The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

by John Boyne

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Does the novel The Boy in The Striped Pajamas employ sarcasm?

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The novel employs irony more than sarcasm, primarily through Bruno's naive perspective. His mispronunciations, such as "out-with" for Auschwitz and "the fury" for the Führer, add a layer of irony that can seem sarcastic. This irony highlights his innocence and the absurdity of his surroundings, subtly mocking Nazi ideology. While some critics question the linguistic accuracy, these elements serve to underscore the tragic and ironic contrast between Bruno's innocence and the horrors of the Holocaust.

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In regard to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, I'm not sure if I would say that there's a level of sarcasm so much as a level of irony. Bruno is naive on an outrageous level, and it's partially due to his father's negligence and preoccupation with his career. For example, Bruno is frustrated that he has to move to "out-with" because of orders from "the fury."

There is a brutal irony in almost every aspect of Bruno's frame of mind. He is unpressed by his new house in "out-with," his primary frustration being that there is no banister to slide down. Bruno also doesn't seem to recognize prison clothes, referring to them as "striped pajamas." This irony might be called cynical on an almost sarcastic level, but it is made more heartfelt by the fact that Bruno's innocence allows him to befriend Shmuel.

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The Boy in The Striped Pajamas is narrated by Bruno, a 9-year old boy from Berlin whose father is one of Hitler's esteemed senior officers. Bruno does not understand all the changes to their lives and is unimpressed by the family's move out of Berlin to a "desolate" place; a home with only three storeys and no banister to slide down.

The sarcasm is present in the double-meaning of certain words, mis-pronounced by Bruno. There has been some criticism leveled at John Boyne, the author as, in German, Bruno's first language, the word "fuhrer" could not be mispronounced as "fury." However, to an English reader, Bruno's insistence on referring to "The Fury" is an understandable mistake for a 9-year old and the reference to the "fury" therefore mocks Hitler and everything he stood for.

Similarly, Auschwitz is pronounced "Out-With" by Bruno. To some this serves as an irritation but to others, it reflects an attempt, not to lessen the significance of Auschwitz (although it has been interpreted this way) but to belittle the Nazis for their attempts to stifle and summarily extinguish everything that is Jewish.

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