel, so everyone should read it!

Year of writing: 1936

Genre of the work: novel

Main characters: Robert Lokamp, Gottfried Lenz, Otto Koester- Friends, Patricia Holman- Robert's girlfriend.

Plot

The action takes place after the First World War. Pictures of horror do not leave the three comrades who took part in that war. Now they work in a car workshop. We bought an old car and put a racing engine in it. On the way to Robert's name day celebration, the friends meet Patricia, or Pat. Robbie falls in love with her, and the girl is accepted into the company. To earn money, a taxi was bought. The friends took turns driving it. But taxis bring in little income. Once I managed to earn a lot of money by selling a Cadillac. Robert and Pat went to the sea. The girl started bleeding. The doctor advised me to go back to a sanatorium for tuberculosis. Lenz is killed by protesters. Kester takes revenge on the murderer. So that Robert could be with Pat, Otto sold his beloved car, Karl. Patricia died next to her loved one.

Conclusion (my opinion)

The novel shows how much harm the war brought both to the entire country and to the souls of people. They are forced to wash down the horror with alcohol. Remarque shows how valuable friendship and love are. You can sacrifice everything for this.

1. Erich Maria Remarque

2. "Three Comrades"

3. For 9th grade

5. The work was written in 1936. In history, these years are the ones preceding the Second World War. A new Constitution is being published in Russia. And in Germany, troops are being formed and military operations are taking place. In addition, in parliamentary elections in Germany, 99 percent of the votes were cast for official candidates from the Nazi Party.

6. The action of the work takes place in Germany around 1928. Field Marshal General Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg was in power.

7. Robert Lokamp 30 years old. He is the lover of Patricia Holman. He has two faithful friend- Gottfried Lenz and Otto Kester. Robert often drinks and tries to forget what happened in the First World War, in which he participated.

Our experts can check your essay using Unified State Exam criteria

Experts from the site Kritika24.ru
Teachers of leading schools and current experts of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

How to become an expert?

Otto Kester is also 30 years old. He is an amateur racing driver, he has a favorite car, “Karl.” He is also interested in boxing. Lenz is the same age, he was also their comrade at the front. Was easy and positive person. Outwardly, he stood out in the crowd with his straw-like mop of hair. Pat is distinguished by her feminine wisdom, tenderness of character and boundless desire to live, but, alas, she cannot do this, as she is sick with tuberculosis.

8. The book talks about three lives comrades who found themselves together after the last war. They decide to create a car repair shop in which they work themselves. One day Robert meets Pat and realizes that he is in love. Friends like Pat, because in some unknown way she unites them even more. We see several happy moments of lovers, their dreams and hopes. But everything falls apart when Robert finds out that Patricia is sick. She needs money for treatment. At this time, Lenz dies. Kester rushes to the hospital where Pat is and gives Robert the money he received for selling his beloved car, "Karl". But nothing helps...

9. The book is unique; in it you can trace the state of the people during this period - between the First and Second World Wars. They are all broken, used, but they just want to live, love and have fun if possible. But the consequences of the war do not allow these desires to come true. After all, Patricia is sick precisely because of her difficult childhood. And hopes are crushed. The heroes remain lonely and unhappy. The book is really wonderful and I really enjoyed it. Both the form of the story and the meaning embedded in it.

Updated: 2018-08-04

Attention!
If you notice an error or typo, highlight the text and click Ctrl+Enter.
By doing so, you will provide invaluable benefit to the project and other readers.

Thank you for your attention.