We Are The Same (New)

Authors Note: I recently read this book and thought I had to make a point of view piece on this book because Bruno and his father have completely different point of views towards just about everything in this story.

In The Boy With Striped Pajamas a nine year old boy, son of a Nazi commandant, becomes friends with a concentration camp inmate. Together, they become great friends even though there is a fence separating them. The story is written in Bruno’s point of view. From this perspective, a lot of events and characters are described in a way that makes the reader a little naïve about the events going on at the about what his dad does and what is happening at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

One way that Bruno’s point of view influences the reader's interpretation is how this perspective describes the Jewish at the concentration camp. He simply sees them as people with striped pajamas. Even though they are starving and sick, he fails to notice what is really happening. This influenced me greatly to think Bruno will get into trouble later in the book if he continues to fail to notice the dangers of taking everything so lightly and being so naïve.

However, the reader would feel a lot differently about the Jewish and the Auschwitz concentration camp if the novel was written in the point of view of Bruno’s dad who is a Nazi commandant. As an example, the reader would react angry when Bruno was interacting with Schmuel- who is Jewish -when Schmuel was supposed to be cleaning glasses. These point of views are almost completely opposite.

As you can see, the point of view of a story forces the reader to see just one side of an event or topic. In The Boy With Striped Pajamas  the narrator's perspective makes the reader naïve about the events happening around Bruno. After reading this book you realize how naïve and confused Bruno was towards the concentration camp. He thought the Jewish were only different because they wore striped pajamas and were on the other side of the fence. His point of view is completely different than anyone else’s and leaves you wondering what other people were thinking during the time of Bruno’s short life.

Alternative Seen:

Bruno’s Dad’s Point of View: I can’t believe my own son is talking to a Jew. Such a low life animal making contact with a German- superior of superior! That boy needs discipline and a glimpse of the real world! If only he knew what he was doing. I am going to make sure that Schmuel boy and everyone he knows is dead by tomorrow!