the boy in the striped pajamas setting essay

“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” Essay

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Introduction

Film review, the good points in the movie, the bad points in the movie, historical accuracy of the movie, works cited.

Most individuals prefer watching movies as a way of entrainment or killing time especially the youth. Movies entail different themes that might range from historical experiences to current day-to-day experiences. However, some movies and television shows purporting to highlight some historical issues may lack historical validity and accurateness. This paper is a review and historical analysis of the film, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

The film is founded on a novel with the same title. John Boyne authored the novel. The film’s director is Mark Herman, and it was released in 2008. The main actor is Bruno, who is eight years of age living in the countryside with his family after his father receives a promotion in the workplace. Bruno’s dad is a commandant of an extermination camp, which borders their homestead, but it separated by a barbed wire electric fence.

At one point, Bruno decides to disobey the rules forbidding him from accessing the back garden. Curiosity leads him to the fence surrounding the extermination camp. Bruno meets Shmuel, who is a Jewish inmate at the camp, and befriends him. Bruno speculates the striped uniform that Shmuel is wearing to resemble pajamas, thus hinting to the viewers about the origin of the film’s title. The pair organizes regular meetings where they are involved in playing board games together, and Bruno sneaks food to his friend during such occasions.

One day, Bruno’s mother discovers the assignment of his husband following some insights from a junior commissioned officer often called Lieutenant concerning the black smoke emanating from the chimneys of the camp. Apparently, the smoke comes from the burning of the Jews who are perceived as lesser humans in the Nazi Germany. Bruno’s mother becomes agitated and heartbroken, and thus she confronts her husband. Later on at a dinner in Bruno’s home, the lieutenant pronounces how his biological father had moved to Switzerland and left his family.

Bruno’s father accuses the Lieutenant of neglect of duty and recklessness by not informing the concerned authorities about his father’s eminent disagreements with the prevailing political regime. Therefore, to prove his ultimate support for the political regime and cover his embarrassment, Lieutenant Kotler beats to death the Jewish inmate who was a servant at Bruno’s house so that he could show his undeterred support to the political system.

Later on, by coincidence, Shmuel replaces the murdered servant. Due to amusement, Bruno decides to offer him a cake. Unfortunately, the lieutenant sees Shmuel chewing and immediately accuses him of theft. Shmuel explains that the cake was duly offered to him, but Bruno denies the claims out of fear. Bruno decides to go and apologize to Shmuel. However, the servant cannot be found. Bruno keeps on going back to the same venue at the camp, but he is never fortunate to meet his friend until one moment when Shmuel reappears at the fence. During the reunion, Bruno expresses his ultimate apologies to his friend who forgives him before rekindled their friendship ( The Boy in the Striped Pajamas ).

Towards the end of the movie, Bruno endeavors to help Shmuel’s find his father who is missing after failing to return to the camp after a march. Consequently, he disappears from their house by digging a hole under the barbed wire fence to access the camp where Shmuel is residing. Later, his mother and sister discover that Bruno is missing. They inform the father who launches an immediate search together with his men. However, the search is unfruitful because the prohibited friendship between Bruno and Shmuel becomes a tragedy.

In the film, the aspect of true friendship is evident as demonstrated by Bruno and his ultimate affection to Shmuel, who is an inmate and a Jew. The audience often observes the deep relationship expressed through their conversation in the various meetings. Bruno breaks the confines of his family rules of not visiting the back garden just for the sake of friendship. The viewers also witness Bruno’s chances by sneaking food to his friend. At some point, he apologizes to Shmuel for denying that he offered him the cake. Lastly, Bruno’s decides to help Shmuel trace his father who has disappeared after a match.

Bruno’s mother is observed to oppose the dictatorial regime by expressing her anguish and dissatisfaction on the matter of anti-Semitism. She is heartbroken after discovering that the black smoke emanating from the camp chimneys is from the burning of Jewish corpses. She also confronts her husband after learning about his assignment in the camp, thus proving to viewers that she is not contended with the way that the current regime disregards the Jews.

The aspect of dictatorship is evident in the film. Characters such as Bruno’s father, who shows ultimate support to the current regime, demonstrate the feature. At times, he accuses the lieutenant of not demonstrating his loyalty to the political regime by not reporting to the relevant authorities the disappearance of his father to Switzerland. The viewers also witness the killing the Jew servant by the lieutenant illegitimately to prove his support for Semitism.

