set of striped pajamas behind a barbed wire fence

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

by John Boyne

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What advice does Maria give to Bruno after their conversation?

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Maria advises Bruno to steer clear of the soldiers at his new home, suggesting it will help him feel more comfortable in the unfamiliar environment. Despite sympathizing with Bruno's unhappiness about moving, Maria remains loyal to Bruno's father and subtly conveys that Bruno should be seen and not heard. She acknowledges the seriousness of the adults' work around him, reinforcing the idea that Bruno should avoid the soldiers for his own peace of mind.

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Maria is one of the few adults in Bruno's life that he feels able to trust. Virtually all the others—especially those who work with his father—seem scary and forbidding, certainly not the kind of people you could imagine having a good old heart-to-heart with.

Bruno's deeply unhappy at the move to Out-With and feels the need to express his sadness to Maria. At least she'll listen to him, he figures. And she does, but at the same time she tries to get Bruno to deal with his unhappiness. Maria has a great deal of personal loyalty to Bruno's father as he's often helped her and her family in the past. She's much more gentle, much more understanding than the other adults in Bruno's life, but her message isn't that much different: Bruno needs to be seen and not heard. However, Maria tries to sugar the pill by advising Bruno to...

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steer clear of all those serious-looking men in uniform who are forever coming in and out of his father's office. This way, she hopes that Bruno might eventually grow to feel more comfortable in his new living environment.

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Bruno is very upset about moving, and he confides in Maria.  He feels that Maria is part of the family, even though his father only considers her a maid.  Maria explains that they have moved bacause of his father's job.  Bruno complains and says that his father should think twice about his job.  Just at that moment a young soldier comes out of his father's room, and comes and stares at Bruno.  Bruno does not like the young man because he was too serious.  Maria explains that they all have serious jobs. Her advice to Bruno is that

"But if I was you, I'd steer clear of the soldiers."  (pg 19)

Bruno agreed stating that he didn't see what else there was to do.

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