Written by John Boyne, The Boy in The Striped Pajamas Book is a powerful story that is plotted on the time of the middle of World War II. This book is unusual and can give a sense of disturbance to some extent. The story is described through the voice of 9 years old boy named Bruno. The Boy with the Striped Pajamas is a compelling story depicting the innocence and naiveness of Bruno.
The first sentence of the story really caught my attention, compelling me to be the part of the journey of the little boy Bruno.
“One afternoon, when Bruno came home from school, he was surprised to find Maria, the family’s maid – who always kept her head bowed and never looked up from the carpet – standing in his bedroom, pulling all his belongings out of the wardrobe and packing them in four large wooden crate, even things he’d hidden at the back that belonged to him and were nobody else’s business.”
He along with his family had to move from Berlin to an isolated home in Auschwitz as a requirement of his father’s new job. We can feel Bruno is not happy at all as he has to leave his beloved friend, grandparents and the life of Berlin behind. At the new place Auschwitz, which Bruno called Out-With, their house was separated from thousands of people by a high fence, topped with bales of razor wires. Bruno was puzzled to see everyone on the other side` of the fence wore similar striped pajamas.
I sensed that Bruno was so lonely that he would go nuts if he doesn’t find a means of entertainment. One day when he was exploring along the length of fence, he met a Jew of his age named Samuel. Although he was forbidden to explore around and talk to anyone behind the fence, he befriends Samuel and eventually, his friendship grows stronger with Samuel. Now the smell of trouble for Bruno hits my mind. However, no one figures out their friendship although Lieutenant Kotler, a blond soldier, had once suspected and questioned Bruno but Bruno denied recognizing Samuel.
After more than a year, Bruno’s mother wishes to leave the place and go back to Berlin as she sensed that the place is not suitable for her kids. I know it feels burdensome for Bruno, to leave his friend Samuel behind this time. When Bruno tells the news about his relocation, Samuel places a plan to find Samuel’s father who is missing since past few days, before Bruno leaves the place. So, Bruno agrees with Samuel’s plan. Bruno then goes to the fence and changes into striped pajamas and crawls under the fence, the day before returning back to Berlin. Now the wheel of fate puts Bruno in danger.
In the climax part of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Book, Bruno along with Samuel and other Jews are marched into an airtight building. This innocent naïve guy definitely died inside which made me feel goose-bumps rising on my skin. This ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ book consists of many disturbing contents so I recommend this book only for age above 14. However, this book can give us a sense of the situation and life of the people back then in the period of World War II.
If you are interested in studying this tragic story of innocent little kid Bruno, you can download The Boy in the Striped Pajamas ebook from the link mentioned below:
