Nikolaus's Blog

• Setting and Mood – Describe a scene in which the setting and mood are particularly effective. What language made them effective? Be specific.

In the resolution of the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, the setting and the mood are most effective in the final scene. In this scene, Bruno helps Schmuel look for his “lost” father. Right before Bruno is about to go back home, there is a loud whistle and Bruno and Schmuel are caught up with the others in a “march.” When Bruno asks Schmuel if the march will “…go on for long,” Shmuel answers, “I never see the people after they’ve gone on a march. But I wouldn’t imagine it does.” (Boyne 211) This is the first clue we get a a reader that something very bad may happen to them. It creates suspense, but it also creates a sad mood because it hints that people march to their deaths. It is confirmed when the author describes their new setting, “….his feet brought him up a set of steps, and as he marched on he found there was no more rain coming down any more because they were all piling into a long room that was surprisingly warm and must have been securely built because no rain was getting in anywhere.” (page 211) The words which make the mood even more effective are “piling,” “long room,” “surprisingly warm,” and “securely built.” These words are full of imagery, and the reader can “see” the crematorium. Bruno continues to describe the room as “completely airtight.” But even more effective in the end are the words Bruno says, ” ‘Well, that’s something”, he said, glad to be out of the storm for a few minutes at least. ‘I expect we’ll have to wait here till it eases off and then I’ll get to go home.'” (page 212) It is very sad at this point because the reader knows that he is not going home. In the last scene of book, it says that Bruno never heard Schmuel’s words “…because at that moment there was a loud gasp from all the marchers who had filled the room, as the door at the front was suddenly closed and a loud metallic sound rang through the outside.” (page 213) The use of the word “loud” twice and the word “metallic sound” add to the already intense scene. The mood of the resolution is very sad, but at the same time the reader feels the love between Bruno and Schmuel, “….Bruno found that he was still holding Schmuel’s hand in his own and nothing in the world would have persuaded him to let it go.” (page 213)

Surprised or Puzzled? – Is there something that surprises you that does not appear to fit in the text? Explain why you feel this way. Discuss why something doesn’t make sense to you or why your views might be different from the author’s intended purpose.

In the book, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Hitler is never referred to by his name. Bruno refers to Hitler as “the Fury.” The reader has to assume that “the Fury” is Hitler because the characters all show him a lot of respect, and Bruno’s father has many rules for Bruno and Gretel when “the Fury” comes to dinner. Bruno even says, “He had dark hair, which was cut quite short, and a tiny moustache-so tiny in fact that Bruno wondered why he bothered with it at all or whether he had simply forgotten a piece when he was shaving.” (Boyne 122) The Fury is also the man who gives Bruno’s father the promotion which then leads the family to leave Berlin. I am surprised that they don’t use his real name and even more surprised that Bruno calls him Fury because I haven’t heard that name for Hitler before. “Fury” means  wild or crazy, so the name would fit. After Gretel told him that she could speak French, he responded, “Yes, but why would you want to?” (page 122) It made everyone in the room uncomfortable and then, “The matter was resolved quickly, however, as the Fury who was the rudest guest Bruno had ever witnessed, turned round and walked directly into the dining room and promptly sat down at the head of the table-in Father’s seat!-without another word.” (page 122) Since the word “fury” has a negative meaning, it makes sense that Bruno calls him that because Bruno thinks the man is rude, and this same man is the reason Bruno has to leave his happy life in Berlin. Because “the Fury” brings so many bad life changes for Bruno and his family, it seems like “the Fury” is a good name then. However, Hitler was actually called Fuehrer which in German means “leader” or “guide.” It was a title of respect. So perhaps Bruno had problems with pronunciation or understanding some words properly. Then this made think about why Bruno calls the camp “Out With.” Maybe he doesn’t pronounce this word properly either, but “aus” in German means “out” and “schwitz” means “to sweat or sweat.” So Auschwitz means “out sweat or sweat out.” I looked in the internet to see if maybe it has another meaning and it says that it is also yiddish for “shvitz.” A “shvitz” is a traditional Jewish steambath of Eastern European origin. Therefore, “Auschwitz” means big steambath or sauna.  The Germans even referred to one of the buildings as “die zentrale Sauna,” or Central Sauna. (scrapbook.com)

The Grandmother, Ralf’s mother, is to most characters in the book an antagonist. For Bruno, Gretel, and the readers, she is a protagonist. She is significant because she challenges her son’s decisions, and she shows her disappointment in him. She is also the first character in the book to reveal that Bruno’s father is doing terrible things. She actually confirms what the reader is already thinking.

She is an antagonist to Father because she is the first character to really stand up to him. While the others are celebrating his new position, Grandmother says, “I wonder-is this where I went wrong with you, Ralf?’ she said. ‘I wonder if all the performances I made you give as a boy led you to this. Dressing up like a puppet on a string.'” (page 90) She compares her son to someone without a brain who is being controlled by someone else, Hitler.  Grandmother is a strong character who has no problems saying what she thinks. When the others are impressed with Ralf’s uniform, Grandmother says, “Standing there in your uniform,” she continued, “as if it makes you something special.” Both Bruno and Gretel don’t understand Grandmother’s words, they just see her as the fun grandma. After Bruno and Gretel are told to go to bed, the Grandmother continues to share her opinion, “That’s all you soldiers are interested in anyway,” Grandmother said, ignoring the children altogether. ‘Looking handsome in your fine uniforms. Dressing up and doing the terrible, terrible things you do. It makes me ashamed. But I blame myself, Ralf, not you.'”(page 92)  Before she storms out of the house and leaves the party, she says, “The people you have to dinner in this house. Why, it makes me sick. And to see you in that uniform makes me want to tear the eyes from my head!” It is the first time in the book where we meet a character who challenges Father, and we know it is significant because the character is his mother.

In the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno, the main character, has his first debate with his  father, Bruno is very upset about leaving his nice, big home in Berlin. He doesn’t understand how their new home and his father’s new job could be a promotion. Bruno is very upset with his father because he does not like his new reality. He challenges his father and even asks to return to Berlin. At first, his father listens to him, but then he starts to get impatient. Before Bruno leaves his father’s office, he asks who all those people are outside. His father responds, “Those people, ….well, they’re not people at all Bruno.” His father continues to tell him, “Accept the situation in which  you find yourself and everything will be so much easier.” At this point, Bruno leaves the office but his father calls him back and gives  him a look that Bruno forgot something. Then, “He pushed his two feet together and shot his right arm in the air before clicking his two heels together and saying in as deep and clear a voice as possible-as much like Father’s as he could manage-the words he said every time he left a soldier’s presence. Heil Hitler.”  Bruno assumed this meant, “Well, goodbye for now, have a pleasant afternoon.”

This image strikes me because it is the first moment in the book where you can really “see” that the father is a Nazi soldier. This scene is important because it also shows the attitude of the father about the Jews, and it shows how much Bruno does not understand. He thinks that the “Heil Hitler” and the arm movement is saying something nice. He treats it like a normal greeting or a goodbye. This adds to the text because the reader can actually understand how the father is following orders, but also that Bruno must accept it too because his father said so. Bruno treats this departure as something normal because all the soldiers do it. The image of of the clicking of the heels and the right arm in the air symbolizes their identity as a single superior race united in one Nazi cause. So, it shows that Bruno’s father is a Nazi and expects his son Bruno to be one too.