The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne 

 

John Boyne was born in Dublin and still lives there. He is the author of eleven novels for adults and six novels for the young children.  All his novels are published in 50 languages.  His best novel “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2006) was made into a film in the same name.  In 2015 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of letters from the University of East Anglia.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is the winner Irish Book Awards children’s book of the year.  He deleted his Twitter Account due to social media harassment.  Many supported him.  The novel “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” was published in 2006.  The book has sold over seven million copies world over.

 

Summary

It is a novel about Bruno, son of a Nazi officer who become friend with a Jewish boy called Shumel during World War II.  Bruno with his family moves to a country side house near Auschwitz.  His father works there.  Very soon Bruno becomes friendly with a Jewish boy Shmuel through a fence.  He is imprisoned in the concentration camp.  They become very close friends.  One day Shmuel ask Bruno to help him to find his father.  So Bruno dresses as prisoner and enters the concentration camp.  He does not understand the critical situation of the camp.  Unfortunately both the boys are killed in the gas chambers as per the instruction of the authorities to release the gas to kill all the prisoners in the concentration camp.

 Study Plan:

Author’s introduction

Summary

Character study

Main incidents

Literary devices:

Metaphor

Simile

Symbols

Imagery

Themes

Structure

Personification

Key facts

Settings

 Important quotes

Analysis

Conclusion

 

Character Analysis

Bruno

• Protagonist of the novel, nine year old German boy.
• Moves to Poland duet to his father’s work in Auschwitz
• He loves adventures.
• Obedient to his parent’s strict rule
• He feels very sad to go away from his friends.
• He is not happy with his new place
• 
  He wonders at the massive fence and the number of soldiers.
• He could not understand why many are wearing striped pajamas
• Bruno is innocent to understand the political and historical situation of the place.
  
• Bruno lacks knowledge about Germans, Jews and their differences
• Bruno becomes friend with a Jewish boy Shmuel the Jewish boy from concentration camp.
• From Bruno readers could understand the situation between Jews and Germans.
• Shmuel asks Bruno to find his father.
• Bruno dresses in striped pajamas searches Shmuel’s father and enters into the concentration camp.
• There unfortunately both the boys die in the Nazi gas chamber
• Open minded and self-centered person.
• He sees a different world through Shmuel.

 

Shmuel

• Jewish boy in the striped pajamas
• Nine years old, arrested by the German troops and imprisoned at out with (Auschwitz) camp.
• Shmuel meets Bruno near the huge fence which separates the Jewish from the others.
• 
  They become friends soon
• They meet every day and develop their friendship
• Shmuel fights with hunger and struggles with fear and depression
  
• As a small boy he could not understand the political situation
• He feels comfortable with Bruno
• After the disappearance of his father and grandfather his friendship with Bruno becomes stronger.
• But at the end Shmuel is killed by the Nazi along with his best friend Bruno in the gas chamber.

 

Father

• He is Bruno’s father in the novel
• Commanding officer of Nazi party
• He fought in German Army during World War II
• 
  Before the beginning of the novel he has been promoted to the rank of commandant by Adolf Hitler.
• His total commitment to his work created misunderstanding in the family.
  
• Bruno’s mother argues with Father about the dangerous situation and depression of his job.
• Even the Grandmother expresses her disgust over his commitment
• Among all the criticism Bruno’s Father remains faithful to his job and to the Nazi Party
• But he is paid for his sincerity by the Gas chamber.

 

 Mother

• Elizabeth (Elsa) She is the mother of Bruno
• Wife of the sincere commander of the Nazi Party
• Her husband spend much of his time in his work.
• She is a caring and kind mother of two children.
• 
  She takes care of the entire house work and manages the whole situation with care.
  
• But she dislike her husband’s commitment to his job.
• She speaks openly with her husband about home affairs but never speak out directly about his work and his involvement in the Nazi Party.
• She undergoes depression as she could not adjust the situation of the family as her husband doesn’t show any concern over the family.
• Her loneliness leads her to have affair with a young officer Lieutenant Kotler
• Her personal illegal affair and the loss of Bruno are the results of the destructive nature of the father in the name of total commitment.

 Gretel

•  Bruno’s older sister
• 
  12 years old
• She gets infatuated with Lieutenant Kotler.
• Very intelligent pretty girl
• She loves dolls and always plays with them
• She keeps track with the war with the map and German History
  
• But at the end she is grief stricken at Bruno’s death.

 

Lieutenant Kurt Kotler

• He is a young handsome soldier
• Very serious and threatening.
• 
  He takes control of the work during the absence of Bruno’s Father.
• But he is quite displeased to face the questions regarding his own father, may be his father would have been an enemy of Hitler.
• After certain enquires Kotler is not at Out-With.
  
• He attracts Bruno’s Mother and Sister.

Maria

• She is the maid who moves with Bruno’s family to Out-With.
• Bruno’s father gave her the job when she was helpless.

