Saturday 12 April 2014

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Most people in today's world know of the atrocities committed during World War II by Adolf Hitler and his crew of nasty Nazis. Hitler ordered genocide on the Jews in Europe, and thousands of people were killed. It was not only the victim families which were affected, but some Germans who suffered as well.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne talks about a German family, in which the father is a Nazi General. Hitler - the Führer - is happy with the father's work, and decides to send him to the Auschwitz concentration camp to oversee the project there.
And so, the general's family is forced to move out of their comfortable house in Berlin to a dusty, old, solitary house near the concentration camp, which was separated by a long, huge fence. Nine-year-old Bruno is especially affected by the move, having to leave his three best friends and come to a place where there was no one his age except for his irritating elder sister.
But one day, Bruno notices some people - boys, fathers, uncles, grandfathers - across the fence, all of whom were wearing the same clothes, that is, striped pajamas. Bruno is surprised to see boys of his age there...how come they never came over to his side of the fence to play with him?
Bruno asks his sister a few questions, who immediately says that they were Jews, who were bad, and that Germans didn't like them. Bruno wonders why, for they seemed to be just like others. His sister, however, was horrified when he voiced his opinion, and he decides to shut up and keep his ideas to himself.
Bruno goes exploring, and one day finds a small gap in the fence. Later when he comes back, he sees a boy sitting across the fence near the gap. The two begin to talk, and find that they were born on the same day and are both nine years old. Over time, they bond and Bruno is finally happy to be living here. The book ends when Bruno decides to go under the fence and explore the boy's world dressed up in striped pajamas, and he sees the world there. He is shocked to see them living in such dire, extreme, dirty conditions. To avoid spoiling the ending, all I will say is that at the end of the book you are left with such...regret, such deep thoughts.
The book shows you a child's point of view of the second world war, and all that happened in Nazi Germany. There is never any actual mention of killing, gas chambers, Nazis, Jews, death, war...nothing of that sort at all. The nine-year-old little boy is oblivious of all that is happening around him. Really, all he cares is that they moved to a weird old house and left his school and friends behind, then he had no one to play with, and then suddenly he did.
The book makes you think about how the world was at that time for children, and especially Nazi family children, since Bruno's father is a Nazi General. The book makes you realize that though we all know about the war and all the horrible things that happened, no one really knows how it was to live in such times as a child; a child who just wanted his life to be normal and have fun with his friends...a child who, being completely innocent and pure, could not understand why Jews were classified as 'bad'.
In simpler words, the book gives you a different outlook on the same old thing which most of us have read about and studied about in school. It shows you a different view, and it's startling how accurately the author, John Boyne, has depicted the child's feelings. It's a must read for all those who enjoy a little historical book every now and then...especially since you don't have to mug it up for an exam. :)

1 comment:

  1. I saw the movie and it was very good. Anybody and everybody should see it. This is one of friendship and innocence that will leave you in tears.

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