The boy in the striped pyjamas- Retell Reflect Relate

Retell Reflect Relate

The boy in the striped pyjamas is a story about the friendship between a young German boy named Bruno and a Jewish concentration camp prisoner, Shmuel, who is also around the same age. Bruno and his family are far more privileged because of his father's high position as a Nazi commandant. Bruno's father has been promoted and the family moves. Bored and wandering for an adventure, Bruno comes across a nearby farm, however his parents refuse to discuss it. His mother was not aware of what the father was doing exactly, which led her to become more naive. Bruno's sister is also very naive to everything occurring around her, due to how privileged she is to not have to see the harsh realities of the war. Bruno ends up near the barbed wire fence. Soon after, the two boys become closer as their friendship grows. Bruno gives Shmuel a piece of cake and Shmuel is accused of stealing after, which resulted in severe punishment. Bruno returned to where the two boys played on opposite sides of the fence and Shmuel didn't show up for a couple of days. Soon after Bruno apologizes for not speaking up about how Shmuel did not steal that day. This emphasizes how Bruno is nothing like his father. When Bruno's father announces that the children will be moving with their mother, Bruno uses a shovel to reach to the other side of the fence and Shmuel brings an extra pair of pyjamas so Bruno will blend in. Around this time, Bruno's family realize he's missing and search for him. The two boys are led to what they were told to be showers, with the other concentration camp prisoners and are gassed.


I believe this movie was a visual representation of what the world is teaching children, and when they're taught something right someone will always protest against it. Also, that children's innocence is their only advantage in society and that every child should have a voice. This is shown when Bruno befriends Shmuel, as he looks at him as an equal. The movie prominently showed how evil lives inside everyone, and one's appearance may not look evil but they are indeed capable of doing evil things. However, one of the characters still values the life of someone "below" him. A sense of humanity is restored during the course of the two boy's' friendship.


I can relate the movie to ISIS, because they're teaching children as young as the age of 6 how to behead people and fire AK-47's. Although they are protecting the rights of their religion it is still similar to the movie because children are growing up thinking that violence and evil is an appropriate way of solving problems. Children are basically growing up mindless and not being able to speak using their own voice. The training is said to be brainwashing the children and many of the children were also brainwashed in the movie, including Bruno's sister who did not care about much of what was going on because of how privileged she was.