“The boy in the striped pyjamas” by John Boyne is a book about a nine year old boy called Bruno who is growing up in Berlin during World War II. He lives a very comfortable life in a large house with his parents and his sister, not forgetting the maid and the cook. But this all changes very soon when his father who is a very high-ranking soldier is promoted to “Commandant” and to Bruno’s sadness the family have to move to a place which Bruno refers to as out-with. Bruno immediately becomes very homesick for many reasons. He misses his grandparents, his house, his three best friends for life and of course his adventures. Bruno is a very curious boy and while looking out of his window one day he noticed that there were other people, lots of people. It isn’t long before Bruno decides to ask his father about these people but his father tells him that they are not people at all. It turns out that it is the extermination camp Auschwitz and due to Bruno’s curiosity and boredom he decides to explore and it is here at the fence that he meets and befriends a young boy called Shmuel. Almost every day he meets Shmuel and they talk by the fence both on separate sides but they are both desperate to play with each other and conveniently Shmuel’s father goes missing and he needs Bruno’s help to find him. They make a gap in the fence just big enough for a small boy to fit through and Bruno goes into the camp with a pair of striped pyjamas and it is then that something unimaginable happens. In this essay my task is to describe how well John Boyne has involved the reader throughout his challenging novel to ensure our sympathies for Bruno.
The opening chapter illustrates a very clear picture of Bruno as a young child. “Well, that would be telling.”This shows very well the more childish streak of Bruno’s personality. He quite clearly is stating that he does not want to tell his mother something. This is made apparent by Bruno placing “well” at the start of his statement but this also shows that Bruno is being quite cocky and thinks that it is obvious that he is not going to tell her and she should have known that. Bruno is definitely trying to act a lot older than he is but it has had the reverse affect. A quotation that portrays a younger and naive side of his personality is “Is it further than a mile away?” Bruno has clearly got no comprehension of length but it was also quite a silly question to ask as he probably knew that it was a great deal more than that but he is holding on and does not want to have to leave his life behind. It shows that Bruno is scared and worried about what might happen and this is just like any other child. “It’s a very important job” This was his mother’s answer when she was asked what Bruno’s fathers job is. This shows that his family do not give him the respect he deserves for how clever he is. His mother obviously cares about him greatly and wants to keep him young by mollycoddling him. One phrase that Bruno repeats throughout the entire book but especially in the first paragraph is “out of bounds at all times and no exceptions” this clearly proves that all through Bruno’s life up to this point things have been drilled into his head and his life consists of rules. This is a representation of what his father goes through as a soldier, rules and regulations and he wants his son to follow.
Up to this point in the book Bruno has come across as a quite selfish and naive boy but just like any other nine-year-old child he is still sensitive. “This isn’t a home and it never will be,” Bruno does not want to accept the fact that he will be staying at outwith for quite a while but the starkness of this statement suggests that he is certain, correct and no compromise will ever change his mind. This is the more stubborn side of his personality but it is also due to him being upset. From this quotation “it never will be,” furthermore suggests this as he is pulling his mind away from any upsetting thoughts of having to stay here. “We can chalk it up to experience.” This implies just how easily influenced Bruno is. He imitates anything his mum or dad say in a desperate attempt to seem older which also makes you realise just how determined he is. He is still very naive and is unaware that what he has just said comes across to be quite pompous. Bruno looks up to his father and respects him but he is unaware of just how controlling and powerful he is. This starts to come through in Bruno’s personality when he discovers there are people here after all. He can see them from his bedroom window but he is oblivious to the fact that they are Jews in the death camp Auschwitz. “He had seen it first and he could see it whenever he wanted because they were outside his bedroom window and not hers and therefore they belonged to him and he was the king of everything they surveyed and she was his lowly subject.” It was a chilling feeling when you realised that Bruno is turning out to be just like his father. He has a high degree of focus on himself and he likes to hear his own voice. He also wants to prove himself better than everyone else. He is coming across as a slight megalomaniac but it could also be that he is just very imaginative and in his own little world. Either way there is definitely a greed for power.
In chapters 5-8 we are at a critical part in the novel as we start to see some significant changes in Bruno’s personality. Some of which are not very good. ““Heil Hitler” he said, which he presumed was another way of saying “well goodbye for now, have a pleasant afternoon.”” Bruno’s comprehension of things is still very vague and this is shown perfectly but it also shows just how willing Bruno is to imitate anything his father says to him. This confirms just how easily Bruno picks things up but he is never willing to ask anyone, especially his father, what they mean. This may be because he does not want to give the impression that he isn’t smart but also because there is a slight fear of his father. “The white paint was cracked and peeling away from itself in a most unpleasant manner, unlike the paintwork in the house in Berlin, which was never chipped and received an annual top up every summer when mother brought the decorators in.” Bruno used to be very spoilt back in Berlin and he can’t accept that things are going to be different now. He has very high standards and comes across as quite arrogant and it is as if Bruno wants to spot faults in his new house to give him every reason to hate it. The word “every” from the quotation suggests that Bruno considers the annual top up as a formality and also the word “never” emphasises just how spoilt he is and how perfect everything must be. There is now a drastic turning point in Bruno’s personality. So far he has been very selfish, only taking his thoughts and feelings into account. ““Run me a bath, Maria, will you?” she asked. “Why can’t you run your own bath” snapped Bruno. “Because she’s the maid” said Gretel, “that’s what she’s here for” she said. “That’s not what she’s here for.” Shouted Bruno “especially things that we can do ourselves”” This is a stark contrast between the previous Bruno. It shows a considerable amount of maturity and also consideration and sensitivity towards other people. You also see the difference between Bruno and Gretel. Bruno is also echoing his mothers words and tone which furthermore proves how easily influenced he is.
