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The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas Analysis

Decent Essays

The treatment of Jews in the Holocaust is one of the most horrific occurrences in history. John Boynes' 2006 novel, 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas', is based on the journey of friendship and bonding between two seemingly different yet very similar people. Boyne has depicted the fragile topic of the Holocaust from a different perspective, in comparison to other Holocaust texts. Despite, his words appearing to be unsuited for the topic, the novel itself is not improper in terms of the delicate subject of the Holocaust. The outcome of the novel is solely dependant on the reader and how they receive the text. Even though the novel is unrealistic regarding the history of the event, the novel itself focuses on a small aspect of the occurrence rather than the general event as a whole. Consequently, the text may seem inappropriate to many readers, as it is a new view on the subject, that is often viewed as one-sided. Overall, it can be implied that 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' is not an improper and wrong view on the fragile subject of the Holocaust, but a different take on the event.

Even though the novel contains wordplay and different literary devices that may seem improper for the topic, these tactics from the author add extra meaning to the novel. Boyne uses 'puns' that challenge the reader to think about the double meaning behind these words and help the audience understand the circumstances of the characters while maintaining Bruno's naivety and innocence. Bruno

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