Paul is the protagonist of the novel. The reader sees the events through his eyes, and much of the novel takes place within his imagination. He is thoughtful and anxious. He’s afraid but desperately wants to be brave; this conflict is what creates a great deal of his anxiety, since he’s not content to merely stay out of harm’s way. Paul is highly observant, paying great attention to the land around him, for example, and also highly imaginative. All of these traits are made readily apparent in the observation post chapters, where the reader has access to Paul’s unmediated thoughts and feelings.

Though we know a great deal about Paul’s thoughts, we don’t often get to hear him speak. Paul imagines a grand adventure that includes most of his squad, but he intentionally holds himself apart from them in reality. He is determined not to join them, he rarely speaks to them, and he always walks at the back of the line.

This aloofness indicates a lack of trust, which might be due to his complicated relationship with his parents. He rarely mentions his mother, and her alcoholism is likely to have been quite severe if she was hiding liquor in perfume bottles.