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The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas Literary Analysis

Decent Essays

Novels do more than tell stories, they explore ideas. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, is a fable by John Boyne, about a family involved with the mass genocide of Jews, set in the time of Adolf Hitler’s regime. Symbolism of the fence, the innocence of childhood and the desire for friendship are all interesting ideas explored throughout the novel.

The fence symbolises the social gap between Jews and non-Jews and divides worlds of reality, because of their cultural label. One side may have the best wine served, pleasant dinner conversations and a comfortable life, while in the other, the worst of humanity is brought out. However, it is the question of who should be allowed to choose who is on one side of the fence and who is on the other. The …show more content…

Bruno and Shmuel’s friendship can represent hope for the future, since it cuts through religious distinctions, social differences and historical conditions. Their friendship is an unmistakable portrayal that differences do not divide. Although Bruno and Shmuel were raised to be enemies, they became ‘best friend(s) for life’. This quote was at the end of the novel, when fear and terror overcame them both, but is a reminder to how real their friendship was. Both these boys feel a mutual desire for companionship and thus forgives each other, when one has made a mistake. An example of this is when Bruno caused Shmuel to be punished but knew that he was forgiven when Shmuel simply ‘smiled and nodded’ immediately after Bruno’s sincere apology. This occurred because Shmuel didn't want to lose his only friend, during the difficult and lonely time. Another display of their friendship is meeting at the fence every day, showing commitment. Even with the limited time together, they shared one of the strongest bonds and ultimately, marched to death, hand in hand. However the novel, instead of focusing on the atrocities of the Holocaust itself, it focuses on the intimate relationship between Bruno and Shmuel, making the message at the end more

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