Student Question
How does the conflict in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas influence the plot elements?
Quick answer:
The conflict in "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is deeply rooted in the Holocaust, influencing every plot element. The family's move to Auschwitz sets the story in motion, impacting Bruno's life and relationships, especially his friendship with Shmuel, which highlights their differences imposed by the Holocaust. Bruno's exploration and eventual death in a gas chamber underscore the tragic consequences of the Holocaust, shaping the narrative's emotional depth and historical context.
I am not sure that Boyne's work can actually function as effectively outside of the Holocaust conflict that is present. Everything in the work is driven by the Holocaust. Bruno's family having to be moved to Auschwitz is what sets the story in motion. The fact that Bruno refers to it as "Out- With" is another implication of the Holocaust. Bruno's seminal instruction of not to go on the "other side" of the fence is something that reflects the condition of the Holocaust. The ambivalence that Maria feels early on and conveys to Bruno is Holocaust- based. The discoveries that Bruno makes about life in Auschwitz are all based upon the Holocaust. His friendship with Shmuel is poignant because both boys are alike, but the Holocaust creates them as entirely different. The zenith of the story, when Bruno honors his word to help Shmuel find his family, is a poignant...
Unlock
This Answer NowStart your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
one because of the horror of the Holocaust. Bruno's death is a result of the Holocaust creation of the gas chamber. His family's mourning, and his father's horrific realization, are all reflections of the Holocaust's legacy on those who survived it and the ending with which Boyne concludes the narrative about how this story "could not happen" today are all reflections of how the Holocaust setting and the conflicts it presents drive the story.
How does the setting of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas affect the plot and characters?
There are two settings in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. While the novel begins in Berlin, Germany, the action soon moves to Auschwitz, Poland. Both settings make important contributions to the plot and the characters. An important part of the plot is the move that Bruno’s makes from their Berlin home to the concentration camp, which is occasioned by the father’s appointment as the camp’s commandant. This relocation is directly relevant to the characters of Bruno and his new friend, Shmuel; his father; and his sister, Gretel.
In Berlin, Bruno lives with his upper-middle-class family in a comfortable, nicely furnished five-story house; they employ a maid, a butler, and a cook. His grandparents, who live nearby, are a constant, affectionate presence in his life. Bruno enjoys its location near the city’s center, with the bustle of urban life around him. His father, who is a military officer, accepts with pride the promotion to become commandant of a prison camp in an area recently claimed by Germany. Although the father would have had little choice in his assignment, the author conveys that he is a committed supporter of the Nazi regime. Adolf Hitler had dined at their home recently.
The area of southern Poland where Auschwitz (Polish, Oświęcim) is located was invaded and then annexed by Germany in 1939. The camp, built in 1940, included about 40 properties in three separate complexes, each with a different main function. One was primarily a prison, another (Auschwitz II-Birkenau) for killing prisoners, and the third (Auschwitz III-Monowitz) a work-camp using slave labor.
When the family arrives, two immediate changes that affect Bruno are the size of their new house, which is much smaller, and the desolate, isolated location. The setting affects his father in that his new job totally occupies his energies, and he pays even less attention to his children than in Berlin. Gretel, having no friends to talk to, begins to think of herself as an adolescent rather than a young girl and is attracted to the soldiers assigned there.
The greatest effects are on Bruno and Shmuel, however and ultimately lead to their death. Because there are no other houses around, Bruno feels encouraged to go exploring along the fence on the edge of the property. In that way, he meets Shmuel on the other side of a fence. Shmuel, along with the other captured Jews, is a prisoner. Bruno’s curiosity and loneliness later lead him to sneak under the fence, which places him inside the death chamber to perish alongside Shmuel and the other prisoners.
References