This is my essay The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
The novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas written by John Boyne, helps young people understand what happened during the Holocaust. An important relationship is between Bruno and Shmuel. Bruno is a young boy who moved from Berlin to Auschwitz, also known as Out-With by Bruno in the novel. Shmuel is a young Jewish boy who was imprisoned in a concentration camp during World War ll. This relationship helped me to understand that people from different cultures can form friendships even with what is going on around them. In my opinion, children and adults should understand the horrors of the Holocaust and never forget.
Bruno moved to Auschwitz for his "father's job" without a choice. He didn't like it one bit, "Not even insects would choose to stay at Out-with," said Bruno. The one thing keeping him there was his friendship with Shmuel. The two boys met at the fence of the camp and, despite the two different worlds they live in, seem to click right away, "'Hello' said Bruno, 'Hello' said Shmuel." Bruno does not understand why Shmuel isn't allowed on his side of the fence or why he can't go in there. Bruno thinks it's unfair that Shmuel has so many companions on his side of the fence. This helped me understand that at this point in the novel, Bruno didn't know anything about the hate Germans have for Jews at the time.
At first they didn't know each other very well and had not developed a trusting relationship. Bruno and Shmuel share many things alike; they are both 9 years old and born on the same day, "'How old are you?' said Bruno…. 'I'm nine, my birthday is April the fifteenth nineteen thirty-four.' Bruno's eyes opened and his mouth made the shape of an O. 'I don't believe it… We were born on the same day.'" I think that the fact they have many similarities is what makes it such a good friendship, they both care for each other very much.`
Bruno went out to see Shumel almost every day just to talk and play. It was the joy of his day. He brought Shmuel food almost every time, if he didn't eat it himself. They talked about their families and different lives, "'Where did you come from?' said Shmuel, 'Berlin' said Bruno….. 'Don't you come from Germany?' said Bruno, 'No, I'm from Poland,' said Shmuel." Bruno and Shmuel's friendship is something special, it goes to show no matter who the person is, friendships can be made.
Bruno's lessons with Herr Liszt taught him untrue things about Jews, like they are the reason why Germans lost the Great War, they have made millions of Germans have no money, that they are dirty and in general bad people. The author showed this when Bruno said, "We're not supposed to be friends, we're supposed to be enemies." That helped me understand that Bruno still didn't stop being friends with Shmuel after what he had been told; he continued to treat Shmuel like nothing was different about him. That shows me a strong, trusting friendship.
Reading about Bruno and Shmuel's friendship helped me understand key messages within the book like their forgiveness, support and trust for each other. Their relationship helped me understand what happened to Jews, that in my opinion, no matter who or where a person can be, it is easy to create friends with people that are judged. The book is heart-warming and upsetting. Reading the novel made me feel like I was a part of the Holocaust. I think their lost voices should be heard much more.