Racism is also a bad point as depicted in the different scenarios. The discrimination against the Jews is profound in this movie as evidenced by the rules prohibiting Bruno from engaging in friendship with Shmuel. The lieutenant also murders the servant simply because he is a Jew. The black smoke from the Jews’ burning corpses additionally proves how the political regime disregarded the life of the Jews.

The movie, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, is historically accurate. First, it was set during the World War II period from 1939 to 1945. The movie is relevant because it underscores the infamous Holocaust, which happened under the watch of Adolf Hitler’s tyrannical regime in the Nazi Germany. During this period, around six million Jews were murdered. The extermination camps as the one demonstrated in the movie were used in the systematic murder of the Jews.

The predominant ways of terminating life included gassing whereby the Jew inmates in the camps were packed in gas chambers, and then Carbon Monoxide or Zyklon B was used to suffocate them to death. The Jews were also killed by subjection to strenuous work under severe hunger conditions. The movie is historically correct due to the presence of death camps located beside Bruno’s home. The evidence provided by Bruno’s effort to sneak food to Shmuel and his vivid eyewitness of weak and malnourished Jews paints a picture of the situation during the Jews’ condition in the Nazi Germany.

The movie is also historically accurate because it portrays the element of dictatorship that characterized Adolf Halter’s political regime. The tutor employed to educate Bruno and his sister Gretel demonstrates the dictatorship. The tutor often campaigns for nationalist propaganda, which is a key element in a despotic regime. Gretel gradually develops an overwhelming support for Third Reich, which was the historical period between 1933 and 1945 when Hitler’s dictatorship was evident. Gretel even decides to cover her bedroom with posters encompassing the Nazi propaganda, thus painting a full picture of how the dictatorial government controlled all the aspects of the people’s lifestyles.

The movie also portrays its historical accuracy due to its vivid description of significant instances of anti-Semitism. This term underscores hatred, non-preference, and discrimination against the Jews based on their ethnicity, religious, or racial affiliation (Goldstein 28). During the Holocaust in the World War II, the Nazi regime discriminated the Jews leading to their death. This historical occurrence stands out clearly in the movie given the way Jews are treated. Additionally, the prejudice is evident after the lieutenant terminates the life of the Jew servant illegitimately so that he can demonstrate his allegiance and loyalty to the ruling regime.

Movies have different themes that they ultimately aim to communicate to the viewers. Most information may be historical while other films concentrate on the emerging issues around the globe. The movie, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, gives the audience a clear image of what conspired during the World War II in the Nazi Germany. Some of the themes that have been evident include the Nazi propaganda, the dictatorship under Adolf Hitler, and anti-Semitism. The movie is historically accurateness because its themes and occurrences coincide with those of the Second World War from which it derives its setting.

Goldstein, Phyllis. A Convenient Hatred: The History of Antisemitism , Brookline: Facing History and Ourselves, 2011. Print.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas . Dir. Mark Herman. New York: Miramax Home Entertainment. 2009. Film.

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

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Innocence and Ignorance

Bruno , the main character of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , is a nine-year-old boy who is the son of a German Commandant ( Father ) during World War II. Father has been rising in the ranks of the Nazi army, and Bruno has lived a sheltered life in Berlin with his Mother , sister Gretel , maid Maria , and butler Lars . The story, which is a fictional “fable” of the…

Bruno ’s world in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is filled with places he is not allowed to go, and the reasons for these boundaries are rarely explained to him. He is never allowed into his Father ’s office, “with no exceptions,” and he and his sister Gretel are often shooed away from dinner parties and important conversations behind closed doors. Bruno, as a nine-year-old boy, loves nothing more than to explore, and this…

Family and Friendship

Family and friendship are both important themes for Bruno , as he struggles to determine what role he plays in his household, and how to approach his friendship with Shmuel . Bruno has not been indoctrinated with a hatred for Jews, despite the fact that his father is high-ranking Nazi officer, but his parents do stress that he is not allowed to go near the fence , and his father refers to the people in…

