Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Essay - 1746 Words

John Boyne’s novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, concerns human brutality. Courage, loyalty and love, however, are more important as themes in the novel. Do you agree? John Boyne’s novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, is a touching story, based on real events that have happened in the past. Although it concerns aspects of human brutality, in the end it shows us that courage, loyalty and love are far more important themes in this story. In this novel, examples of courage, loyalty and love are common throughout, emphasizing that these themes override the theme of brutality. Courage is displayed by the two protagonists of this story – Bruno, the son of a Nazi commander and Shmuel, a young Jewish boy who is sent to a concentration camp.†¦show more content†¦Here, human brutality is shown through the eyes of an innocent young child. In this scene, Lieutenant Kotler abuses Pavel, but in what way, we do not know. This part of the story is told indirectly through the eyes of Bruno and although almost every important character has witnessed it, including Father, Mother, Bruno and Gretel, no details are given, shrouding it in mystery. As the book describes ‘Lieutenant Kotler grew very angry with Pavel and no one stepped in to stop him doing what he did next, even though none of them could watch’. Here, it is clear that Pavel has been treated cruelly by Kotler. Although this is not strictly writte n in first person, it is angled towards the point of view of the others who are watching this scene unfurl. By writing this scene this way, the last phrase, ‘even though none of them could watch’ evokes a sense of hopelessness and inability to do anything about it – from Gretel, from Bruno, from Mother, and even from Bruno’s father, who is possibly the most important and commanding figure in this novel. By letting even Bruno’s father appear hopeless in this situation suggests that he is not entirely happy about the position of his job and what it involves. This scene leaves the reader with the mixed feelings of horror, pity and understanding, as well as resentment towards Lieutenant Kotler and the brutality that he has shown. In this novel, love is perhaps the most important theme that dominates over the evil and brutality of theShow MoreRelatedThe Boy in Striped Pyjamas1080 Words   |  5 Pagesliterature about the Holocaust. Hitler and his struggle for power and dominance are infamous. Novels and films set in World War II often examine the issues of power in terms of race, age, gender and social class. One such novel is The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. An Irish novelist, Boyne is acutely aware of the issues of power and dominance as he grew up during the time of The Troubles between the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland. 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