Support the following statement: The poster of the young girl makes Paul want to be young and happy again, but his encounter with the young brunette shows that Paul will never be young and happy again.

Paul and Kropp came across an army theatre poster. It is a poster of a beautiful girl wearing "white stockings and white shoes Paul notices that she is "well cared for , she certainly baths twice a day and never has any dirt under her fingernails". The boys themselves are constantly filthy and worn out. They are so far removed from anything clean. Beauty, romance and the real wonders of the opposite sex remain a mystery to them and they wonder if they will ever be able to experience this. When Paul sees the brunette, he feels like he has lost his innocence. Paul feels lost and confused, especially when it comes to girls.