An Unlikely Friendship Grows in John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne’s book “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” is set in the area bordering Nazi Germany and Poland in the 1940s. The story concern a young German boy named Bruno, his family and the unlikely friendship he has between another boy named Schmuel, imprisoned in Auschwitz.

The major theme of the book is shown through the bonds of friendship and how in the most of unlikely circumstances friendship can survive and exist between people possessing an extensive and most restrictive division. A second theme is the evil and the intolerance which existed around these times of the Nazi regime and the Holocaust, as seen by the Germans having the Jews in the concentration camp. And the third theme is the curiosity and innocence of Bruno, Shmuel and Gretel, who all seem to fail to properly notice and understand what is really happening in the world around them, all contrasting with the well acknowledgement of others, such as Lt. Kottler.

Boyne uses the settings of Berlin and Auschwitz to highlight and scrutinize all of the major themes of the book. He also uses the change of setting from Berlin to Auschwitz to depict the change in mood and understandings of the current situations.

The most prominent settings used throughout the entirety of the novel are Berlin and Auschwitz. In these settings, the active transition from one house to the other and the locations of which the houses are positioned in. The next setting is the fence, as the fence is situated on the border of the camp to divide both sides, from Jew and German. Due to the current relations of the Germans and Jews at the time. Along with the hole or opening under the fence, exhibiting a penitential connection to occur between both sides. And finally the third settings are the gradua...

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...y vigorously. The full extent of his innocence is seen when he helps Schmuel with finding his father, and the ending of his life due to this. From the reader’s perspective again we see through this, that what is actually wanting to be said is that we should accept everyone for who they are. We shouldn't discriminate others for being different to us, but, instead, like children, forget the differences and befriend each other, in any case.

In summary, all themes and settings interlink with each other to further highlight the importance and impact each has during their entirety of the novel. Many lessons are also taught through this novel, such as the importance of friendship and the proper understanding of the events going on around you and others. Overall this novel is good way to give some idea of the events which happened during the Holocaust and the Nazi Regime.