In my opinion, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas definetely has 'war' written all over it. The book seems awfully realistic, considering that Bruno is in another world, in his new home at Outwith, with the dozens of soldiers surrounding the houde for Bruno's dads' (the general) security. It also seems very lifelike seeing as no one is gentle with Bruno (ecxept the mother and maria.), despite the fact that he was only 9 years old. I would have expected more action, more ''war''. I think this due to the fact that at both houses, Berlin and Outwith, no enemy tried to do anything evil. I also noticed that when Bruno went for his daily meet with Shmuel, the terrain in their meeting spot was surprisingly soft, meaning that the condemned men and children in the camp could easily grab a shovel and dig a hole under the fence (i noticed also that Shmuel always had a shovel with him). These minor details can be noticed but overall i would say that the book was perfectly up to standard to be telling us about the life of a 9 year old boy during the 2nd World War.
Thanks for posting! I go back and forth about this issue, myself. I am never quite sure what I think. The emotional part of me says that the feelings Bruno has would be realistic of a boy like him during WWII. Yet the part of me that knows history wonders things like how were Shmuel and Bruno even able to meet without a guard catching them? Or how did Bruno get through the fence exactly? If he could get through, why couldn't other people? Those questions lead me to viewing the story more like a fable than historical fiction. But I am never quite sure! Someone help me decide!
I definetly agree with Ms. Gelso. I don't think you can say whether it was realistic or not. In my opinion, there were many realistic parts of the story, but other parts I just can't see happening. Remember, this story is being written from the authors point of view of what a war would be like through a little boys eyes. To really emphasize this, he must've had to cut down on some of the realism.
Your comment just makes me wonder about the issue even more. How much did John Boyne intend for us to consider as real and historical and how much did he intend for us to consider as a fable?
The Boy In Striped Pajama is written through the eyes of a 9 year old boy (Bruno). Bruno has no idea of what the world is going through because he is only 9 years old. Bruno also lives in a rich family and his father is a general of the German army, so because of this Bruno is taught all the little things they taught him in the German point of view. Because we read through Bruno's eyes and because Bruno knows nothing about war when we read it seems as if there is no war and there are no captives who are being murdered by this i say that The Boy in Striped Pajamas doesn't provide a realistic point of view of the WW2.
In my opinion "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" is clearly about World War 2.But as we discussed in class, it is from a nine year old's point of view. The book does not give as realistic a view of WW2 as say a text book would but then again, it can't. I think it's very interesting how it was written from the side of the Germans and a boy who had grown up with that.
But in conclusion I think it does give a realistic view of some parts but not all. For example the concentration camps where written out very realistically.
I personally believe ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ doesn’t provide a realistic view of World War II. For a start, as Ms. Gelso mentioned, a lot of the things which happen are not very realistic and almost seem too perfect for the story to be true; in other words, the story is made up of coincidence upon coincidence. For example, first, out of the whole fence, the two boys manage to find the only place with a gap. Then they manage to meet in the exact same location every day without getting caught, or even questioned. And in the end they manage to steal the pyjamas and get into the concentration camp without anybody noticing. Furthermore, I don’t believe Bruno’s thoughts are realistic because his ignorance is simply too great. I don’t think anyone, not even a nine-year-old, could live during World War II and be so ignorant about what was happening around them, especially if they lived next door to a concentration camp and had a commandant as a father. In my opinion, the story was written to be a parable with a historical background rather than a real life situation.
I personally think that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas reflects World War II in every way. Even though the author never really states this you can find clues all over the book, the condition of the Jews in the concentration camp, Father's important "job", and so on. The reason why we don't actually see this written is because it is expressed through Bruno's eyes, and Bruno is no more than an innocent nine year old. In my opinion it is a mixture of both because the author intends it as a fable so that we can learn from it, but at the same time it shows the brutal reality of World War II, in response to Ms. Gelso's comment.
It is about John Boyne and another famous author, Yann Martel, who have been both lauded and criticized for their creative interpretations of the Holocaust.
to Lorenzo- Lorenzo the only thing that you ever think about is killing, murdering, etc!!! However, you are right, due to the fact that no one actually died throughout the book (of course, the end is a different thing). I would have expected more guns and more fighting as you said.
