In John Boyne's novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno and his family move to Auschwitz, where his father is the Commandment in charge of the concentration camp. Bruno is too young and naive to recognize the gravity of the situation or fully comprehend the nature of the concentration camp.

Initially, Bruno is upset at his father for forcing his family to leave their lavish home in Berlin and move to "Out-With," where the home is significantly smaller and the surrounding environment is extremely depressing. As a nine-year-old boy, Bruno loves to explore and is curious about the new environment. However, Bruno's mother and father have forbidden him from approaching the massive fence or going near the concentration camp.

One can surmise that Bruno's parents prohibit him from approaching the barbed wire fence or exploring the concentration camp to protect his innocence and shield him from the horrors taking place inside the camp. They recognize that Bruno is too young and impressionable to witness the atrocities and believe that exposing him to the concentration camp environment could have deleterious psychological effects.

Another possible explanation concerns their prejudice towards the imprisoned Jews. Bruno's parents do not consider the Jewish prisoners human beings and do not want their children around them. They view the prisoners as vile creatures and prohibit Bruno and Gretel from interacting with them.