The next part of the story is very significant as Bruno meets the young boy called Shmuel who he befriends but Bruno is unaware that he is a Jew staying in the awful death camp, Auschwitz. There is one change in Bruno, he starts to speak up and he is not afraid to speak his mind although he still holds back with his father. ““Grandmother always let us perform in plays back in Berlin”, Bruno pointed out” This illustrates that he feels he should never hold back and it also indicates that his grandmother had a great influence on his life. “Back in Berlin” Bruno is still holding on to any hope that he may be returning to Berlin soon. “Bruno pointed out” He could have just said this but by pointing it out he is stating that he is correct and everyone else is wrong. Bruno has a very determined character and he never gives up. ““The Fury.” said Bruno again, trying to get it right but failing again.” He still has a lack of understanding of certain things but he is always trying to learn new things. From this quotation “again” proves that he persists and perceivers, he never gives up. Bruno is the youngest in the family and is looked down on and everyone patronises him. One quotation that implies this is ““I’m twelve but he’s only nine,” said Gretel looking at her brother with disdain.” It indicates the lack of respect Gretel has for her brother but it also shows just how inferior Bruno is made to feel. “Looking at her brother with disdain” suggests this very clearly. She is looking down on her brother and making him feel small but also indicating this to the person she is talking to. By using the word “only” she makes him feel unimportant.
In chapters 12-14 Bruno still holds onto his naive personality but matures greatly when certain situations crop up. ““I’m going to be a soldier,” said Bruno in a determined voice, “like father.”” Bruno is still completely oblivious to the work of his father as there are a lot of references to “like” which suggests that Bruno respects and looks up to his father. Bruno is quite insensitive and he never thinks before he speaks and this was almost as if he was thinking aloud. Bruno can also be quite imaginative and slightly manipulative, “Bruno tried to look ashamed and embarrassed in order to make his story more convincing.”This was a big step in Bruno’s maturity. It was also a very clever thing to do which is not expected from such a young boy. He was also taking Shmuel’s situation in to consideration even though he is not fully aware of what the consequences would be. This is because of recent events which have taught him to be more secretive. “When Bruno said them out loud himself he felt terrible that he hadn’t tried to say anything to cheer Shmuel up” Bruno has suddenly realised how selfish he was. “He felt terrible” He really regrets the situation and by saying this you can tell just how much he has matured recently. “Missing their conversations as much as he was” Bruno didn’t realise at first but now he relies on Shmuel and they both understand each other.
Bruno has matured a lot throughout the book. There have been large changes in his personality but due to his lack of understanding he continues to be quite naive and still slightly selfish. “What happened to you?” he asked and then didn’t wait for an answer “Was it your Bicycle?” Bruno is still oblivious to the work in the camps and he still has the lack of understanding but subconsciously he knows that Shmuel’s injury was not caused by a bicycle accident but he is too ashamed to bring up the real answer. He is trying desperately to avoid the topic so after this he continues to talk about himself. “Are we Jews?” This proves just how little Bruno understands but also how little he is told. He shows a certain amount of curiosity. This is a stark question and it proves that he is moving away from the childish mistakes and he is trying to make genuine sense of everything. “Don’t you remember that you said I looked like you?” They have realised that they are the same after all and it shows a stark contrast between his father’s thoughts and his own. There is a lot of discrimination towards the Jews from his father which Bruno is unaware of.
Chapters 19 and 20 are the last chapters in the book and this is when everything that has happened in the book adds up. He retains his self importance but continues to take others into consideration. He is still influenced by his parents but only when it benefits him and he has more self control. “It was touch and go for a while,” said Bruno “what with the weather being so bad.” Bruno is replicating pieces of language that he has heard from his parents but only this time he is benefiting from it and he is not using it to make himself seem older. “Bruno had an urge to give Shmuel a hug, just to let him know how much he liked him” This shows the extent of the bond between Shmuel and Bruno and how close they have grown since they first met. It also demonstrates the measure of self control that Bruno has, it is as if he no longer a child and adult rules have taken over. Next the unimaginable happened. “Nothing more was ever heard of Bruno after that.” This gives the confirmation of the readers’ suspicion and the overall language adds starkness to the sentence. From the quotation the word “ever” makes this even more apparent. Because the incident was so unthinkable, John Boyne has used the word “that” at the end of the sentence. “Not in this day and age” This sentence gives a stronger and more meaningful feel that this catastrophic event could return in this modern day and this is made more perceptible by making the sentence shorter and simpler. “Day and age” this adds a bleak, ominous and disturbing sensation that leaves you with a chill down your spine.