Summary
Bruno starts to explore daily after his lessons with Herr Liszt. He wanders to the fence and just as he is about to turn back he sees a boy sitting alone crossed legged with striped pajamas on named Shmuel. Bruno grows curious about the people on the other side of the fence and starts to question Shmuel about it. Shmuel talked about how solders came to his house one day and took him and his family to Out-with. Everyone at the camp had to wear an armband with David’s star on it. Shmuel hates the soldiers. Bruno doesn’t completely understand why since his father is a soldier and thought of him as kind. A week passes and Bruno and his family are having dinner with Kotler. As usual Pavel served them their food and drinks. Bruno couldn’t help notice that Pavel seemed paler and thinner then last time he had seen him and his hands were shaking as he passed the food around. Pavel goes to refill Bruno’s father’s glass when he accidentally drops the bottle onto Kolter’s lap. Kotler gets upset and brutally beats Pavel lets him and watches.
Quote
“I don’t see why I have to be stuck over here on this side of the fence where there is no one to talk to and or to play with and you get to have dozens of friends and probably playing for hours everyday” (Boyne 111).
Reaction
My mouth dropped after reading this. The quote shows how naïve Bruno is. He doesn’t know exactly what goes on the other side of the fence but believes that all the people in stripped pajamas live normally despite what Shmuel tells him. He should have however been sensitive to Shmuel and not have assumed that he plays all day, especially because of how thin, pale and sad he always looks.
you are right to question Bruno, and this is the power of a narrative where the reader knows more than the characters
ReplyDeletethe childlike view of Bruno is what gives the story such power. You need to be the one to consider what it really going on for him.
ReplyDelete