I am choosing characterization as my topic. I am characterizing Maria, the house maid. This character is significant because in the household she is not very noticed much by the family unless they need something. This is important because she could end up hearing important stuff about Bruno’s father or what someone is saying to someone else without them realizing she’s there. She could end up hearing about his job, or she could hear what the soldiers that come to the house are saying to each other while she cleans in the background. She is also significant because she is friendly to a lot of people and they can probably feel like they can trust her. This goes back to point one in saying that a lot of people could end up telling her secrets or telling her about what they know about others. Another reason she is significant is because her family has been working with Bruno’s family for a long time. Her mother worked for Bruno’s grandmother, and after her mother died, she is not working for his family as the maid. They trust her opinions and they respect her, for instance the way that Bruno’s father took her in after her mother had gotten sick and died. Finally, the last reason that Maria is very significant is because no one really knows what’s going on inside her head. Even though she respects Bruno’s father, she despises the fact that he works for Hitler at Auschwitz. She tells even Bruno, who hates that he had to move to Poland, that what his father is doing is right. In conclusion, Maria is a very important character in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. She blends in and can hear important conversations that might be going on, many people trust her because of her friendliness, she is respected and treated well in Bruno’s household, and no one really knows what is going on in her head.