I believe that some parts of "Boy In Striped Pyjamas" reflects to what really went on during World War II, but there are other parts of the book where the author has modified the content. There are many parts where you are given hints about what really took place in the camp or in the lives of the soldiers. For example, when Bruno and Shmuel get killed in the gas chamber, the author is trying to tell us what really occurred when the prisoners were taken for the march. On the other hand, parts like Shmuel being able to interact with Bruno without anyone knowing may have been impossible as the soldiers were everywhere. So I believe John Boyne added the basic information of World War II but at the same time, added more content to form a story. I have seen this in most of the historical fiction books I have read, as it helps an author make the story less like a history book.
Lolo: I agree with you on the fact that the book was interesting from a German's point of view. Normally books about WorldWar II are usually written from the viewpoint of the prisoners or Jews. This way we also know what was going on in the head of the Germans when all of these events were occuring.
I Personally believe its not a realistic view. Instead of visualizing battles, fights, Hitlers plans, the americans invading... We visualize the effects the war has on a nine year old and what he understands of it. It shows how the war dramatizes and ruins the life of a young boy. Although I mentioned it wasn't a realistic view of the war, the books has some clues and signs of the war: Concentration camp, Soldiers... I completely agree with Alice about the fact that Bruno was most ignorant about the war. Especially since he lived in Germany's capital, his father was a soldier, he lived near a concentration camp, his best friend was a jew and he had also met Hitler. I think of it more like a story that was pure chance and that couldn't possibly happen in real life. How could Bruno's parents not notice Bruno was gone during the day; how could Shmuel wander away from the concentration camp and soldiers. Why didn't Shmuel escape from the hole since nobody would have noticed he was gone; how can Bruno think they're in berlin....
This book is definitely a book based on World War 2. The thing is that i dont think it really provides a realistic view about it because of its point of view. The 3rd person limited focused only on the 9 year old Bruno, who is oblivious to what is going on around him. I would believe that in most cases, people knew what was going on while experiencing this period of time. Due to the fact that the point of view we had didn't really express everything that went on, it was not very realistic.
Then again, the Author John Boyne makes things clear enough for us to understand what is happening which is what makes the perpective of the realism of WWII in this book good. To me there is no right anwser to this question, just opinions, but in conclusion i would say that the book was written realistically on WWII.
It provides a great view of world war II and somethings yes are too...imaginary but overall it was great but if you don't know about world war II and read this you'd be confused!And of course the view is quite unknowing of the surrounding but I believe it's a good point of view
To Lolo, The view isn't too realistic but shows the feeling of world war II even though Bruno doesn't know it's going on. Everyone knew what was going on except for him so it is not a good idea and maybe it shouldn't be depended on as a book to learn about world war II
I think that this book is really based on world war 2. Of course-except for the end of the book- there is no killing described tghrout the story but there are certain moments where the author describes the discrimination of Jews. For example, Pavel, when he was serving the dinner, he accidently pured wine on Lieutenant Kotler. Bruno won't tell us what happened but it's obvious that he beat him up. In addition, Lieutenant Kotler always calls Pavel or other Jews "you filthy Jew", even though Bruno never says the word Jew.
Thierry- I totally agree with Thierry in the fact that John Boyne, even though writing the book from Bruno's point of view which is the one of an oblivious and innocent 9 year old, he makes everything obvious, clear and understandable.
I thinks that "The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas" is based on the basics of World War II. However in this case, only some parts actually describe you the situations in that period. The author, from my point of view, tried to soften the tragic moments and the feelings that people and children would have had in those years. It's so terrible, that it can't be written without turning around the topic to make it sound better then it really was. I think that the author made a great job in presenting that particular historical moment. Some places and occasions are described very realistic way so that we can really understand and picture them. I also believe that the book doesn't actually make the moments realistic because Bruno's thoughts are in between and he is only 9 years old and he's an innocent boy.
