Boy In The Striped Pajamas

The ‘Boy in The Striped Pyjamas’ is a moving novel published by an author named John Boyne to re write the struggles and atrocities of the Holocaust through the eyes of a nine-year-old boy. Although the hard confrontations that were thrown at these characters, they still stood for what they believed in, showing strong traits of a very virtuous person. Even in the most challenging situations, these characters represented the very best of humanity. Bruno’s behaviour, friendship and sacrifices towards Shmuel, Pavel’s acts of kindness throughout the novel and Grandmothers strong opinions about the Holocaust, the Nazi and her own son are three substantial examples of showing humanity in

Identity Achievement occurs when someone makes a personal decision or commitment after going through a crisis and exploring his or her option.

Background info: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne follows nine-year old Bruno as he unknowingly moves to a home near a concentration camp. There he meets a Jewish boy of the exact same age named Shmuel.

The major theme of the book is shown through the bonds of friendship and how in the most of unlikely circumstances friendship can survive and exist between people possessing an extensive and most restrictive division. A second theme is the evil and the intolerance which existed around these times of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust, as seen by the Germans having the Jews in the concentration camp. And the third theme is the curiosity and innocence of Bruno, Shmuel and

“Those people…well, they’re not people at all Bruno,” said Father (Boyne, 2006, p. 53). During this time period, the Holocaust was currently happening and Father was referring to Jews that were at Auschwitz. Many Jewish people, especially Natzies were not considered as people during this era. In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the author, John Boyne, showed how Jews were killed and how they arrived to Auschwitz very accurately; however, the amount of guarding that happened at the camp was a point of inaccuracy because the events that happened in the book could not have possibly occurred in real life.

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to live during the Holocaust. In the book, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a nine year old German boy, Bruno, is living in Germany. His father works for Hitler as a high ranking Nazi. In the beginning of the book, Bruno’s family has to move to Out-with. His father is sent there to run the camp. Jews are captured and sent to this camp. They are starved and killed in Gas chambers. Bruno befriends a Jewish boy his age and then they hang out with eachother almost everyday. It is good that Bruno has a lack of knowledge about the Holocaust because it allows him to bond with Shmuel and he learns that he is not the most important person in the world.

I would like to thank you for creating such a brilliant book.I believe this may be one of the best books portraying the effects of the Holocaust I have ever read. If you don't mind I would like to ask you some questions on your wonderful book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. My first question for you is what was it like writing this terrifying and depressing story, and did you ever cry while writing this outstanding book. The second question I have for you is how would you feel if you were in the Nazi Commandant shoes, knowing that it was your fault then your own child died by the horrible things you were doing to the others in concentration camps. Last and foremost Mr. Boyne, do you plan on writing another WWII based book in the future if so

“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” demonstrates that Jews were mainly discriminated and targeted. On page 148, it says, “Lieutenant Kotler grew very angry with Pavel and no one - not Bruno, not Gretel, not Mother and not even Father - stepped in to stop him doing what he did next, even though none of them could watch.” Lieutenant Kotler had done some horrendous actions to Pavel, the Jewish waiter, after accidentally spilling wine on Kotler’s lap. During this time of war, Jews were not considered as “people” and were tortured and killed because of their race and religion. Discrimination among races still occurs today and often violence is involved. Although discrimination still occurs, it teaches that people can learn from these mistakes and correct it. However, Bruno and Shmuel did not let the differences of their race affect their friendship as a German and a

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne is about an unlikely friendship between Bruno, the son of a German Nazi commandant and Shmuel, a Jewish captive in a concentration camp ran by Bruno’s father. The novel takes place during 1940’s, allowing us to recognize that the Holocaust is taking place. The Holocaust was a large genocide led by Adolf Hitler and his army of Nazi’s to exterminate all Jewish people in Europe. The novel begins with Bruno and his family moving into an ‘out-with’, which happens to be in the middle of nowhere. Bruno decides to explore the area around his house and comes across a “farm” surrounded by barbed wired fence. On the other side of the fence was a boy, Shmuel, around his age that is wearing striped pajamas.

