The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
**Overview of "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne**
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is a poignant novel set during World War II that explores themes of innocence, friendship, and the harsh realities of the Holocaust through the eyes of a young boy. The story centers on Bruno, a nine-year-old son of a high-ranking Nazi officer, who is uprooted from his home in Berlin and relocated to a house near the Auschwitz concentration camp. Unaware of the camp's true nature, Bruno mistakenly refers to it as "Out-With" and struggles with loneliness and boredom in his new environment.
His life changes when he meets Shmuel, a Jewish boy imprisoned within the camp, through a fence that separates their worlds. They quickly form a secret friendship, sharing stories and dreams, despite the dangerous circumstances surrounding them. As their bond deepens, Bruno's innocent curiosity leads him to cross the boundaries of his sheltered upbringing, culminating in a tragic series of events that reveal the devastating consequences of prejudice and hatred. The novel serves as a powerful reminder of the innocence lost amid the horrors of war and invites readers to reflect on humanity's moral obligations.
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Subject Terms
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
- Born: April 30, 1971
- Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
First published: 2006
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Historical
Time of plot: 1943–44
Locale: Berlin, Germany; Auschwitz, Poland
Principal Characters
Bruno, a nine-year-old German boy
Father, his father, a high-ranking Nazi soldier, the commandant of Auschwitz
Mother, his mother, a homemakerGretel, his twelve-year-old sister
Shmuel, his friend, a nine-year-old Jewish prisoner at Auschwitz
Herr Liszt, his and Gretel’s tutor
Lieutenant Kurt Kotler, a young German soldier stationed at Auschwitz
The Fury, the Führer, Adolf Hitler
Maria, the family maid
Pavel, a camp inmate, a former doctor who becomes a family servant
The Story
Bruno returns from school one day to discover his parents planning to leave their comfortable home in Berlin. Bruno’s father, a high-ranking German officer during World War II, has recently hosted Adolf Hitler, the Führer, and has been given a new assignment. Bruno is very distraught about leaving his home and friends, but he is unable to dissuade his parents from the plan.
The family’s new house—plain and unappealing—shocks Bruno. It stands just outside a huge fenced-in area. Bruno mishears the name of the family’s new home, Auschwitz, as "Out-With."
Soon after the family arrives, Bruno encounters Lieutenant Kotler, a young, blond, arrogant German officer. He quickly develops a strong dislike for Kotler, who treats Bruno condescendingly. Also condescending is Bruno’s older sister, Gretel. Gretel seems immediately attracted to the handsome young lieutenant and frequently flirts with him.
Although the children can see the concentration camp from a bedroom window, they do not realize what it is. They see people, including other children, far off beyond the fence, and they also see soldiers, but they have no idea who the people are or why they are so filthy. Other than the soldiers, everyone, of every age, is wearing clothing that looks like striped pajamas.
Bruno’s father has been sent to the camp by the Führer to restore discipline following the dismissal of the previous commandant. When Bruno yearns to return to Berlin and his old friends, his father explains that his new job involves important work for Germany. As Bruno persists and asks questions, his father angrily tells him to be quiet and follow orders. He puts it bluntly—their family has nothing in common with the people beyond the fence. Maria, the family maid, later counsels Bruno to obey his father. She reveals kinder, gentler aspects of his father’s character.
The weeks drag on for Bruno in loneliness and boredom. One day he builds a tire swing for himself and has great fun for a while but falls as he swings too high. Pavel, an emaciated Jewish servant in the family home, comes to his aid, explaining that he was once a doctor. Bruno finds Pavel far more appealing and kind than Herr Liszt, a hard-nosed history tutor who disdains works of fiction or anything fanciful.
In his boredom, Bruno decides to defy the strictest household rule and ventures out along the wire fence. He spots a boy and strikes up a conversation through the fence. The boy’s name is Shmuel. The two discover that, remarkably, they are not only the same age but share the same birthday: April 15, 1934. The boys talk and soon become friends.
Bruno now establishes a new daily routine, walking out along the fence at a prearranged time to meet and share stories with his new friend. Because Shmuel seems exceptionally frail and thin, Bruno often brings food for him. He wishes he could play with Shmuel and make other friends beyond the fence and begins to build his days around these meetings. At one point, Bruno mistakenly says something that leads Gretel to suspect he has a new friend—a friend Bruno quickly claims is only imaginary.
Lieutenant Kotler continues to play a prominent role in the household. Bruno notices that while his father is away, his mother and Kotler seem to spend a great deal of time together. Bruno’s mother even calls the young officer Kurt, not realizing that Bruno overhears her. Once, when invited to dinner, the lieutenant grows uncomfortable when grilled by Bruno’s father about why Kotler’s own father suddenly left Germany in 1938. Fortunately for Kotler, Pavel at this moment accidentally drops a bottle of wine, giving Kotler an excuse to angrily beat the servant.
In preparation for the commandant’s birthday party, Kotler brings Shmuel to the house to clean some small glasses. When Kotler overhears Bruno talking to Shmuel, he relentlessly asks Bruno if the boys know each other. Frightened, Bruno denies having ever seen his friend before; he is subsequently ashamed by this denial. When he and Shmuel eventually meet again at the fence, Bruno apologizes and the two shake hands.
After Kotler’s abrupt reassignment and a series of arguments between his parents, Bruno is informed that he, his sister, and his mother will soon return to Berlin. The next time he meets Shmuel, he expresses a wish to play with his friend just once before he leaves for Berlin. The boys discover a weak spot in the fence and devise a plan to enable Bruno to sneak under. Because his head has been recently shaven due to a lice infestation, all he needs is a pair of striped pajamas to blend in with everyone.
At their next meeting, Shmuel brings the pajamas and Bruno dresses in them, thinking of them as a costume. The two boys head off into the camp to search for Shmuel’s missing father. The world inside the fence is not nearly as happy as Bruno had imagined. Surprised, he finds himself swept up among a crowd of pajama-clothed people who are marching. He wants to return home but cannot. Soon he, Shmuel, and the other people are marched into a dark airtight room. The doors of the room suddenly clang shut, and the boys tightly hold hands as chaos ensues.
Despite his family’s desperate searches, nothing more is heard of Bruno. A year later, his father returns to the spot along the fence where the boy’s clothes had been found. As it suddenly occurs to the father what must have happened, he sinks to the ground. A few months later, he is ordered to depart with other German soldiers. He happily complies, no longer caring about his future.
Bibliography
Bayer, Gerd. "World War II Fiction and the Ethics of Trauma." Ethics and Trauma in Contemporary British Fiction. Ed. Susana Onega and Jean-Michel Ganteau. New York: Rodopi, 2011. Print.
Cesarani, David. "Striped Pyjamas." Literary Review. Literary Review, 6 Oct. 2008. Web. 28 July 2014.
Faulkner, Julie, and Gloria Latham. "Disturbing Stories: Literature as Pedagogical Disruption." English in Education 47.2 (2013): 102–17. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=88235580&site=lrc-live>.
Rochman, Hazel. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: A Fable." Rev. of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne. Booklist 102.21 (2006): 48. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=21587542&site=lrc-live>.
Shogren, Martha. "‘Out-With’ Pajamas." School Library Journal 52.12 (2006): 13–15. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 June 2014.
Sutton, Roger. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." Rev. of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne. Horn Book Magazine 82.5 (2006): 575. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 July 2014. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=22034490&site=lrc-live>.