Novel Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

June 30, 2009 • written by Samantha Hartfiel

The Holocaust, whether mention of this event strikes fear, confusion, or horror into the hearts of the public, it is almost certain that by the time a student reaches high school, they have been exposed to information about this appalling occurrence to humanity. Each year, students watch videos, discuss the motives, and read excerpts in history books about the Holocaust, dissecting the incident which is incredibly difficult to grasp. However, through all of the lectures, selections, and articles, most of these resources are from the viewpoint of an adult or historian, focusing more on the vast number of deaths rather than the confusing and emotional journey that the children exposed have experienced.

Author John Boyne tried to change this gap through his short novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a fiction account that focuses on the life of nine year old Bruno, the son of a Nazi official who is forced to move because of his father’s job to the opposite side of a concentration camp, separated only by a chain link fence. Bruno, who is unaware of the horrors that occur on the other side of the fence, spends his dull days glancing to the other side, longing to join the people who he believes are dressed in striped pajamas and are lucky in the aspect that they have others to play with. This curiosity stems to Bruno forming a relationship with a young Jew Shmuel, which leads to a tragic unexpected ending.

This novel is an extraordinarily effective piece of fiction that could haunt the reader for days. The innocent point of view of Bruno, while unrealistic, is very efficient. Through these naïve eyes, an original story is created that mixes some facts of the camps with the shocking outcomes of what could possibly happen to a boy who is unaware of the dreadful behavior that occurred in his backyard. His youthful interpretation of what is happening around him is heartbreaking for the reader who is completely conscious of the extreme danger he is in. One of Bruno’s most heart tugging lines included the repeated use of “Out-With” to describe the home he lives in, which well-read readers recognize refers to Auschwitz, one of the deadliest concentration camps discovered. While the novel is simple and incredibly predictable, the use of these elements is effectual because while one knows what is going to happen, they are stripped of the ability to change the inevitable, and are forced to watch in horror as the plot unfolds. This method may have been a metaphor on Boyne’s part to describe the feelings of some of the people living in the time of the camps who felt helpless.

However, this novel was not met with rave reviews by critics. In fact, many critics attacked the novel, saying that it was a disgrace to the lives lost during the Holocaust and very unrealistic. Commentators argued that most concentration camps were surrounded by electric fences, not chain link fences, making traveling from side to side impossible. Also, they did appreciate what they believed to be Boyne neglecting some of the facts of the Holocaust, including the improbability of a young boy being oblivious to what is happening to the people in the striped pajamas. Yet, one may notice that while it is assumed that the story takes place during the Holocaust, nowhere in the 216 pages does Boyne actually say that Auschwitz is the setting or that it is a concentration camp. Most of the novel is written in a fashion that readers assume the setting even though they are not told outright.

Nevertheless, Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a very worthwhile read. While it may not be perfect, the original storyline and characters definitely leave an unsettling impression of humanity.

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