Nationalism

During World War II, the Nazi Party, which gained control of Germany, operated on the idea that ethnic Germans were superior to the rest of the world, particularly the Jewish population in Europe at the time. Nazi rhetoric and propaganda operated heavily on the idea of the “other”—emphasizing an “us vs. them” division, and demonizing and dehumanizing “them.” In practice this meant attempting to prove, using pseudoscience, the Bible, nationalism, and scare tactics, that Jews…

Gender Roles

The perpetuation of traditional gender roles is present throughout the novel, and contributes to much of the misinformation and miscommunication between the characters. Father is the definitive patriarch of the family, and he is in charge of what the entire family does and where they go. Bruno aspires to be as big and strong as his father, but also feels conflicted in his relationship with his father because of how he appears to treat Mother …

Though most of the characters in the novel are not explicit members or supporters of the Nazi party, many of them end up complying with the regime’s ideals and goals out of a sense of duty, fear, or apathy. Mother, though she is not thrilled with Father’s new job as a director of the concentration camp Auschwitz, does not actively fight his decision to move the family. This seems to stem from a sense of…

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The Boy in The Striped Pajamas: Movie Review and Critique

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Table of contents

The boy in the striped pajamas: summary and analysis, the boy in the striped pajamas: movie review (essay), works cited.

• Boyne, J. (2006). The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Random House.
• Crowe, D. (2008). The Holocaust in the eyes of children. The English Journal, 97(4), 25-31.
• Edelman, L. (1995). The Ghetto Fights. Holocaust Library.
• Finkelstein, N. G. (2003). The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering. Verso Books.
• Gilroy, A. (2011). Ethnic and racial studies. Between camps: Race and culture in postmodernity, 34(3), 458-469.
• Gleeson-White, J. (2011). Double vision: The Holocaust and representation. Australian Humanities Review, (50), 89-102.
• Roth, J. K. (2006). Teaching about the Holocaust: essays by college and university teachers. University Press of America.
• Snyder, T. (2015). Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning. Crown/Archetype.
• Wistrich, R. S. (2003). Holocaust and genocide studies. The long road back: Jewish intellectual refugees in post-war Europe, 17(2), 180-199.
• Zuckerman, M. (1999). A dream undone: The integration of soldiers in World War II. University of California Press.

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The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas Analysis Essay

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas Themes

Boyne’s novel uses these techniques to create these ideas, giving us an insight into the experiences of the Jewish people during Nazi Germany. John Boyne explores the theme of prejudice and discrimination in his novel through his use of narrative voice, dramatic irony and juxtaposition. In Boyne’s novel, Shmuel is discriminated and is sent to a concentration camp, while Bruno enjoys the luxuries of upper class Nazi Germany, even though they are of the same age. Shmuel was discriminated as he was Jewish, while Bruno enjoyed luxuries as he was the child of a high-ranking Aryan officer.

Set during World War II, the story follows the journey of Bruno, a young German boy who ventures out from behind the safety of his family’s fence to explore the strange and unfamiliar world beyond. The novel explores themes of innocence, friendship, and human cruelty in the face of war and atrocity. Written with literary sensitivity and emotional depth, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is considered a modern classic that continues to resonate with readers both young and old.

Narrative Techniques In The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

The novel uses several narrative techniques to tell its story. One of these is foreshadowing, which is when the author hint at events that will happen later in the story. For example, early in the book, Bruno’s father tells him that he will be moving to a new house far away from Berlin. The events that unfold in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas are quite tragic, and many readers believe that these tragic events may have been foreshadowed early on in the book.

Another narrative technique used in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is symbolism. The main symbol of the novel is the striped pyjamas worn by Shmuel, which represent the concentration camp where he lives. The imagery of these pyjamas serves as a haunting reminder of the horrors that took place at Auschwitz during World War II.

Dramatic Irony In The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, by John Boyne, is a novel that uses dramatic irony to great effect. The story is set during World War II, and follows the friendship between two boys, one of whom is Jewish and the other German.

The Jewish boy, Bruno, is sent to live in a concentration camp with his family after his father is promoted in the Nazi party. There, he meets a boy named Shmuel, who is wearing striped pyjamas. The two become friends, despite the fact that they are supposed to be enemies.

