Faraz Saberi

Ms. T. Dachuck
ENG1D7a
18 Dec 2013
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter One: Bruno Makes a Discovery)
Say goodbye to them? he asked, staring at her in surprise. Say goodbye to
them? he repeated, sputtering out the words as if his mouth was full of biscuits
hed munched into tiny bits but not actually swallowed yet. Say goodbye to Karl
and Daniel and Martin? he continued, his voice coming dangerously close to
shouting, which was not allowed indoors. But theyre my three best friends for
life! (7)
Bruno is outraged and does not want to accept the fact that he may have to
give up his friendship with the three people he is closest with. He is talking to his
mother in a tone he would not usually use because she tells him his family is
moving out of Berlin because of a promotion his father received. The implication is
showcased that Bruno is upset about the move because of his sudden, compulsive
outrage that he presents when he raises is voice on his mother and sputters out at
her. This is also shown because he suddenly interrupts her when she was talking
just prior to this passage. Bruno feels as if the entire situation is unreal and is not
at all satisfied with his parents decision to move out of Berlin. The passage also
shows that Bruno is increasingly worried of what he would do without his three
friends, implying that he is indeed close with them and does not want to leave the
city. Asides from his friends, it seems he also does not want to leave his luxurious
house and his beautiful city (in his personal thought) for his fathers promotion.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Two: The New House)
Everything about it seemed to be the exact opposite of their old home and he
really couldnt believe they were going to live there. (11)
A text-to-self connection that I had made while reading this quote out of the
second chapter is to when my parents had purchased a new car one time that I did
not like. When Bruno sees his new home, he automatically feels as if everything is
unreal and wishes that he can go back to his old one. When I was living in Turkey, I
adapted to the luxurious life with large houses, enormous pools and three Mercedes
Benz on the cobblestone driveway. When we immigrated to Canada, I was truly
upset that our house had downsized to a condominium and we were driving a
Toyota and a Ford for a few months. The change had annoyed me and I felt like it
was not home for me, exactly how Bruno feels in this line. It is a sense of disbelief
and ignorance at first, but then it gets better; he may not realize.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Three: The Hopeless Case)
Well, I asked Father and he said we would be here for the foreseeable future.
What is the foreseeable future exactly? asked Bruno, sitting down on the side of
her bed. (24)
Shortly after arriving at their new home, Bruno and Gretel discuss how their
father said they would not be going home on a scheduled date and time. It is an
obvious display that both Bruno and Gretel are both in despair about the move and
want to be back in their old home in Berlin. They do not want to be at the new
house or else they would not have asked their father already, when they would be
leaving. Brunos questionable attitude towards Gretel and his father in this passage
displays that he is all against the idea of the move, even though it is a promotion
for his father who has an important job. This symbolizes Bruno character and
possibly even Gretels resistance against their parents decision. Brunos personality
traits have not improved since the first chapter, reflecting his character
development as direct.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Four: What They Saw Through the
Window)
emerging from a hut in the distance, a group of children huddled together and
being shouted at by a group of soldiers. (37)
This quote reminds me of films and television shows that I have seen in the
past that portray abusive husbands scowling furiously at their wives which feel
weak and are frightened hampered in a corner. This is a text-to-world connection
because it also relates to the real world and the way of humans in our society
today, every day. In relation to my connection, the soldiers would be the abusive
spouse who feels empowered and feels that they have a higher authority while the
little group of children being yelled is the abuse-receiving spouse.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Five: Out of Bounds At All Times And No
Exceptions)
But when can we go back to Berlin? asked Bruno, his heart sinking when Father
said that. Its so much nicer there. Come, come, said Father, wanting to have
none of that. Lets have none of that, he said. A home is not a building or a street
or a city or something so artificial as bricks and mortar. A home is where ones
family is, isnt that right? Yes, but- And our family is here Bruno. At Out-With.
Ergo, this must be our home. (47)
In this passage, it is shown that Father has a strict and straight-forward
development about his character and also projects power and authority. In his
office with Bruno, he is trying to communicate in a calm tone, that the family will be
staying at the new house for a long while, longer than Bruno would have hoped.
