Who is responsible for Bruno's death in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?
Though no one individual is entirely responsible for Bruno's death, it's fair to say that his father should take the lion's share of the blame for this tragic, and entirely unavoidable, event. Had he prevented Bruno from playing near the fence dividing the family from the concentration camp, then Bruno would never have developed any kind of friendship with Shmuel, and would never, therefore, have been curious as regards to what was happening on the other side of the fence. Ultimately, it was this curiosity that led to Bruno's tragic and untimely demise.
One could also argue that had Bruno's father not taken up his role of commandant of Auschwitz, then Bruno would not have been killed. Of course, Ralf couldn't reasonably be expected to have foreseen what would happen, but he most certainly made an error all the same, not just by taking up a post involving the carrying...
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out of mass murder, but also by taking his family with him to Poland. No father should've placed his family in such close proximity to such monumental death and suffering. But Ralf wasn't thinking of his family when he accepted his new position; he was driven by nothing more than ambition and ideological fanaticism.
How do Bruno and his father conflict in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?
Bruno and his father come into conflict regarding several matters throughout the novel. Bruno's father is an extremely strict man with many rules to follow. Bruno expresses his displeasure for his father's rules that forbid him from sliding down the railing, entering his office, and going near the fence at "Out-With." The most obvious conflict between Bruno and his father is in regards to moving to "Out-With." Bruno opposes his father's decision to move his family from their beautiful home in Berlin, to the dreary, isolated house at "Out-With." Bruno confronts his father, which is something that he never does, and attempts to influence his father to change his mind. Bruno even calls his father stupid in front of Maria for his decision to move the family.
Bruno also opposes the way his father addresses his mother, Maria, and Pavel. Bruno notices that his father displays contempt for Maria by calling her an overpaid maid, and does not step in when Lieutenant Kotler beats Pavel during dinner. Bruno also conflicts with his father's decision to invite "The Fury" over for dinner. Bruno mentions that "The Fury" was a very rude person, and Bruno did not appreciate the way his father showed gratitude to such an unpleasant man. Bruno also opposes the way his father shows favoritism to his sister, Gretel, and the way he treats Lieutenant Kotler with kindness at the beginning of the novel.
Is Bruno's father in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas loyal to Hitler? Why?
Bruno's father in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was loyal to Hitler and the Nazi regime. This is evident based on several examples throughout the book.
The first and most obvious example of Bruno's father's loyalty to Hitler was his acceptance of the position of commandant at the death camp Auschwitz. Hitler needed loyal servants who would ignore the humanity of Jewish people and follow his bidding to kill innocent people. In the novel Bruno's father is extremely proud of his promotion and so was Bruno's grandfather (this may be an example of how the majority of the family was loyal to Hitler).
The second example that proves Bruno's Father was loyal to Hitler was that he hosted him for dinner which led to his acceptance of commandant. While working in Berlin, Bruno's father came home one night in “a state of great excitement”. Hitler had invited himself to dinner. The fact that Bruno's father was excited shows his reverence for Hitler. Although Bruno's mother and grandmother objected to the promotion because they were fearful of the impact on the children, Bruno's father takes the job anyway. This loyalty to Hitler eventually does put Bruno in danger and unfortunately leads to his demise.
Why was Bruno's dad chosen to be commandant in The Boy In The Striped Pajamas?
In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno's family is unhappy that they have to leave Berlin and settle down in a "desolate" place. As Maria packs Bruno's things, his mother tries to explain to him why they have to go. She reminds him that his father is "very important" and that he has to go because "there's a very special job" and Bruno's father has been designated to do it. Bruno realizes that he doesn't really know or understand what his father does. He knows that there are always "men in fantastic uniforms" and "women with typewriters" at his home who are always extremely polite to his father, but unlike his friends' fathers who are greengrocers or chefs and so on, all that Bruno knows about his own father's job as a commandant is that he is "a man to watch." He also knows that "the Fury" (Bruno's mispronunciation of fuhrer) has "big things in mind for him." This is why Bruno's father has been chosen to be commandant at "Out-With."
Bruno is unconvinced of the importance of this new job, especially when he learns that the family must leave Berlin. He cannot imagine his life without his "three best friends for life" and being told that he will make new friends is no consolation at all. Bruno does not understand why his father's job takes preference over everything and he expresses his dissatisfaction. He equates his father's job as commandant alongside the jobs of greengrocer, teacher and chef because he has no concept of what his father may be doing. He knows that he is "serious" but Bruno considers that all fathers should be serious and so he continues to object, bravely standing up to his father, but without effect.