The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was written by John Boyne. This book is about a boy named Bruno growing up in Nazi Germany during World War 2. Bruno is a 9 year old, rich, innocent, clueless little boy whose father is a high ranking officer in Adolf Hitler's Nazi Army. His father has just been assigned to a holocaust death camp in Poland. Bruno, being as clueless as he is, doesn't understand any of it, not the war, not the concentration camp or the Jews in the uniforms, which he calls striped pajamas. The family is forced to go to the camp with the father where they live in this nasty house, which is nothing compared to their old house in Berlin.
Bruno hates everything about the new house and is trying desperately to persuade his father to go back to Berlin, which in this case is impossible. He accepts the fact that they're not going home for the foreseeable future, but is now trying to cure himself from extreme boredom because they have no neighbors like back in Berlin just Jews being held hostage. Until, one day Bruno makes a friend and sees him every day where they met. Determined to keep his friendship a secret, Bruno is still trying to make sense of this place. When Bruno's father finally sets his priorities straight and decides to send his kids home to Berlin it is too late for innocent little Bruno.
The themes of this story are ignorance and cluelessness. In the story none of the conflict would have happened if his father wasn't so ignorant and explained the camp and his job to Bruno. None of the conflict would have happened if Bruno wasn't so clueless and asked more questions. The only reason Bruno did what he did was because he was clueless. So I think these themes played a big role in the story. For my I can relate to Bruno a little bit, when something happens in the news that I didn't understand my parents will tell me that it is complicated and I'll explain it when your older. Other times something happens in the family my parents will hush it up. I feel left out when this happens and that's how I think Bruno felt. This leads me and in this case Bruno to investigate. You know what they say curiosity is a killer.
I liked this book because I enjoy war books, particularly World War 2 books. It is a dark topic with a dark plot and well if you’re not ready some things may be disturbing. Frankly I like those things and if you don't, well I don't recommend this book to you. If you do like those things then I do recommend this book to you as long as you educate yourself about World War 2 and the Holocaust or else a lot of this won't make sense to you. Overall I really liked this book and I am glad I read it.
"It is a powerful story to and through yet so close to reality". Sean Climo Blatchley Middle school
Educate yourself: Holocaust