Lars

• Butler of Bruno’s family in Berlin

 The Fury

• Bruno hear the name as Furor
• He is the boss who appoints his father to the commander rank in Auschwitz
• Furor visits to Bruno’s family for dinner in Berlin. 
• He looks far shorter than Bruno’s father.
• Dark hair cut short with tiny moustache.
• Bruno finds him too rude.

 

Karl, Daniel and Martin

• 
  Bruno’s school friends.

 

Pavel

• He cooks meals for Bruno’s family in Auschwitz
• Old man
• Former doctor
• Now a prisoner
• Quite a small man, very skinny too

 

Hilda, Isobel and Louise

• Gretel’s School friends in Berlin

 Herr Roller

• Bruno thinks he is mad. 
• He lives in the same street in Berlin.
• He had a head injury in Great War.
• Loves dancing.

 

Herr Liszt

 

• The tutor for Gretel and Bruno to teach German history and geography.
• He tries to influence the children with the ideas of Nazi Party.

 

Grandfather

• Bruno’s father’s father.
• Runs a restaurant in Berlin
• He is a great support for the father’s new position.

  Grandmother

 

• Bruno's father's mother
• She is 62 years with long red hair and green eyes.
• Retired singer
• She loves plays and performs with Gretel and Bruno during parties.
• Displeased to know about Bruno’s father’s new promotion
• She expresses her displeasure during a Christmas party.

 Luka

• The boy who shared a room with Shmuel’s family
• He is bullied Shmuel physically

  Josef

• Shmuel's brother.

 Eva

• The woman who accompanies the Fury to dinner at Bruno's family in Berlin.
• Most beautiful woman Bruno had ever seen in his life.
• She has blond hair and red lips.
• Hitler’s longtime companion.
•  

Literary Analysis

 

Themes

 

Power

 

The entire story goes around authority over the characters. Obedience to their authorities moves the characters in each incidents.  Bruno’s father is a powerful commander and his authorities has no limits even at home.  There is a blind obedience to his powerful position.  Secrecy is another important theme.  Bruno’s father’s position is known to all but this is kept secret and not discussed openly.  Even Bruno’s

father must bow to his higher authorities.  For example when Fury visits his home, he takes the position of the head of the dining table and everyone has to accept his action without a word.

 

Same power has been established among all the officers.  When Bruno’s father questions Lieutenant Kotler about his father’s departure from German, he becomes uncomfortable.  May be Kotler’s father is displeased about Hitler and Nazi Party.  Kotler knows the cruel treatment for those disapprove Nazi Party, even the prisoners are ill-treated.  Kotler once beats Pavel without mercy for spilling wine. So Kotler is removed from his post without any reason.  The same power kills two innocent boys in the gas chambers

 

 

Friendship

 

Bruno leaves his best friends in Berlin and comes to Auschwitz with his family.  But soon he forgets his Berlin friends and accepts the reality of life as the childhood friendship are not based on understanding.  He dislikes the new place but soon he finds a new life over the massive fence. He meets Shmuel a nine year old boy. They become friends soon.  They develop their friendship every day.  Even he feels guilty when he denies his friendship to Lieutenant Kotler. Bruno confesses his guilt to Shmuel and he forgives Bruno as their friendship is very transparent.  It is this genuine friendship make them embrace death.  They hold hands and Bruno says, “You are my best friend… my best friend for life” then
surrendering themselves to death.

  Separation

 Each character in this novel experience separation.  Bruno moves to Berlin leaving his friends and misses them so much.  He feels lonely and could not adjust the new environment. Auschwitz is like a prison to him until he meets Shmuel.  Shmuel too is separated from his family by force and he suffers with fear and danger.

 Bruno’s father sees no difference between Berlin and Auschwitz as he is always away from his family literally.  “Out of Bounds at All Times and No Exceptions.”  His separation is boy physical and psychological.  He doesn’t show any feelings to his family as he always lives with his work. Bruno’s separation from his father is always there.  Bruno finds his soul friend and still he feels the separation by the massive wire fence.  He could not understand the meaning of the wire fence.  But his separation comes to an end when he crosses the fence and hold Shmuel’s hands in the gas chamber.

  

Symbols

The Fence

 

The most important symbol in the story which brings out the separation of prisoners in the Out-With camp with the world.  It’s a massive wire fence.  It stretches very long.  Bruno always looks this fence from his bed room. The author brings out the separation between humans and nonhumans.  At certain point this fence becomes a barrier to Bruno to meet his best friend Shmuel.  But he breaches and by crossing the fence he understands a different world where the people are living a fearful life.

  

The office Door

 Bruno’s father’s office Door is another barrier in Berlin and at Out-With.  Its represents as a shield between the father and his family.  He is too sincere to his duties and responsibilities.  Bruno has visited his father’s officer few times. Even from his father’s office Bruno could see the prison behind the wire fence.  Father’s approach to the family keeps both apart. The separation comes to an end with Bruno’s death.

  The bedroom window

 

The bedroom window of Bruno serves as way of calling him for adventure.  Only the father could see the activities of the prison from his room window as all the camp activities are hidden.