In my opinion, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas definetely has 'war' written all over it. The book seems awfully realistic, considering that Bruno is in another world, in his new home at Outwith, with the dozens of soldiers surrounding the houde for Bruno's dads' (the general) security. It also seems very lifelike seeing as no one is gentle with Bruno (ecxept the mother and maria.), despite the fact that he was only 9 years old. I would have expected more action, more ''war''. I think this due to the fact that at both houses, Berlin and Outwith, no enemy tried to do anything evil. I also noticed that when Bruno went for his daily meet with Shmuel, the terrain in their meeting spot was surprisingly soft, meaning that the condemned men and children in the camp could easily grab a shovel and dig a hole under the fence (i noticed also that Shmuel always had a shovel with him). These minor details can be noticed but overall i would say that the book was perfectly up to standard to be telling us about the life of a 9 year old boy during the 2nd World War.
ReplyDeleteAmedeo--
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting! I go back and forth about this issue, myself. I am never quite sure what I think. The emotional part of me says that the feelings Bruno has would be realistic of a boy like him during WWII. Yet the part of me that knows history wonders things like how were Shmuel and Bruno even able to meet without a guard catching them? Or how did Bruno get through the fence exactly? If he could get through, why couldn't other people? Those questions lead me to viewing the story more like a fable than historical fiction. But I am never quite sure! Someone help me decide!
I definetly agree with Ms. Gelso. I don't think you can say whether it was realistic or not. In my opinion, there were many realistic parts of the story, but other parts I just can't see happening. Remember, this story is being written from the authors point of view of what a war would be like through a little boys eyes. To really emphasize this, he must've had to cut down on some of the realism.
ReplyDeleteOwen--
ReplyDeleteYour comment just makes me wonder about the issue even more. How much did John Boyne intend for us to consider as real and historical and how much did he intend for us to consider as a fable?
The Boy In Striped Pajama is written through the eyes of a 9 year old boy (Bruno). Bruno has no idea of what the world is going through because he is only 9 years old. Bruno also lives in a rich family and his father is a general of the German army, so because of this Bruno is taught all the little things they taught him in the German point of view. Because we read through Bruno's eyes and because Bruno knows nothing about war when we read it seems as if there is no war and there are no captives who are being murdered by this i say that The Boy in Striped Pajamas doesn't provide a realistic point of view of the WW2.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" is clearly about World War 2.But as we discussed in class, it is from a nine year old's point of view. The book does not give as realistic a view of WW2 as say a text book would but then again, it can't. I think it's very interesting how it was written from the side of the Germans and a boy who had grown up with that.
ReplyDeleteBut in conclusion I think it does give a realistic view of some parts but not all. For example the concentration camps where written out very realistically.
I personally believe ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ doesn’t provide a realistic view of World War II.
ReplyDeleteFor a start, as Ms. Gelso mentioned, a lot of the things which happen are not very realistic and almost seem too perfect for the story to be true; in other words, the story is made up of coincidence upon coincidence. For example, first, out of the whole fence, the two boys manage to find the only place with a gap. Then they manage to meet in the exact same location every day without getting caught, or even questioned. And in the end they manage to steal the pyjamas and get into the concentration camp without anybody noticing.
Furthermore, I don’t believe Bruno’s thoughts are realistic because his ignorance is simply too great. I don’t think anyone, not even a nine-year-old, could live during World War II and be so ignorant about what was happening around them, especially if they lived next door to a concentration camp and had a commandant as a father.
In my opinion, the story was written to be a parable with a historical background rather than a real life situation.
I personally think that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas reflects World War II in every way. Even though the author never really states this you can find clues all over the book, the condition of the Jews in the concentration camp, Father's important "job", and so on. The reason why we don't actually see this written is because it is expressed through Bruno's eyes, and Bruno is no more than an innocent nine year old.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion it is a mixture of both because the author intends it as a fable so that we can learn from it, but at the same time it shows the brutal reality of World War II, in response to Ms. Gelso's comment.
I found an interesting article that plays into our debate. If you're interested, check it out!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/article1592676.ece
It is about John Boyne and another famous author, Yann Martel, who have been both lauded and criticized for their creative interpretations of the Holocaust.
to Lorenzo-
ReplyDeleteLorenzo the only thing that you ever think about is killing, murdering, etc!!! However, you are right, due to the fact that no one actually died throughout the book (of course, the end is a different thing). I would have expected more guns and more fighting as you said.
