The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Blog #1

The book, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne, opens by introducing you to a nine-year old boy named Bruno, who lives in Berlin with his mom, dad, and sister, Gretel. In the beginning, Bruno encounters his maid packing his belongings into multiple suitcases. Surprised, Bruno soon learns that he is moving out of Berlin because of his father’s new job. Bruno’s father is a Nazi soldier, and I can infer he is of high rank based on this quote, “…The large dining room where the Fury had been to dinner the week before.” (p.2) If “The Fury,” referring to Hitler, had eaten at their house, Bruno’s dad must be a high ranked soldier.

Bruno is dubious about the move, and has low expectations for his new life. He doesn’t want to leave behind his “three best friends for life,” and loves the many great features of his current house such as the long railing, and all the nooks and crannies yet to be discovered. When he arrives at his new house, he becomes very unhappy. He finds that this house is the exact opposite of his old house. It is much smaller, and very isolated. There are no neighbors, no sounds of people playing, and no people strolling the streets. Soon after, we learn how sad Bruno is when he talks about the move with one of the maids, Maria. Bruno’s family has many servants. However, Bruno most likes Maria, and often opens up to her about his feelings.

The second chapter ends when Bruno discovers a huge window, which he decides to explore because it’s much like his own. He looks out the window, and is shocked when he sees something that makes him feel “cold and unsafe.” (p.20) I can infer that it’s a concentration camp because his father is a Nazi soldier. If it turns out to be a concentration camp, I predict a lot of conflict will occur around Bruno’s house and the camp. I predict this because Bruno is a curious boy, “…find nooks and crannies that he hadn’t fully finished exploring yet.” This quote shows that Bruno spends a lot of time exploring, and I believe his curiosity will lead him to meddle around the camp in places he shouldn’t be. I also believe he might even help some of the Jewish people.