Jake Underwood
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a historical fiction book by John Boyne. The book is very well written but has a grim subject. The boys remain friends while Shmuel, Bruno’s friend is in a concentration camp. Both boys do not know what will happen to each other, but as a reader, you know that Shmuel will most likely die in the camp. The main theme in the novel is innocence. The author expresses this theme by the way he uses his text. He explains how both boys do not know why they are on other sides of the fence. He shows the innocence of the boys as they are really not to speak to each other, but as they get more adventuresses, it ends badly. Shmuel and Bruno begin to meet every day. Bruno is thrilled to have a friend his own age, yet never fully grasps why Shmuel can't play at his house or why Bruno can't play with the other children in striped pajamas The power of the book in fact lies in the way that the reader instantly connects with his innocence and is willing to see his worldview, also follow him as the story unfolds, although with our sensibilities and the hindsight of history we cannot help fearing that something terrible is bound to happen. The setting is Nazi Germany after all. Innocence is an important theme throughout the novel. Although Bruno and Shmuel share a certain childlike innocence, the reality is that Shmuel is a prisoner in Auschwitz and has certainly seen horrific sights. Bruno, on the other hand, is fiercely protected by his parents who do not want him to know about the horrors of the reality that is the Holocaust; in particular, they go to great lengths to keep the details of Bruno's father's job a secret from him. If Shmuel knew what was going to happen to him in the camp, and knew that Bruno’s dad was the one running the camp, they would most likely not be friends. The boys show the theme of innocence in the actions they do. Every day for a year, they meet at the same spot along the fence, and somehow, Bruno still does not understand. Bruno's inability to comprehend the situation is the inadequacy of this book. Even though Bruno is very intelligent, he does not see that Shmuel is not having fun on the other side of the fence. On another occasion, Bruno suggests that Shmuel could come for supper. He’s surprised that the wire prevents this; surely farm fences are to stop animals getting out. And he’s troubled when Shmuel tells him that it’s to stop the people getting out. The ways the boys speak also show their innocence. For example “Bruno: It’s not fair, me being stuck over here all on my own while you’re in there playing with friends all day. Shmuel: Play? Bruno: Well, isn’t it part of a game – with your number? Shmuel: It’s just my number.” This shows their innocence because Bruno thinks the camp is part of a game and Shmuel does not understand why he has a number tattooed on him. When Bruno says "Heil Hitler". He has no idea what he is saying, and as a little boy, puts it into his own words: "Have a Nice Day." That example is a very small thing, but shows how he has little knowledge about the world. When Bruno asks "Why are there so many people on that side of the fence?” he asked. “And what are you all doing there?" This is a pretty obvious example of innocence. Unlike us, he has not been educated on what was happening in the time that he was living. As you could see, this element is very abundant throughout the story, and makes life through Bruno's eyes more curious. The Consequence of the boy’s innocence is very heart wrecking. Shmuel tells Bruno that he is unable to find his father and he is worried. Bruno vows to help Shmuel look for his father; to that end, Shmuel promises to get Bruno some pajamas so that he will blend in on his side of the fence. One fateful day, Bruno sheds his clothes, dons the pajamas, and sneaks onto Shmuel's side of the fence. As the boys search for Shmuel's father, the soldiers herd the prisoners, Bruno among them, into the gas chambers where they meet their untimely death hand in hand. The theme of the novel is ultimately innocence. The boys fail to understand why they have to be friends behind a fence. Bruno’s father is the one in command of the camp, but one of the prisoners, Shmuel, is Bruno’s best friend. Bruno thinks that Shmuel is having fun in the camp and that the camp is all part of a game because of the number on his body. That is not the case. The way they talk shows their innocence. The many things Bruno asks Shmuel show that he does not understand what is going on. The consequence of their innocence is a very sad consequence. The boys march hand in hand to find Shmuel’s father, instead of finding his father, they are found by German soldiers. This is where the boys are shoved into a chamber, stripped of their clothes, and gassed with many other Jews.