When I was a teen I had a period where I was obsessed with World War II and the Holocaust. I read everything I could find both fiction and non-fiction on this topic. When I travelled to Europe at 19, it was on my agenda to see a concentration camp, and was able to visit Dachau while in Germany.
I was massively affected by all of these experiences, but The Boy in the Striped Pajamas still hit me as a unique method of telling the story of the Holocaust so that teen readers didn't just understand the horrors of the Holocaust, they felt them.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is told from the perspective of nine year old Bruno. Bruno's father is the Commandant of a place Bruno calls Out-With (Auschwitz). In his naivete Bruno does not understand what this place is. When he looks out his window he sees very thin people with shaved heads. These people, mostly boys and men, are all wearing the same outfit - striped pajamas with a hat to match. He sees lovely gardens around his home that abruptly end at a high fence topped with barbed wire. Beyond that the ground is simply sandy brown dirt, and the houses are simple huts.
Bruno hates this place and misses his home in Berlin. Ever since the Fury (Fuehrer) came to dinner, his world has changed. He envisions himself an explorer and there were so many lovely places to explore in his Berlin home. But, the Out-with house is very spare and lonely - no houses close by hold children to involve in his play and exploration. Bruno takes his exploration outside, and discovers another boy, Schmuel, on the other side of the fence. Schmuel was born on exactly the same day as Bruno, and they quickly become friends, despite Schmuel's constant sadness. Bruno recognizes that Schmuel is thin and could use more food, so as the friendship increases, he brings food to his friend each day, as they talk through the fence.
As we reach the conclusion of the book, Bruno takes an exploration one step too far. The book ends in a shocking fashion.
Throughout the Boy in the Striped Pajamas we are given glimpses of the hatred the Nazis felt for the Jews during this time in history. As a young, protected boy, Bruno has yet to develop this bigotry and naively disregards the hatred, and he tries to understand what is happening around him and why all those people are behind the fence. He wonders why they are not invited to tea. He wonders why the waiter, Pavel, is trained as a doctor but does not use his skills. Bruno's curiosity causes him to ask questions that are not fully answered, and frequently get him into trouble.
This tale of the two boys and the world they inhabit juxtaposes the innocence of youth with the horror of hate and violence. This contrast makes The Boy in the Striped Pajamas an excellent book to help teens understand the feeling and impact of the Holocaust. Highly recommended.