The irony of the situation is that Bruno does not realize that Shmuel is a prisoner in the camp. He thinks that Shmuel is just another boy playing in the “farm” that his family has moved to, and does not understand why he cannot leave the camp or go near the fence. Through Bruno’s naïve perspective, readers are able to see the true horrors of war through a child’s eyes.

Overall, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a powerful novel that uses dramatic irony to explore one of the worst tragedies of modern history. It is a must-read for anyone interested in this dark period of history, as well as those looking for an engaging read with powerful themes and messages.

Boyne uses third person limited narrative to show us the perspective of the characters on the world around him. For example, in Boyne’s novel, when Shmuel sees Bruno in the pyjamas, he thought that “It was almost as if they were exactly the same really”. This quote strengthens the idea that the Jewish minority at the time of Nazi Germany were discriminated against. This narrative voice in turn creates dramatic irony, to show us the perspectives and beliefs of a young innocent child in a much more sinister reality. By using dramatic irony, he emphasises how pointless the discrimination against the Jewish people were.

Bruno is originally jealous of Shmuel, as he believed that “You get to have dozens of friends and are probably playing for hours every day” This quote supports the idea that dramatic irony is used in Bruno’s perspective, as he believes that Shmuel plays in the camp everyday. However, this use of dramatic irony gives a darker sense to the reader, of the actual reality of the camp. The author uses juxtaposition in his novel, to show how little difference there was between the Jewish and Aryan race, and how meaningless the discrimination against the Jewish people were.

Boyne uses juxtaposition in this thought provoking statement. “What exactly was the difference? And who decided which people wore the striped pyjamas and which people wore the uniforms? ” This excellent quote explores the ideas of prejudice and discrimination, and manages to leave the reader pondering about the cause for the Anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany. The way Boyne wrote this novel shows the reader clearly the author’s position on the discrimination and prejudice the Jewish people faced in Nazi Germany. John Boyne explores the theme of the power of friendship in this novel through narrative voice, setting and symbolism.

In BITSP, Bruno and Shmuel, two unlikely people from different ends of the social structure of Nazi Germany become the best of friends. They manage to become best friends, even though one of them is in a concentration camp surrounded by barbed wire. By using third person limited narrative, the author is able to elaborate and emphasise more on the power of friendship. This also makes the friendship seem more realistic and believable. Near the end of the book, Bruno says to Shmuel “You’re my best friend, Shmuel.

My best friend for life. This quote strengthens the idea that friendship is unbreakable, and gives us insight into Bruno’s friendship with Shmuel. Boyne uses certain settings to reinforce the power of friendship. In the excerpt, there is a certain sentence that gives the reader a sense of the power of their friendship. In the excerpt, it says that “A dot in the distance became a speck and that became a blob and that became a figure” This quote depicts the idea that the setting where they meet daily is far away, and that the boys travel long distances just to meet each other.

Boyne employs author voice to suggest his view of the war through other characters and narration. Bruno’s grandmother, a constant source of rationality throughout the book, has a voice that may be heard in her comments about the conflict. Grandma attacks the war and Adolf Hitler’s role in it from the outset, which allows Boyne to present his own ideas on the subject. Colonel Commandant Kotler’s statement denouncing anything that does not support Nazi ideology is also an expression of opinion by Boyne.

Through his interactions with the other prisoners, including Bruno’s enigmatic grandmother, readers slowly begin to see the horrifying realities of war and the devastating effects it has on those caught up in its wake. Ultimately, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a haunting tale that serves as both a heartbreaking reminder of humanity’s capacity for darkness and an ultimately hopeful testament to our enduring capacity for good.

The novel tells the story of Bruno, a nine-year-old boy who is sent to live with his grandmother after his father is appointed as the Commandant of Auschwitz.

Bruno befriends a boy named Shmuel, who lives on the other side of the fence that surrounds the concentration camp. One day, Bruno decides to sneak into the camp to see what life is like for Shmuel. However, he does not realize the true nature of the camp until it is too late.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a powerful story about friendship, innocence, and the horrors of war. John Boyne uses his grandmother’s experiences during the Holocaust to bring the events of the past to life for readers. The novel is a moving tale that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.

