Topic: Imagery/Symbolism

For Bruno, Berlin is home and full of life. Berlin is color; beauty; busy, crowded streets; freedom; his Grandmother and Grandfather who live close by. We see how much Berlin affected him. Bruno is a character who uses his senses to learn about his world. We understand his connection to Berlin by what he sees, hears, smells and tastes, and touches. How he loves his home on a quiet street with the many floors, the “enormous oak doors,” (9) his bedroom, the “nooks and crannies,” and the long banister that he slides down. When Bruno arrives at his new home outside of Out-With, he immediately dislikes it. He thinks “everything about it seemed to be the exact opposite of their old home.” (11) In contrast, Out-With is in an “empty, desolate place” with no other houses around and no other families with children to play with. The new house was cold and bland. Bruno made a bold statement shortly after arriving: “This isn’t home and it never will be.” (16) And something “made him feel cold and unsafe.” (20) Everything that Berlin represents is being, breathing, growing. While Out-With is cold, nasty, stunted, decaying. The Out-With prisoners that Bruno sees outside the window are in contrast to the people he saw in Berlin. The buildings and huts on the Out-With camp are plain and utilitarian, no things of beauty. Everything he is learning about Out-With is the complete opposite of what his experiences were in Berlin. Every detail, even the people in the striped pajamas and matching caps represent opposites in Bruno’s world. On the train ride to Out-With, Bruno and his family ride in a near empty comfortable train while across the platform another train car headed in the same direction is being load with crowds of people. We see how things change quickly for Bruno and how Berlin is the complete opposite of Out-With.

Topic: Characterization

Bruno is a significant character because the story is his. He is the protagonist in the story. Bruno is happy, young (9 years old) and naive. In Berlin, there is beauty, color, friends and freedom–freedom to explore indoors and outdoors. Bruno is near-sighted, only seeing what is directly in front of him and only what his parents show him. This is understandable because of his age. The truth is hidden from him and he spends a lot of time guessing what is happening around him–he does not know what his father does for a living, but he knows what his friends’ fathers do for a living. In his family, when conversations are not for children, Bruno is told to leave. On several occasions, he tries to listen in and eavesdrop and piece together bits of information, but because of his immaturity, he is not able to. What Bruno seems to know is that his father has an important job, soldiers visit his home, and his father’s office at home is “Out Of Bounds At ALL Times And No Exceptions.” At the party when his Grandmother was upset with Bruno’s father, Bruno has no idea why. It is clear to the reader why Bruno’s Grandmother is so upset with her son. When Bruno’s father gets promoted to “Commandant,” Bruno does no idea what that means. Bruno is upset that the family had to move from his home to the place he calls Out-With. At Out-With, he misses his old house in Berlin, he misses his friends, and he misses exploring outside. Bruno thinks the new house feels “empty and cold.” (13). There is no beauty, no friends, no color, no freedom. He is told not to venture toward to camp with the barbed wire fence. After a while Bruno sees beyond his own home and begins to explore.