The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Blog #2

             As I’ve read further through the book, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, I’ve started to uncover more traits of the protagonist, Bruno. When I put Bruno in contrast with Sarah, the protagonist in the book Sarah’s Key, I find that they have very different backgrounds. However, when I identify their traits, I realize that the two children are very similar. Bruno is German, and has lived in Germany his whole life. His parents are anti-Semitic, however Bruno hasn’t yet generated his own opinions because his parents haven’t exposed him to Jews or anti-Semitism. As I mentioned in my last blog, his dad is a Nazi soldier and believes that Jews are “…not people at all…” (p.53) Sarah, on the other hand, lives in France, and is Jewish and Parisian. She ends up in a concentration camp while Bruno runs no risk of going to one.

            Despite their background differences, Bruno and Sarah together possess many connections. Both characters are very loving and caring toward their families. Bruno seems to always care about how others are doing, and just wishes for the best for everyone. When Sarah’s little brother, Michel, was locked in the closet, Sarah wouldn’t stop thinking of him, and she motivated herself to let Michel out no-matter what was to come of her. This also demonstrates another quality that both Sarah and Bruno have in common, which is determination. Sarah tried very hard to let her brother out of the closet before he died. Almost immediately after escaping the concentration camp, she headed for her house despite her hosts offering a longer stay. Also, Bruno was very determined to make things go his way with the move. He didn’t want to leave his Berlin life behind, and he repeatedly addressed that he wanted to stay in Berlin. When his parents would tell him to stop talking about it and move on, he kept talking about his opinions on the move. Another example of Bruno’s determination is when he discovered the concentration camp. He didn’t know what it was and he kept staring and asking until he found out what it was.

            In addition to the character traits that Bruno and Sarah share, I have also found that they have similar internal conflicts. The thing that makes it so hard for Sarah’s will to carry on is that she is burdened with the stress of leaving behind her life as she knew it. She first had to leave her house behind, with her brother Michel still in the house, and then she was separated from her mom and dad, leaving her with nothing. Bruno felt the same feelings that Sarah felt when he had to leave behind his three best friends, his grandparents, his big house, and the area of city that he loved. As I read more into the book I will discover more qualities about Bruno that also relate to Sarah.