I believe that some parts of "Boy In Striped Pyjamas" reflects to what really went on during World War II, but there are other parts of the book where the author has modified the content. There are many parts where you are given hints about what really took place in the camp or in the lives of the soldiers. For example, when Bruno and Shmuel get killed in the gas chamber, the author is trying to tell us what really occurred when the prisoners were taken for the march. On the other hand, parts like Shmuel being able to interact with Bruno without anyone knowing may have been impossible as the soldiers were everywhere. So I believe John Boyne added the basic information of World War II but at the same time, added more content to form a story. I have seen this in most of the historical fiction books I have read, as it helps an author make the story less like a history book.
ReplyDeleteLolo:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the fact that the book was interesting from a German's point of view. Normally books about WorldWar II are usually written from the viewpoint of the prisoners or Jews. This way we also know what was going on in the head of the Germans when all of these events were occuring.
I Personally believe its not a realistic view. Instead of visualizing battles, fights, Hitlers plans, the americans invading... We visualize the effects the war has on a nine year old and what he understands of it. It shows how the war dramatizes and ruins the life of a young boy. Although I mentioned it wasn't a realistic view of the war, the books has some clues and signs of the war: Concentration camp, Soldiers... I completely agree with Alice about the fact that Bruno was most ignorant about the war. Especially since he lived in Germany's capital, his father was a soldier, he lived near a concentration camp, his best friend was a jew and he had also met Hitler. I think of it more like a story that was pure chance and that couldn't possibly happen in real life. How could Bruno's parents not notice Bruno was gone during the day; how could Shmuel wander away from the concentration camp and soldiers. Why didn't Shmuel escape from the hole since nobody would have noticed he was gone; how can Bruno think they're in berlin....
ReplyDeleteThis book is definitely a book based on World War 2. The thing is that i dont think it really provides a realistic view about it because of its point of view. The 3rd person limited focused only on the 9 year old Bruno, who is oblivious to what is going on around him. I would believe that in most cases, people knew what was going on while experiencing this period of time. Due to the fact that the point of view we had didn't really express everything that went on, it was not very realistic.
ReplyDeleteThen again, the Author John Boyne makes things clear enough for us to understand what is happening which is what makes the perpective of the realism of WWII in this book good. To me there is no right anwser to this question, just opinions, but in conclusion i would say that the book was written realistically on WWII.
:D
To Lolo
ReplyDeleteI very much agree with your response.
Ms Gelso-
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the link! I read the article and I found that reading about what others thought of the book was very interesting.
Thierry--
ReplyDeleteTell us a little more! Why do you agree with Lolo? What did he say that made you feel a connection with his response?
Alice--
I'm glad you enjoyed the article! I thought it was interesting, too. Now I have another book to add to my reading list, too.......
It provides a great view of world war II and somethings yes are too...imaginary but overall it was great but if you don't know about world war II and read this you'd be confused!And of course the view is quite unknowing of the surrounding but I believe it's a good point of view
ReplyDeleteTo Lolo,
ReplyDeleteThe view isn't too realistic but shows the feeling of world war II even though Bruno doesn't know it's going on.
Everyone knew what was going on except for him so it is not a good idea and maybe it shouldn't be depended on as a book to learn about world war II
I think that this book is really based on world war 2. Of course-except for the end of the book- there is no killing described tghrout the story but there are certain moments where the author describes the discrimination of Jews. For example, Pavel, when he was serving the dinner, he accidently pured wine on Lieutenant Kotler. Bruno won't tell us what happened but it's obvious that he beat him up. In addition, Lieutenant Kotler always calls Pavel or other Jews "you filthy Jew", even though Bruno never says the word Jew.
ReplyDeleteThierry-
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Thierry in the fact that John Boyne, even though writing the book from Bruno's point of view which is the one of an oblivious and innocent 9 year old, he makes everything obvious, clear and understandable.
I thinks that "The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas" is based on the basics of World War II. However in this case, only some parts actually describe you the situations in that period. The author, from my point of view, tried to soften the tragic moments and the feelings that people and children would have had in those years. It's so terrible, that it can't be written without turning around the topic to make it sound better then it really was. I think that the author made a great job in presenting that particular historical moment.
ReplyDeleteSome places and occasions are described very realistic way so that we can really understand and picture them. I also believe that the book doesn't actually make the moments realistic because Bruno's thoughts are in between and he is only 9 years old and he's an innocent boy.
Ms. Gelso
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alice! I founded the article very interesting because I got to read what other people think about the book
Thank you very much!