In the book, the fence dividing the Jewish people and the Aryan people symbolises the imaginary rift that the Nazi Party had created. When “Shmuel reached down and lifted the base of the fence” it symbolised the two boys breaking the imaginary rift, with the power of friendship. This quote supports the idea that the power of friendship is more powerful than anything else. In the end of the book, Bruno and Shmuel die in the gas chamber holding hands, showing that nothing can break the power of friendship. John Boyne explores the theme of innocence in his novel through narrative voice, dramatic irony and juxtaposition.

A famous quote by Thomas Grey is ‘ignorance is bliss’. For Bruno and Shmuel, ignorance would have been bliss, as they had been thrown into a dark and sinister time and place unwillingly. For most of the book, Bruno and Shmuel had innocent theories about their experiences. However, towards the end of the book, they started having more sinister theories about Auschwitz. By using a third person limited narrative voice, the author is able to emphasise the innocence of the young children. Boyne uses this narrative voice to suggest the boys’ innocence.

For example, in the book, Bruno states, “I don’t understand why we’re not allowed on the other side of the fence. What’s so wrong with us that we can’t go there and play? ” This quote suggests that Bruno is innocent, and does not know the true purpose of the camp. He also believed that the fence was preventing them from going to the other side, and not vice-versa. Dramatic irony is used all throughout the book, to show us the truth through an innocent young boy’s mind.

When Bruno gets injured, he asks Pavel “If you’re a doctor, then why are you waiting on tables? This quote strengthens the idea that Bruno has an innocent mind. Bruno cannot comprehend why a doctor would become a waiter, but the actual reason is clear to the reader. Pavel could not practise as a doctor, as he was Jewish. The author uses juxtaposition to emphasise the innocence of the boys’ minds. When Shmuel and Bruno meet for the first time, they find out that they have the exact same birth date, when Bruno says, “My birthday is April the fifteenth too. ” This quote highlights the idea that Bruno and Shmuel are not very different.

They live on the opposite ends of the Nazi Germany society, yet they do not understand why. It is evident that Bruno and Shmuel do not understand the differences. They have an innocent mind, and do not believe that race is the cause for this segregation. Boyne has placed two innocent children in a much more sinister reality. As has been explored, John Boyne uses narrative voice and other literary devices to convey the ideas around prejudice and discrimination, friendship and innocence in his novel “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”.

He conveys these ideas through techniques such narrative voice, dramatic irony, juxtaposition, setting and symbolism. In the end of the book, the author states that “Of course this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age” Boyne refers to the current conflicts and issues currently happening, and implies that these events are still being mirrored. Boyne has written an extremely intricate and though provoking novel.

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

By john boyne.

• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Summary

Bruno , a young boy living in Berlin during the Nazi regime, arrives home from school one day to find his family's maid, Maria , packing up his things. When he asks his mother what is going on, she explains that Bruno's father's job is the reason they are all leaving their home in Berlin; someone Bruno knows only as "the Fury" has plans for his father's career. Chapter Two begins with a comparison of Bruno's old home in Berlin to his new living situation. In contrast to his family's big, beautiful home in Berlin, "there was something about the new house that made Bruno think that no one ever laughed there; that there was nothing to laugh at and nothing to be happy about" (13).

Chapter Three introduces Gretel , Bruno's older sister by three years, whom he refers to as "Trouble From Day One" (21). Bruno runs into Gretel's room and discovers her arranging her dolls around her room. She agrees with Bruno that their new living situation is horrible and tells him that the place is called "Out-With." Bruno shows Gretel the scene from his bedroom window: There are boys, men, and elderly men living together on the opposite side of a fence that extends farther than they can see into the distance. After Gretel returns to her room, Bruno continues to watch the people out his bedroom window and notices that they're all wearing the same thing: "a pair of grey striped pajamas with a grey striped cap on their heads" (38).

Bruno decides to speak to Father , who arrived at Out-With a few days earlier. When Bruno asks when they can return to Berlin, Father tells him to give Out-With a chance, because it is their home now, "for the foreseeable future" (48). Before he leaves, Bruno asks Father who the people are outside his window. Father answers, "Those people... well, they're not people at all, Bruno... at least not as we understand the term" (53). A few days later, Bruno engages Maria in conversation, hoping she will agree with him that Out-With is a horrible place, but she avoids saying anything negative. She hints that she cannot understand how such a good man could be doing Father's job at Out-With.

