The novel “Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,” by John Boyne raises philosophical issues about justice, humanity, and death. The idea of death has many different perceptions in the book. For example, the death of a jewish child in Auschwitz from the point of view of a Nazi soldier is just another Jew who deserved to die; however, from the point of view of a close family member of friend, is a tragic, undeserved  death of someone who had a great future. This also relates to the philosophical issue of humanity and raises the question of “are all human lives worth the same, and in what circumstances does one’s life matter more than others?” This question can looked at in two ways. One the emotional value, and other the physical value. For example, in the ending of the novel when Bruno in the gas chamber, his family mourns for his death painfully, while ignoring the painful death of millions of other Jews in the world. This shows that people often view one’s life as more important than other when one develops a relationship. Another example of this idea and physical value of life, is the Covid-19 pandemic. Holland, along with several other countries, are not allowing people over the age of 60 to use hospitals, to give priority to younger people. This shows that often people can value younger people’s lives since they have a brighter future to live. Another example of this is the government budget to save people in emergencies. If a person under the age of 21 is in danger, the government is allowed to spend up to $200,000.00 more than if someone over the age of 21 was in danger. Overall, people lives are not always worth the same, depending on their emotional value and physical value; however, the right question arises, “Is this really the way humans should be living.”

The novel “Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,” by John Boyne has a very strong theme of Morality and Ethics. For example, Bruno is someone who has an outstanding sense of morality and ethics, even though he is very young. Bruno does not view anyone as subhuman or inferior, despite what he hears from others around him, or even his moral universe. An example of this is when Pavel, a jewish worker is asked to build a swing for Bruno by Lieutenant Kotler. Kotler calls Pavel several bad words and treats him as an animal, “Come over here, you—” (7. 390.) Bruno on the other hand, feels empathy for Pavel, and treats him kindly. Another character who has a good sense of morality and ethics in Bruno’s mother, Elsa. Despite being married to a Senior Nazi General, Elsa seems to question her husbands beliefs and ideas. Throughout the book, there are many times where she sobs for all the lives lost in the camps; however, there is one moment that stands out. After Pavel is done helping Bruno after he falls from the swing, Elsa walks in and thanks him for helping her son. Even though “thank you” is only two words, it means a lot coming from a women married to a Nazi General, to a Jew. This moment shows a lot about Elsa’s identity, and shows that we are all human, no matter what the times are. An example of someone who has a bad sense of morality and ethics is Bruno’s sister, Gretel. Gretel’s ethics are corrupted by Nazi beliefs, and is easily tricked into believing something false just to fit with everyone else. She almost never questions anything that is told to her. For example, when Pavel drops the bottle of wine, and is beat up almost to death for no reason, Gretel says, “The Jew deserved it.” Overall, having a good sense of morality and ethics is a crucial trait that is always important to have.

In the book “Boy in the Striped Pyjamas,” by John Boyne, the main character, Bruno plays a very important role. Bruno is the protagonist of the story, for he always has the best intentions, and feels constant empathy for others around him. Bruno is an 9 year old child, and like most children, he is very observant of everything around him; however, he is very naive and doesn’t pick up on the fact that his father is a Nazi official. One of Bruno’s main traits is his innocence.  For example, when Bruno first arrives in his new home, he looks out his window and sees the death camp of Auschwitz. Instead of recognizing it, he thinks that the camp is a farm, and thinks its funny that the people who work there all wear pyjamas. As the story progresses, Bruno starts to see some of the farmers (jews) get beat up for no reason. Bruno gets very confused and wonders why are these people getting beat up for no reason. Bruno eventually learns that the farmers are actually Jews, but he doesn’t know the reason why they are there. Bruno has always loved adventures and exploring. When he goes on an adventure, he eventually reaches the barbed wires of Auschwitz and meets his first new friend. Bruno gets confused on why the boy is trapped inside the camp, and when Shmuel replies with,”because I’m a Jew,” Bruno gets very confused. This shows how even though Bruno is very perceptive, he doesn’t really understand what’s happening around him, or in the world. Another example, is when Bruno watches his father’s propaganda video, of how Auschwitz will have amazing food and lots of entertainment, when in reality it was a death camp. When the video ends, Bruno goes and hugs his father, and becomes proud of him for being so ‘nice’ the Jews, but little does he know that his own father is taking a major role in the mass genocide of millions of Jews.

“Those people … well, they’re not people at all, Bruno.”

This quote is extremely significant to the book, because it shows that Nazis viewed Jews as inhuman and inferior. Bruno’s dad is a high ranking officer in the Military for Germany; however, Bruno views his father as a good soldier fighting for his country,  and doesn’t yet know the truths of the war. When Bruno first sees Auschwitz out his window, he thinks that the people there are farmers. He comes to his dad confused on why do they all wear pajamas. In this quote, Bruno’s dad attempts to brainwash Bruno into believing the lies of the Nazis. The quote adds to Bruno’s motivation to visit Shmuel, making it more revolutionary. Bruno questions his dads beliefs, because when he talks to Shmuel, he views him as a normal person, making Bruno confused about what the rest of his family believes. This quote stands out to me because it shows how Nazis viewed Jews at the time. The way the phrase is worded to “not people at all” gave a feeling of disgust. This quote foreshadows Bruno’s discovery of what the camp really is about. When this quote is said, Bruno is still naive about what his dad really represents and the location he is in. At the moment, his biggest concerns are boredom and lack of friends. This quote really is the turning point in which Bruno starts questioning his father and the place he is in. This connects to the books theme of innocence. For example, Bruno still believes that Auschwitz is a farm with ‘weird’ people who wear striped pajamas, and overtime he discovers the truths. Overall, this quote marks the point in which Bruno loses his innocence and starts questioning society. a banana banana banana banana banana banana