The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Portfolio

For, in Berlin Bruno has quite a more normal and homely life with friends and family always at his fingertips, and all of his favourite places has, and all of which set in a vibrant and happy city. Whilst his life at Auschwitz is lesser than that, as he is unable to do even half of the things he could back in Berlin, making his time there very bleak to him. These sorts of feelings are felt all throughout the novel through Bruno again and again by his constant repetition of comparison about these locations. We see this setting and theme as being a way to highlight the feelings the Jews must have felt, being moved from their luscious life of being free to the tough and death ridden. Whilst the Germans have all of the riches and pleasure of a normal life, while the Jews are forced into a life of death and pressed labour. We the reader take this on to give further division of the races, making any action to break such a boundary to be very prominent and clear to their meaning.

One day, Bruno is looking out the window and asks his mother if he could “play with the children on the farm.” This is where the audience learns Bruno’s Harmartia, or tragic flaw, of his age. Children at Bruno’s age are innocent, kind, curious, and are often hidden from the evils of the world. Unknowingly, he moves close to a concentration camp, but due to his innocence, he believes the prison is a farm. He describes the “farmers” as looking “strange”

In parts of the novel Bruno begins to actually lose his innocence and learn and understand more about the world around him. For example, when he is talking to Maria about his father and she starts to speak to him about her earlier life he “realized for the first time that he had never fully considered her to be a person with a life and a history of her own,” p.60. This process is not fast enough as this innocence still leads to his early death in a gas chamber. However, he thinks that he is just going on a march while he was trying to help his friend, and this means that he is not afraid. His innocence acts like courage, and shields him from fear while placing him in danger.

“The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas” by John Boyne gives an insight to the holocaust and the rule of Nazi Germany in WW2, Boyne’s novel demonstrates Friendship through protagonist Bruno. Boyne writes about the an inhumane period, even if his book is a fable it still is based on the hardship that the jewish people suffered during this dark time. Throughout the Novel Bruno’s perspective on Friendship changes, he realises that you shouldn’t judge a friend by there appearance. The characters show intricate acts of friendship for life, friendship between young and old. Mateship between four “best friends for life” (karl, Daniel, Martin and Bruno) and the protagonist, Bruno, “crossing the fence” by entering an concentration and extermination camp for his jewish friend, Shmuel. The book is set on the German Polish border in about the year 1942 in the middle of Nazi Germany.

John Boyne has created a sophisticated and meaningful novel in The Boy in the Striped

Friendship is a basic human need, especially for nine year old boys living their childhood. For Bruno who is lonely, bored out of his mind and could not find friends his age to play with and Shmuel a Jewish boy entrapped in a brutal concentration camp, their friendship is one of the only things that can spark a little happiness and lighten up their spirit. The boys meet in the least possible place – the periphery of Auschwitz concentration camp, where one is imprisoned and the other is the son of the Nazi commandant in charge. Although they are meant to see each other as enemies as a Jew and Nazi, there is no hatred between Bruno and Shmuel. They simply see each other as another kid to talk to out of the loneliness of Auschwitz. As the book

The members of the national socialists party such as Hitler, the Commandant and Lt Kotler contribute to the novel’s portrayal of prejudice and discrimination, contrasting the horrific nature of this period in history with Bruno’s purity. For Example, "Ah,those people," said Father, nodding his head. "Those people...well there not people at all, Bruno" p.53. This quote perfectly describes the prejudice and discrimination the Jews encountered, particularly through their dehumanisation. This is a perfect example of a child "inheriting" his father's prejudice towards a specific culture,“And I can speak French too,” she added … “yes but why would you want to?” asked the Fury” p.122 , which illustrates

The mood throughout the story is very often negatively influenced by the setting of a concentration camp. The house in which Bruno and his family live at Auschwitz is small and lonely. “The new house, however, stood all on its own in an empty, desolate place and there were no other houses anywhere to be seen, which meant there would be no other families around and no other boys to play

First, On page 202 it says “ You still want to help me find Papa?’ asked Shmuel and Bruno nodded quickly” This shows that bruno is helpful and kind because he wants to help shmuel find his dad. This builds suspense because bruno is NOT ALLOWED to go on the other side of the fence with the jews. Secondly, On page 190 Bruno says “ I’d prefer all four of us to stay together” (When Bruno’s dad asked them if they wanted to move back to Berlin Bruno said he would go where the family went and wanted to stay together.) This is a revealing action about bruno because it shows how he is a caring person and wants to stay with his family. It builds suspense because his dad needs to stay because he is a soldier working. Lastly, On page 208 the author states “ When the soldier walked into the cabin Bruno said “ I don't think I like it here.” This reveals that Bruno does not like the life that shmuel lives and wants to go home. It builds suspense because the soldiers are bringing him somewhere and Bruno doesn't want to be there. To conclude, the author writes about actions that reveal Bruno’s caring

As a child, we are focused on the small aspects of life. We worry about eating ice cream on a hot summer day or when we will get the opportunity to go out on a cold snowy day and go sled riding with our friends and drink hot chocolate. We are fully focused on such basic childlike desires that we are completely unaware of serious events happening around us or in this case right next-door. As a nine-year-old boy, Bruno has no idea that his father was running a mass concentration camp right next door to his house and exterminating Jews including his new friend Shmuel. Instead, Bruno acquired an irreproachable friendship due to his innocent way of thinking that allowed for him to ignore society’s prejudices against his Jewish friend Shmuel. This essay will provide information regarding the Holocaust and hash treatment of the Jews within the German concentration camp “Auschwitz”. This essay will then offer a brief summary of the events within The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. Finally, this essay will analyze the paradox of innocence depicted within the story, in order to explain how innocence supplied both disadvantages and advantages for Bruno and Shmuel. While this innocence led to the death of Bruno and Shmuel due to their ignorance of the dangers of the Holocaust, it also allowed for the boys to live their lives unaware of

innocence is the theme that develops throughout the novel. Bruno misinterprets what is going on in

Because she too is alone at Auschwitz she replaces her friends and companions with dolls, therefore leaving Bruno with no one but himself and in need in company. “I’m going back to my room to arrange my dolls” (pg 38). It is his family’s detachment that leads him to create new bonds with Shmuel, a Jew from the other side of the fence, which in turn leads to a horrific ending. This ending captures the reader because of the intensity and power in how it is written. If John Boyne had narrated the story in any other way, the effect would not have been quite so horrific and potent. This along with the main concern of the book captures the reader’s attention, encouraging them to read on.

The main characters in this story have different personalities and they represent the good and the bad in human beings. Bruno, the nine years old German boy, was an adventurous, curious and innocent boy like many other kids his age. Because of his age sometimes he was a little naive but overall I think he was a very smart boy. He showed us the importance of friendship and compassion after he met Shmuel at the concentration camp.

Bruno, initially, has ignorance about everything going on in his life. For example, his dissatisfaction with leaving Berlin is demonstrated in many parts of the story. He is shown to the reader as being innocent, immature, and unable to give things a chance. On many occasions, Bruno complains about moving to “Out-With” (Auschwitz). He continually complains before even giving himself a chance to experience it. He was whining and being stubborn. To illustrate, in the novel, the author says, “Nothing, thought Bruno, not even the insects, would ever choose to stay at Out-With.

Bruno is growing up in Berlin, but moves to Auschwitz during World War II, sets out to explore the