True Friendship in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

“It's so unfair. I don't see why I have to be stuck over here on this side of the fence where there's no one to talk to and no one to play with and you get to have dozens of friends and are probably playing for hours every day. I'll have to speak to Father about it” (Boyne 111). The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne is children's literature set in Nazi, Germany during World War 2.

John Boyne grew up writing many short stories while living in Dublin, Ireland.

He majored in English Literature from the Trinity College in Dublin. Boyne also studied creative writing at the renowned institution in Norwich, the University of East Anglia. He now lives his life as a famous writer by composing short stories and novels. However, Boyne shifted to children's literature back in 2006. (www.famousauthors.ors)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a novel in which the holocaust is characterized through the eyes of a 9-year-old little boy named Bruno.

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Bruno’s family is moving to a house in “Out-With” just outside of a concentration camp that his father is now a commandant over. After days of boredom, Bruno seeks out for adventure and skips his way through the woods. He then comes across a very tall fence and a little boy about his age. As it turns out, this little boy's name was Shmuel and he always wore the coolest striped pajamas as Bruno would put it. The two boys form an outstanding friendship through the fence.

However, both still oblivious to what is going on around them. Towards the end of the novel, the Shmuel and Bruno end up in a gas chamber together, resulting in their deaths.

As their bond grew closer, so did their curiosity. Bruno and Shmuel became more and more inquisitive with the reasoning as to why they had to be separated by a huge fence. Bruno would go home and speak to Maria, one of their maid’s, about it but she would always try to brush it off as if to try and not upset Bruno’s father. Everyday, the boys met at the same part of the fence and talked for hours. Finally, Bruno and Shmuel came up with a plan to get Bruno to the other side of the fence.

Shmuel brought an extra pair of “pajamas” for Bruno to put on so he would fit in. They dug out a small hole from underneath the fence and under Bruno went. The boys grasped hands as they were jolted around by officers into what they thought was a room to wait out the cold rain in. Instead, it was a gas chamber where millions of innocent people were killed including Shmuel and Bruno in the novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

Innocence, friendship and symbolism are all portrayed in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Innocence is depicted in many ways throughout this novel. One of them being that Bruno has not the slightest idea about the horrible things going on around him. The desire for friendship is broad especially during childhood. Shmuel exists in two completely different worlds but still shares the desire for friendship. An example of symbolism in this novel is the gas chambers. The gas chambers represent that everyone is equal even though death is evident. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas portrays innocence and the true meaning of friendships radiantly throughout the entire story.

The innocence of a child can be the most difficult thing to deal with. For example, Bruno has no clue of the horrible events taking place around him. After all, he thinks Shmuel is just allowed to wear pajamas all day and play with other kids. “Who decided which people wore the pajamas and which people wore the uniforms?” (Boyne 100). This quote shows that Bruno is totally oblivious to what is going on on the opposite side of the fence. However, at the same time, Shmuel really doesn’t know what is going on either so therefore he cannot explain anything to Bruno. Although the both of them do not know what is going on, they know that they are somehow different. They just can’t quite put their finger on it.

The desire for friendship is broad especially during childhood. Bruno was so desperate for a friend that he did not care about the tall, barbed fence between him and Shmuel. Everyday the boys meet at the same spot to exchange snacks and kind words. “Bruno was sure that he had never seen a skinnier or sadder boy in his life but decided that he had better talk to him.” (Boyne 107). This particular quote expresses that Bruno did not have a certain type of friend group. He was the type of kid that was friends with anyone and everyone. That is the day that Bruno and Shmuel became the best of friends. They continued the ritual of meeting everyday and Bruno would occasionally bring Shmuel bread. The boys would laugh and share countless giggles with one another like any little boys would.

Everyone is equal throughout this story even though death is evident and universal. The gas chambers portray death. However, they also symbolize equality. Both Shmuel and Bruno, a German boy and a Jewish boy, are seen as equal while being pushed into one of the chambers together. “Despite the chaos that followed, Bruno found that he was still holding Shmuel’s hand in his own and nothing in the world would have persuaded him to let go.” (Boyne 213). The death of Shmuel and Bruno shows that no matter what, friendship and innocence will always be portrayed through children. They had not the slightest fear while in that warm, dark room. Bruno even whispered into Shmuel’s ear that they were going to be best friends forever. The boys continued to hold hands until their last seconds on this earth. Both of them being of different ethnicities even though they had not the slightest clue of that.

Throughout The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the true definitions of friendship and innocence are interpreted phenomenally. Symbolism, innocence, and friendship are all presented at full length through the entire novel. However, they are not the only major points to touch on. Bruno and Shmuel really define the words “innocence’ and “friendship” directly as any child would. Especially in a story where so many things are kept a secret and where a child is in such desperate need for a companion. To be innocent is to lack guile or corruption; purity.