All Quiet on the Western Front Scene 42 Summary

  • Back at the Front, Paul sees a butterfly just outside of his cover.
  • He goes to reach for it, exposing himself to a French sniper across No Man's Land.
  • Just as Paul's hand is about to reach the butterfly, a gunshot cracks.
  • Paul's hand retracts in pain and then lies limp in the mud.
  • Paul Bäumer dies.