When Father attempts to explain to Bruno that a family is not about where it is but
rather that everyone is connected which each other in any place, he is trying to get
the message to his son that they will be staying for a longer period of time than
Bruno expects. It shows Father as a strong and powerful character but at the same
time, understanding and calm because of his formal strategy of language and his
position of authority in the family or even his employment. This also refers to the
style of the way the book was written by the author by showcasing to the audience
that Father is the wise one, the knowledgeable one, the leader in this storyline.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Six: The Overpaid Maid)
He had walked slowly but once he left the room he went more quickly towards the
stairs and then ran down them at a great pace, suddenly feeling if he didnt get out
of the house soon, he was going to faint away. (66)
In a text-to-self connection that spoke to me when I read this quote, I do
remember and relate to times where I felt I needed to leave the house/building or
area that I was in to catch a breath somewhere else. This would mainly be if I was
uncomfortable about something and preferred that I am subject to some time alone
to think over the situation and reassess. I have definitely had and seen this
scenario take place several times from what I can remember.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Seven: How Mother Took Credit For
Something She Hadnt Done)
If the Commandant asks, well say that I cleaned Bruno up. Which seemed
terribly selfish to Bruno and a way for Mother to take credit for something she
hadnt done. (85)
Bruno misunderstands his mother for taking credit for something she had not
done when she was actually trying to protect Pavel. Bruno cuts his knee and Pavel
cleans it out for him but he is not allowed to so his mother appreciates Pavel and
looks out for him by saying she will say she cleaned it out. This shows character
development for Mother because it portrays how she is of a more kind and
respectful spirit, looking after the maids, which is against the rules. The passage
also shows character development for Bruno because it just shows more boldly that
he does not have knowledge about so many of the situations that occur on a daily
basis in his household. It shows that he does not even know that his mother was
actually looking after Pavel and not being selfish and rude. Boyne wanted to show
the differences between the knowledge and the understanding/reasoning of a child
in that specific household compared to one of the mother.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Eight: Why Grandmother Stormed Out)
Im afraid, young man, my singing days are far behind me. (87)
This line is usually one that you hear when you are talking to my parents.
Whenever I ask them to do something out of the ordinary or share a special story,
they claim that they are old even though they arent even in their forties yet. I
think it is a line that is quite common with adults and they think they are too old or
frail to present a specific talent of theirs, whether it is singing or not. This is a text-
to-self connection I have experienced quite frequently.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Nine: Bruno Remembers He Used to Enjoy
Exploration)
Father and Mother obviously enjoyed the company of the soldiers - Bruno could
tell that. But theyd never once invited the striped pajama people to dinner. (101)
Bruno realizes that his parents enjoy their time when they are with the
soldiers and laugh with them but they have not even invited a single person from
the other side of the fence. With prior knowledge, the audience can determine that
the people in the striped pajamas are Jews and Brunos family is obviously not but
Bruno does not know this yet. This is a case of connotative diction, where the
audience knows why Mother and Father have not invited Jews into their home for
dinner but Bruno still does not understand any of it. It shows the separation
between the two levels, the separation Bruno is not informed of.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Ten: The Dot That Became a Speck That
Became a Blob That Became a Figure That Became a Boy)
I think Poland is in Denmark, said Bruno, growing even more confused even
though he was trying to sound clever. (112)
A text-to-self connection that I had made based on this quote consisted of
my memories of when I was younger. I would want to show off that I was highly
knowledgeable and usually talked about subjects and shared (false) facts that I was
not sure about myself, definitely confusing myself further. It may even happen
nowadays if someone asks me a question and I attempt answering it but knowing
the true answer, not wanting to make myself look unintelligent.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Eleven: The Fury)
Father came home one evening in a state of great excitement, which was terribly
unlike him (116)
Father had come home adrenalized and excited which strikes as unusual for
Bruno and possibly his sister and mother. He had just received news from the Fury
that he will be visited during dinner and excitedly shares with the family that they
must cancel all of their plans. Fathers character in this situation has temporarily
changed dramatically and Bruno is surprised to witness it. Bruno expects Father to
be his usual self, calm and sophisticated, but because the leader of the country is
coming for dinner, Father is quite an adrenaline rush. This shows that Father is
easily moved and changed by the politics and political references in Germany. In
the passage, it Brunos thoughts describe his father as terribly unlike himself
which means that he is overjoyed and excited by the upcoming event. Father
obviously knows something more or thinks something differently than Bruno does,
springing up possible connotative diction.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Twelve: Shmuel Thinks of an Answer to
Brunos Question)
And I hated Luka, who was the boy who kept hitting me even when I did nothing
wrong. (129)
A text-to-world connection was made when I read this quote because it
reminds of all of the cases of an older teenager or a younger adult, usually male,
who takes pleasure and satisfaction in torturing and causing physical and emotional
pain towards someone else, usually younger than themselves. It is a physiological
case that relates to other addictions such as drug abuse and masturbation because
the person would feel as if they need to continue in order to quench their thirst. In
this scenario, Luka would have this issue with this mentality of his personal needs.
