Throughout the novel, Paul thinks of the Silver Star as the physical manifestation of bravery. Bernie Lynn wins it for going into the tunnel after Frenchie Tucker, but he has to die to do so. Still, Paul thinks about becoming brave in terms of finding the Silver Star within himself, and in the last chapter, he tries to repress his fear by imagining it as j a Silver Star that he can focus on. He imagines winning the Star and taking it home to show his father—proof that Paul was courageous.

The sea is a symbol of hope and safety. In the chapter on Paul’s training, the corporal stares at the sea while he “gives his lecture” (sits silently) on surviving the war. Paul spends his hours at the imaginary observation post in a peaceful tower overlooking the sea. Attacks come from the land, rather than the sea, and the sea promises that there is something beyond the land where the soldiers are currently trapped. Water is traditionally a cleansing force, and here it can psychologically wash away some of the pain of battle.