The Boy in the Striped Pajamas summary

At the beginning of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, nine-year-old Bruno is living in Berlin with his family – his parents and older sister, Gretel.

One day, Bruno is given some upsetting news: because of his father’s recent promotion, the family is leaving Berlin. They’re moving to a place called “Out-With.”

When Bruno arrives at his new home, he’s confused by what he sees. Looking through the window, he catches sight of people on the other side of the fence, who all wear the same clothes. To Bruno, it looks like they’re wearing striped pajamas.

When he asks his father about the mysterious people on the other side, his father replies that “they’re not people.” He tells Bruno to forget about them, and to focus on settling into his new home.

But Bruno is sad and lonely. He misses Berlin, his friends, and his grandparents. He wishes he were back home, instead of this strange house in the country, which is next to a tall fence topped with barbed wire. If only he had someone he could talk to.…

ANALYSIS

Throughout the story, we see the world through Bruno’s eyes. Everything is filtered through his naive, innocent perspective.

This allows the author, John Boyne, to make use of dramatic irony. We understand things that Bruno doesn’t, such as the true nature of his father’s job – Commandant at a concentration camp. And we know that those people in the “striped pajamas” are actually prisoners.

As a result, there’s a sense of sadness and tragic inevitability casting a shadow over the story. We can’t help but worry about Bruno, with his childish innocence, and his optimistic view of the world.

At times, Bruno’s ignorance may seem a little implausible. He thinks that “Heil Hitler” is simply  another way of saying “goodbye for now.” And he repeatedly refers to Auschwitz as “Out-With,” even after seeing it written down. 

So you may be thinking that, as the son of a high-ranking Nazi officer, nearing adolescence and living right next door to a concentration camp … shouldn’t Bruno be a bit more aware?

Well, perhaps. But here’s another way of looking at it. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is not just a historical novel, but also a story aimed, at least in part, at younger readers. And it’s presented, quite literally, as a fable. Inside the first pages of the book, it says, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas – a fable by John Boyne.”

Keeping this in mind can help us to appreciate Boyne’s choices as an author. His intention is not to write a complex, completely realistic novel about the Holocaust. Instead, he’s telling us a fable – a simple, accessible story that people of all ages can understand – even a nine-year-old like Bruno. So, while Bruno’s naivety may seem excessive at times, he’s still a believable character. And he’s certainly relatable.

We can all remember what it’s like to be a child, when your friends and family are your whole world. And we know what it’s like to be homesick. So we can sympathize with Bruno’s struggles as he finds himself in a strange new house, far away from everything he knows.

True, he has his family. But he’s not close to his sister, and he has a rather formal relationship with his father. Even his mother is a slightly distant figure, perhaps because she’s also struggling to adjust to their new life.

What Bruno needs now, more than anything, is a friend. Luckily, he’s about to find one.