Several weeks go by and Bruno is bored at Out-With, so he builds a rope swing and a couple of hours later, falls off of it. He injures himself, scraping up his knee pretty badly. Pavel , one of the prisoners at Out-With who works in the family's home as a waiter, sees the whole thing and runs out to help Bruno. Since Mother is still not home, Pavel cleans Bruno's wounds in the kitchen and tells Bruno that he used to be a doctor. When Mother arrives home, she tells Bruno to go to his room and he overhears her saying to Pavel, "If the Commandant Asks, we'll say that I cleaned Bruno up" (85).

More than anyone else from Berlin, Bruno misses his Grandfather and Grandmother . His Grandfather had run a restaurant in the town center, and his Grandmother had been a famous singer. The last time he saw them in Berlin, Grandmother had become outraged at Father's new promotion. She had stormed out of their house, and Bruno hadn't seen her since. He decides to write her a letter from Out-With, telling her how unhappy he is in their new home and how much he misses her.

Father decides to hire a man named Herr Liszt as a tutor for Gretel and Bruno. Herr Liszt focuses on history and geography, neither of which is very interesting to Bruno, but the tutor insists that he learn about "The Fatherland" (98). A few days later, Bruno gets the urge to go exploring and decides to walk along the fence as far as he can, although Mother and Father have told him many times that exploration is banned at Out-With. Right when he starts feeling hungry and begins to think about turning back, he sees a little boy on the other side of the fence, wearing the striped pajamas that all people on the other side of the fence wear. Bruno is "sure that he had never seen a skinnier or sadder boy in his life" (107). Bruno strikes up a conversation with the boy, whose name is Shmuel , sitting down on his own side of the fence so he can talk through it. Shmuel is from Poland and Bruno tells him that, "Germany is the greatest of all countries... We're superior" (112), but even as he says this, he realizes that his words sound rude.

Chapter Eleven takes the form of a flashback to a few months earlier, when Bruno's family still lived in Berlin. One night, the Fury had come to their home for dinner with a kind woman named Eva . After the Fury and Eva had left, Bruno had overheard his parents' conversation about leaving Berlin. Days later, he had arrived home from school to find Maria packing his belongings.

Chapter Twelve returns to Bruno and Shmuel's conversation from opposite sides of the fence. Shmuel explains how he came to live at Out-With. His family was told they had to move to a different part of Cracow, on the wrong side of a wall that soldiers built, all cramped in one room with another family. One day soldiers arrived and packed him and everyone living nearby into huge trucks, and later into a train with no doors. Shmuel tells Bruno that there are hundreds of other boys on his side of the fence, and Bruno reiterates his feeling that it is unfair for him to have no one to play with on his side. Weeks pass and Bruno visits with his new friend Shmuel regularly.

One evening, Lieutenant Kotler joins Bruno's family for dinner. Lieutenant Kotler mentions that his father was a professor of literature at the university, but that he had left Germany for Switzerland in 1938. This information embarrasses Lieutenant Kotler and disturbs Father, who comments with suspicion that it is "[strange] that he chose not to stay in the Fatherland" (146). Pavel uncorks a new bottle of wine and accidentally spills it on Lieutenant Kotler because his hands are shaking. Lieutenant Kotler reacts very angrily and violently, although the details of his actions against Pavel are not revealed. Bruno goes to bed extremely upset about what happened to Pavel.

One rainy day, Bruno accidentally mentions Shmuel to Gretel but quickly covers it up, explaining that Shmuel is the name of his imaginary friend. The rain continues on and off for the next few weeks, during which Bruno is unable to meet with Shmuel as often as he would like. Mother is planning a birthday party for Father and Lieutenant Kotler is spending a lot of time at the house with her; they are having an affair. On the day before the party, Bruno finds Shmuel in the kitchen; Lieutenant Kotler has brought him there because his hands are small enough to polish the glasses for Father's birthday party. Bruno begins to help himself to some cold chicken and stuffing that's in the refrigerator and when he sees Shmuel looking at the food, he offers his friend some. Lieutenant Kotler returns and accuses Shmuel of stealing food to eat. When Shmuel tells him that Bruno gave it to him and that Bruno is his friend, but Bruno is frightened and denies it. Bruno leaves the kitchen feeling incredibly guilty about having betrayed his friend. For almost a week, Shmuel does not come back to meet him at the fence and when he finally returns, his face is covered in bruises. Bruno apologizes for letting him down and says he's ashamed of himself. Shmuel smiles and forgives him, lifting up the fence so that they can shake hands beneath it.

The family receives news that Grandmother has died, so they return to their old home in Berlin for two days to attend the funeral. The two days are so sad that Bruno is almost relieved to return to Out-With. Lieutenant Kotler has been suddenly transferred away from Out-With, coinciding with a huge fight between Mother and Father. Bruno decides to ask Gretel about why he and Shmuel have to live on opposite sides of the fence. She explains that the people on the other side of the fence are Jews and that the fence is there to keep them from getting out and mixing with anyone else. When Bruno asks her what he and their family are, if not Jews, she says simply that they're "the opposite" (183). While they are talking, it is revealed that Gretel and Bruno both have lice. They treat their hair with a special shampoo, but then Father goes a step further and insists that Bruno have all his hair shaved off; Bruno notices that this makes him look even more like Shmuel. A few weeks later, Father calls Gretel and Bruno into his office and tells them that the Fury will not relieve him of his command, but that Mother wants to go back to Berlin immediately. Preparations begin so that Mother, Gretel, and Bruno can return to Berlin that week, but Bruno is nervous about telling Shmuel the news.

Bruno tells Shmuel that he is returning to Berlin. Shmuel is saddened by this news, and suggests that he come over to the other side of the fence. They decide that the next day, Shmuel will bring him a pair of striped pajamas, and he will sneak over to the other side of the fence to help Shmuel search for his father. The next day is rainy and muddy, but Bruno goes to meet Shmuel, who has brought with him a pair of dirty-looking striped pajamas. He hands the pajamas under the fence to Bruno, who carefully changes into them, leaving his own clothes in a pile in the mud. Shmuel lifts the fence and Bruno shimmies underneath it, becoming quite muddy in the process. In contrast to what Bruno had envisioned, the people on the other side of the fence are just standing or sitting, "looking horribly sad" (207). They are all too skinny and have shaved heads, which Bruno takes to indicate they have had lice here, too. The boys spend an hour and a half searching for evidence of where Shmuel's father could have gone. They don't find anything, which is what Shmuel had expected, and Bruno says again that he ought to go home. Just then, the soldiers round up the people around Bruno and Shmuel. Shmuel reassures Bruno that "it happens sometimes... They make people go on marches" (210). Just as Bruno is beginning to lose patience and deciding that he really must go home because he is too cold, the group is marched into a warm, airtight room. Bruno apologizes to Shmuel that they weren't able to find his father and tells him that he is his "best friend for life" (213). At that moment, the people in the room with them all gasp as the door is slammed shut and locked. The room becomes dark and chaotic, but Bruno and Shmuel continue to hold hands.

The soldiers search for Bruno for days before the pile of his clothes and boots is discovered by the fence. Father goes to see them but cannot figure out what happened to his son. Mother and Gretel stay at Out-With for a few months waiting for news of Bruno. One day, Mother has the sudden notion that he might have returned to their home in Berlin, so she rushes back with Gretel but doesn't find Bruno there. Over the next year, Father becomes very disliked by all the soldiers at Out-With. The finally, he returns to the place where his son's clothes had been found and notices the opening in the fence. He realizes what must have happened, and a few months later he is discharged from his post at Out-With and taken away by soldiers.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What are some examples of figurative language used in The Boy In The Striped Pajamas?

In "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne, figurative language is used extensively to convey themes, emotions, and the perspectives of the characters, particularly that of the young protagonist, Bruno. Here are some examples:

How does Bruno feel when he looks at Pavel?

This depends in what part of the book you are referring to. Do you have a chapter for this?

How does Bruno feel about his sister?

Bruno sees his sister as a hopeless case..... not someone he would choose to play with. Gretel is, of course, older and unlikely to be interested in the same things as Bruno.

' I don't see what else there is to do other than that,' said Bruno...

Study Guide for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas study guide contains a biography of John Boyne, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
• Character List

Essays for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne.

• Trying Themes of 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas'
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas as a Genuine Fable

Lesson Plan for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

• Introduction
• Genre and style