But the view tempts Bruno he decides to explore the unknown world, even though no one is allowed to visit to such restricted area.

 

Clothing

The clothes of some of the characters symbolizes power, separation and friendship.  Military attire of Bruno’s father and Lieutenant Kotler symbolizes power and authority and oppression.  Also the attire shows their brutal nature and the way they ill-treat the prisoners.

The striped pajamas are the filthy prison uniforms.  All the prisoners are forced to wear these uniforms to show the separation from the world.  This uniform of the Jewish Shmuel creates a bond between Bruno and Shmuel.  The same uniform bring the hero Bruno into the camp and kills him and Shmuel.

Motifs

Doubles

There is a motif of opposition in the story.  The house in Berlin stands for wealth.  But the house in Auschwitz is opposite to it.  It’s a destructive Nazi mission.  It destroys the happiness of the family and leads to the death of an innocent child.  The meeting between Bruno and Shmuel brings out that they share the same birthday.  They are from different family backgrounds. Now standing opposite to each other.  When he tries to help Shmuel his head is shaven.  He looks like Shmuel.  When he comes with the striped pajamas.  He becomes one with Shmuel.  The wire fence separates them but the death unites them forever

Adventure 

 Bruno loves adventure stories.  As a nine year old child he is active with his imagination. He enjoys reading adventure novels like Treasure Island.  It gives a great entertainment to Bruno. When he feels lonely at Auschwitz he tries to enter the real world adventures.  He suspends a tire swing from an oak tree.  His curiosity leads him to explore the world behind the massive wire fence. He meets Shmuel a strange nine year old boy. They share friendship and love.  It is a new world to Bruno and he love to explore more and agrees to help Shmuel to find his father. He with the same striped pajamas and enters the camp to search the missing father.  But unfortunately Bruno’s adventure comes an end with his death.

Key facts

Title The boy in the striped Pajamas – A Novel

Author - John Boyne

Type of work – Novel

Genre – Historical fiction

Language – English

Publication – January 5^th 2006

Place – Dublin

Publisher – David Fickling Books.

View – the view of the hero Bruno differs as he could not understand the adult world and political world.

Tone – fable like tone.  Bruno seeks adventure but soon he learns the world around him.

Setting - Berlin, Germany and the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi occupied Poland.

Major Conflict – Bruno’s family moves to Poland. Far away from friends and relatives. He tries to seek adventure to kill his loneliness.  He is confused to see the people in striped pajamas. he is so curious to know the world behind the wire fence.

Rising Action – Bruno learns to adjust the new atmosphere.  He learns more about Auschwitz camp as his father is the commander.  Soon he hates the cruelties and merciless behaviour of the German soldiers like Kotler.  He feel sympathy for his housekeeper Maria and the chef Pavel. The most important turning point is he becomes friendly with a Jewish prisoner Shmuel a nine year old boy. They share love and friendship.  They both decide to search Shmuel’s missing father which gives the readers a fear.

Climax - One day Bruno disguises himself as a prisoner wearing the striped pajamas and enters the camp to search his friend’s missing father.   But they could not find and soon they are forced to go into a gas chamber along with other prisoners.

Falling Action – Bruno didn’t return home and his parents search.  Mother and Gretel depart for Berlin in depression.  Father lives at Out-With.  He discovers the sad truth that his son Bruno died in the gas chamber.  He is overcome by grief and soon removed from his job.

 Foreshadowing – crowded train foreshadows the crowded prisoners. Kotler’s father’s disappearance foreshadows Kotler’s sudden removal from Out-With Camp.  Birthdays of the kids foreshadow their fate in gas chamber.

 Literary Devices

 Metaphor - compares two things without using like or as

Ex: Bruno is standing in front of the new house he uses the metaphor "Everything felt cool as if she was in the middle of nowhere."

 Simile - compares two things using like or as

Ex: door slamming came from downstairs and reverberated through the house loudly—like a gunshot—that Bruno jumped and Maria let out a small scream. -He felt as if he was about to cry again but stopped himself, not wanting to look like a baby in front of Maria.
As the Nazi soldiers left they stood in a row together like toy soldiers

Personification -   human characteristics to a nonliving thing.

when Bruno describes Lieutenant Kotler's hair on a Saturday: "his hair flopped down over his forehead in exhaustion." Bruno gives Kotler's hair the human-like characteristic of feeling exhaustion and of flopping down in response to it.

 Dramatic irony - device used more when one character is ignorant of something that the other characters and the reader understand. 

Ex: Bruno demonstrates that he doesn't understand Shmuel's situation when he says, "It's so unfair...I don't see why I have to be stuck over here on this side of the fence where there's no one to talk to and no one to play with and you get to have dozens of friends and are probably playing for hours every day" (111).

 Genocide, war, friendship, ignorance vs. innocence, complacency

 Mood- Emotions that you feel while you are reading

 Hyperbole - Exaggeration

-they had no time to stop, not today, not when they had a hundred and one things to do.
-I might bleed to death.

Conclusion

Thus “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” is a Thoughtful novel which brings out the Brutal political situation. 

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