Every sentence paints a vivid picture in your mind of the scenery, the people around, even the smell of the air. It is honestly amazing how much time and attention to every little detail the author John Boyne put into this book. At the very beginning of the book, it takes place in a very busy city where Bruno, his sister, his mother and his father all live. When you read the beginning, it is almost as if you can hear all of the hustle and bustle of the city. It is almost as if you can smell the city air, and feel the wind softly brush against you cheeks. When the family’s going away party takes place, Bruno feels a bit overwhelmed with all of the distant relatives, the flashy clothing, and the sheer reality that he has to leave behind his friends and the world that he once knew to be home. This seems to be the most important aspect of the entire novel. All of the detail and foreshadowing in the book really paints a great picture into your mind. It is almost as if you are Bruno, seeing all of the parties, the city, and everything else for yourself. Once you read this best-selling book, Bruno and Schmol’s story will stay in your heart and mind forever.

¨The thing about exploring is that you have to know whether the thing youvé found is worth finding.¨ This quote is from the book The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, written by John Boyne. This book takes place in 1942 during the holocaust, and starts with the main character Bruno who takes the reader through his story. Bruno's father receives a special promotion from the boss who Bruno believes takes over his father's life, leading the family to leave their beloved Berlin house, for a smaller house in the country. Bruno decides he thinks the house is unbearable, until something terrible in the distance makes itself known. Boyne used the motifs of Isolation and Heroic Acts to show the theme that no matter how much isolation and danger is ahead, good people find happiness in doing Heroic Acts.

Like Thomas Aquinas once said,”There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” Friendship is everything. They always have your back. Friends get you through rough patches. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is about friendship. It is also about a young boy, named Bruno, who moves from Berlin to a Nazi concentration camp, called Auschwitz. Tommy is not excited for the move he is afraid of missing his friends, His dad, a Nazi commandant got a promotion, and they were forced to move. While exploring, he meets this boy named Shmuel. They quickly become friends and have a lot in common. I think the theme in the novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is about how some friends may come, and some, unfortunately may go, but true friends stick with you through thick and thin.

They say that ignorance is bliss. That is somewhat true, as not understanding the atrocities in our world would surely make a happier person. However, innocence can also lead to calamity. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne, is a coming of age story about Bruno, the son of a Nazi Commandant under Adolf Hitler. Bruno was initially very ignorant of what was happening in the world and was very immature about moving from Berlin. As the days went by, he got used to his new home and his thoughts were maturing, as he started thinking with logic and rationale. Bruno finally understands that he has to be a good person to everyone regardless what others might think. His character has strongly developed. Despite Bruno being unaware of his situation and his father being a Nazi, he matures from being childish and unsatisfied for moving to finally finding purpose in life by being a good human being.

Prior to meeting Shmuel, Bruno exhibited many negative character traits. For example, just after Bruno arrives at Out-With, Bruno begins to complain to Maria, their maid, on all of the “horrible” traits the house possesses: “‘Well, if Father’s job means that we have to move away from our house and the sliding banister and my three best friends for life, then I think Father should think twice about his job, don’t you?’” (Boyne 17). Bruno already misses his old home, which allowed him to play and make his three “best friends for life”. He had enjoyed the familiarness and entertainment of his own home which made moving much harder. At his new house, Bruno is disappointed that he does not have as many opportunities as he had had in Berlin. Not only did Bruno miss his old home, but his new house made him uncomfortable. When gazing out his window, Bruno spots the wall of the concentration camp as “He put his face to the glass and saw what was out there, and this time when his eyes opened wide and his mouth made the shape of an O, and his hands stayed by his sides because something made him feel very cold and unsafe” (Boyne 19). Before meeting Shmuel, Bruno is lonely at Out-With. He has been hoping for an adventurous exploration to go on, yet finding out the unknown about these people makes him uncomfortable. Unsure of the wall’s purpose, the wall gives him an eerie feeling. He does not recognize these people either, nor does he know the reasoning on why they are behind the wall. This is not the kind of adventure Bruno was looking for. Bruno’s life before meeting Shmuel was very lonely and dull, yet after meeting his new friend, Bruno began to rather enjoy his time in Poland.

The novel “The Boy in the striped pyjamas” is written by John Boyne and explores the thoughts and implications of the holocaust through the perspective of a young boy named Bruno. Bruno the main protagonist is portrayed as being as being unaware of the atrocities of war. This is shown many times throughout the text. However, it is Bruno’s interactions with other key characters that makes his innocence obvious to the reader. In particular, his innocent perspective regarding the Nazi concentration camp, as well as, his interactions with his father and Shmuel reveal his lack of awareness.