This problem is specifically called sadistic personality disorder and is actually
unfortunately, quite common in todays world.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Thirteen: The Bottle of Wine)
What happened then was both unexpected and extremely unpleasant. Lieutenant
Kotler grew very angry with Pavel (148)
Lieutenant Kotler starts to punish Pavel by harshly beating him and possibly
even eventually killing him. Pavel had accidentally spilt a bottle of wine onto the
Lieutenants lap because he was possibly ill. Lieutenant Kotler took the incident so
seriously, he beat Pavel until he died. This proves Kotlers personality as an
impulsive, dangerous and unpredictable one because of this unnecessary, violent
incident that occurred. This may symbolize an imbalance in Lieutenant Kotlers
mentality, especially because the two children were at the table when it had
occurred. This shows Lieutenant Kotler as an unstable and violent self.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Fourteen: Bruno Tells a Perfectly
Reasonable Lie)
and wondered whether Shmuel, wherever he was, was thinking about him too
and missing their conversations as much as he was. (160)
There are many instances in ones life where they feel insecure, hesitant and
anxious if they were separate from a specific person for a period of time because
they do not know what they would be thinking or doing at the time. In a text-to-self
that I made, I remember I was always wondering my parents were succeeding with
life when they were far from home on business trips. The feeling of insecurity for
your thoughts because you want to know what the other specific person is doing at
a specific time, especially if the separation were unexpected or for a long period of
time.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Fifteen: Something He Shouldnt Have
Done)
Oh, Kurt, precious, youre still here, said Mother, stepping out of the kitchen and
coming towards them. I have a little free time now if-Oh! she said, noticing Bruno
standing there. Bruno! What are you doing here? (166)
Mother was not expecting Bruno to be in the living room because she was
talking to Lieutenant Kotler, in a manner that she should not be. Mother is having
an affair on Father with Lieutenant Kotler and she was about to possibly offer him
some sexual intercourse but was surprised to see Bruno standing beside Kotler. The
fact that Mother was caught off guard and acts quite appalled that Bruno is in the
room is because she does not want to be caught. At this point in the novel, it is
shown that Mother is not making wise decisions with her relationship. This does
reveal that Mother has possibly grown tired of her husband and may not love him
anymore, which is she reverts to the young Lieutenant to fulfill her sexual and
emotional desires.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Sixteen: The Haircut)
While he was there, Bruno realized he wasnt quite as small as he had been when
he left because he could see over things that he couldnt see over beforewithout
standing on his tiptoes. (176)
This quote really gets to my personal life because I can remember several
times throughout my childhood where I noticed at random instances that I was
actually growing in height and even sometimes, in width. I believe this is a text-to-
self connection that many should be able to make almost immediately. You notice
you have outgrown clothes, you notice you can reach higher cabinets and you
notice you can see over the seat in from of you when you are riding in the back of
your parents car.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Seventeen: Mother Gets Her Own Way)
Bruno found that he was not looking forward to this as much as he would have
expected and he dreaded having to tell Shmuel about the news. (192)
Bruno is informed alongside Gretel by his father that he is moving back to Berlin
with his mother and sister but he is not as joyful as he would have been if it were a
year and a half ago. Bruno wants to stay at Out-With now because he is close
friends with Shmuel and does not want to inform him of the news that he is to
move back to Berlin. In terms o character development, this proves that Bruno has
come a long way with the respect that he has portrayed for himself here at his new
home. Since the third chapter where he was complaining to Father about the move,
he has emotionally and even physically developed and adapted, not wanting to
leave now although this would have been spectacular news if it were a while ago.
This passage also shows that he does not want to lose his close and magical
friendship that he had built with Shmuel; he is not willing to give it up, even for
Berlin.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Eighteen: Thinking Up the Final
Adventure)
But if I was caught Id be in trouble, said Bruno, who was sure Mother and Father
would not approve. (198)
I made a text-to-self connection to when I know I should not do something
that is against the rules or is not allowed but I decide to go through with it anyway.
The reason would be because I know that I would gain more either for myself or for
someone else if I went against that specific rule for that one instance than if I just
went through with the fact that it is against the rules. Bruno and Shmuel both feel
as if they need to go against themselves and face the possibility of serious
consequences so that they can play for once and for all before Bruno leaves for
Berlin.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Nineteen: What Happened the Next Day)
Shmuel gathered himself very close to Bruno and looked up at him in fright. (212)
Shmuel realizes that something unfortunate and frightening is about to occur
but Bruno, does not quite grasp the idea that he is in a dangerous place at a
dangerous time. The Nazi soldiers are guiding the Jews and Bruno, without realizing
it is him, into a gas chamber where they will poison them to death. Bruno is very
unaware of his surroundings and thinks that the soldiers are putting them in here to
block them from the rain but in reality, they want to murder them. This shows that
although Bruno has gained more knowledge and more maturity throughout the
novel, he is still very unaware and unsure of how the society around him is
operating which is why he sadly cannot see his death coming when Shmuel can.
The passage shows Shmuel as a more understanding and knowledgeable person.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Chapter Twenty: The Last Chapter)
and he went without complaint and he was happy to do so because he didnt
really mind what hey did to him anymore. (216)
I made a text-to-world connection with this quote to people who lose their
sense of wanting to live and eventually give in to a point where it is easy to say
that it would not bother them if they were no longer on the face of this earth. This
is usually what leads into suicide and there has been an increase (within the past
few years) in the number of teenage suicides (or attempts) because the victims
have presumably suffered through a specific dilemma. In this scenario, Brunos
father would not mind being tortured painfully and killed by the government of
Germany because he feels he has failed himself for his family, especially Bruno, and
has just realized what terrible orders he has sent out to violently murder the Jewish
people of Poland and surrounding areas.