A Friend Inside the Fence: A Book Review of John Boyne's "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"

The 1930's and 40's in Germany were especially dark times. Not only was Germany infested with hatred, anger, and evil, but also Poland had cruelty under Nazi rule. When it comes to the Holocaust, we often look back through the eyes of adults: Corrie ten Boom and Oskar Schindler are among the more notable eyewitnesses. But how often do we consider the views of children? John Boyne takes a fictional account of a young Germany boy, the son of a soldier, in his book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (originally spelled "Pyjamas").

The book won numerous awards, just a couple of them being the Irish Book Award Children’s Book of the Year and the Bisto Book of the Year. 

SUMMARY

   To start out, as this novel tells the Holocaust story through the eyes of a young boy, he mispronounces some words. Thus, the actual word will be in parentheses.
   Nine-year-old Bruno lives with his family in Berlin, Germany. His father is a well-respected soldier, and both his father and mother are caring. Bruno also has an older sister named Gretel, whom he names "the Hopeless Case." But one day, his entire world is turned upside down. Father has been promoted by the "Fury" (the Führer, Adolf Hitler) and now they must move far from Berlin. They move to a place called "Out-With" (Auschwitz, a concentration camp in Warsaw, Poland), and things become dull for Bruno.
   Having lost his three "best friends for life,” Bruno has no one to play with. He does, however, see a "farm" from his window. There, behind fences, he sees all sorts of people: fathers, children, grandfathers, and uncles (in his mind, anyway). He is not quite sure why he cannot go play with them, since he has been restricted from exploring behind their house.
   He goes exploring back there, despite his parents' commands. He meets a boy his age named Shmuel, who wears striped "pajamas" (according to Bruno) and a striped cloth cap. They have a few things in common, and Bruno is thrilled to have met a new friend. There is just one problem: Shmuel gets to have a great time on the "farm," on the other side of the fence. Bruno begins to wonder why the fence is there, assuming it is to keep everyone who is outside from going in. The reader immediately sees the differences, however, between Bruno and Shmuel: one is a German and one is a Polish Jew; one is naïve about the entire Jewish problem, while the other has suffered in the Auschwitz death camp.
   The two boys have conversations nearly every day, for an entire year. But as Bruno begins to uncover more and more of the truth behind Out-With, his father and mother make a decision: Bruno and Gretel are to accompany their mother in returning to Berlin. Their father, though, will stay at Out-With.
   Bruno delivers the saddening news to Shmuel, but the two plan their final day together. Shmuel and Bruno (who will wear a spare pair of striped pajamas) will search for Shmuel's missing father, who left with a group and never came back.
   The two, unfortunately, cannot find Shmuel's father. While this is not the end, I won't say anything more except that it is heart-wrenching and touching at the same time.

CONTENT

   Since The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is told from a little boy's perspective, the violence is clear to those who know of the Holocaust, but not for the main character himself. It is implied that people are killed, beaten, and ridiculed (most of these being Jews). A young boy is punched by a soldier, resulting in a black eye. Also, while not clearly stated, deaths in a gas chamber are implied.
   Again, since the story is from a different point of view, the sexual content is implicated but not specifically dealt with. While there was little sexuality in the story, it is heavily implied that Bruno's mother is having an adulterous affair with a young officer. As I said, it is not stated, but implied.
   There is no specific use of swear words, but it is again implied that adults use foul language. As Bruno does not recognize these words, they are not used in the book.
   The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is ultimately a story of friendship, loyalty, and the innocence of children (in a certain sense). It was originally written for children and meant to be a teaching tool for elementary students, but I would personally not let a child read this without at least an adult pre-reading it. I think it is more suitable for teens and adults, as they would get more out of such a story.
   The idea behind a child's point of view of the Holocaust was actually quite brilliant. Although it has the implications of strong violence and brief sexual content, this really is an enjoyable read and a beautiful picture of friendship between races.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of pages: 216
Author of book: John Boyne
Published in: 2006 (original publication, UK)
Primary audience: Meant for children, but probably should be for teens and adults