The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
ISBN :978-0385751063
Bibliography:Boyne, J. (2006). THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS: A FABLE. 1st American ed. Oxford ; New York, David Fickling Books.
Plot Summary:
Nine year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution or the Holocaust. He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country.
All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pajamas.Bruno’s friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation. And in exploring what he is unwittingly a part of, he will inevitably become subsumed by the terrible process.
Critical Analysis:
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a classic depiction of man’s inhumane, sometimes animalistic character towards people who do not fit into their description of what a human being is, whether it be for reasons of race, socioeconomic status, etc. In this book, which takes place during WWII, Boyne uses the innocence of a child to illustrate how hate is something that is learned rather than innate. Bruno’s naivete shows that a child’s only preoccupation is with themselves and wants to satisfy their own needs. Their curiosity can sometimes get the better of them, as in the case at the tragic end of the story. John’s use of foreshadowing of doom is also very present when he uses the rainy, muddy fields to set up the horrific march many Jews took to their final destination - the gas chamber. Boyne uses the very real, yet metaphorical fence that separates the prisoners and Bruno’s house to also represent the division between the classes of people and the racist, discriminatory attitude people possess. I feel this book will be appropriate for students in middle school or older as it touches the very sensitive issues of the Holocaust. Younger students will not be emotionally or mentally mature enough to process and understand the complexity of the situation.
Review Excerpt(s):
“In 1943 Bruno, age nine, moved with his family to "Out-With." His father is the Commander of the camp, reporting to a man Bruno calls the "Fury." For both its plot and emotional impact, the novel depends too much on readers' acceptance of Bruno's naivete as well as their belief in a fictional world poised between fable and realism, each of which compromises the other”.-Horn Book
“After Hitler appoints Bruno's father commandant of Auschwitz, Bruno (nine) is unhappy with his new surroundings compared to the luxury of his home in Berlin. The literal-minded Bruno, with amazingly little political and social awareness, never gains comprehension of the prisoners (all in "striped pajamas") or the malignant nature of the death camp. He overcomes loneliness and isolation only when he discovers another boy, Shmuel, on the other side of the camp's fence. For months, the two meet, becoming secret best friends even though they can never play together. Although Bruno's family corrects him, he childishly calls the camp "Out-With" and the Fuhrer "Fury." As a literary device, it could be said to be credibly rooted in Bruno's consistent, guileless characterization, though it's difficult to believe in reality. The tragic story's point of view is unique: the corrosive effect of brutality on Nazi family life as seen through the eyes of a naif. Some will believe that the fable form, in which the illogical may serve the objective of moral instruction, succeeds in Boyle's narrative; others will believe it was the wrong choice. Certain to provoke controversy and difficult to see as a book for children, who could easily miss the painful point.”(Fiction. 12-14)-Kirkus Reviews
Connection:
*Students can examine Bruno's choices and fate symbolically and answer questions about war and ethics.
*Students can do a character analysis on Bruno’s father and mother.
*Students can analyze the geography of the war-torn area and study the strategic points taken by the allies in order to defeat the Nazis.
Other similar books:
THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL By: Anne Frank ISBN: 9780141032009
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