The Boy In The Striped Pajamas Setting Analysis

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

In the novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne, the historical setting of Nazi Germany is of key importance. Although the novel is fictional having it set during a time period of such significance, such as Germany under the Nazi regime, gives a sense of reality to the book. This is important as this connects readers to the plot line as they understand the setting. This setting is interesting as it was a terrible point of history, filled with hatred, fear and bigotry. In this essay, I will be discussing the main points of the historical setting and the reasons this fits well with the book and how this historical setting came about. This historical setting had key relevance and was essential for

One such example is how Gretel, upon learning about the war and after having propaganda thrust upon her, ends up getting rid of her dolls and talks more about the war. She becomes more standoffish and bigoted which showed how easily the Nazis managed to brainwash people into believing the lies through propaganda and repetition. It also affects Bruno as Herr Liszt tells him that “I think Bruno if you ever find a nice Jew, you 'd be the best explorer in the world.” Which causes Bruno to realise that adults are not always right as he knows that there are nice Jews because Shmuel was kind to him. I think the change in Gretel was interesting as it took her good aspects as a character and twisted them, making it more horrifying for her when she realised the regime she believed in was responsible for her brother’s

While the Commandant and the Nazis did terrible things, it also shows them as human. We see them in a family setting and as human beings, and while they are still awful, it shows that they have emotions other than hate, loathing, anger and disgust. It shows them as bad people who are still human, other than just figures of evil with no real personality. This is interesting because not many other novels portray the German side, so it makes them a more realistic evil. I think it is unique to portray some of the story from the nazi side, because it gives understanding on why the nazis acted as they did. By showing both sides of the story it gives greater insight into the plot by showing the historical outlook of the nazis and the Jews and I think this is very useful for the narrative.

The historical setting is an interesting and key part of the novel, it adds interest and tension, the contrast in how different people were treated at the time is intriguing and the difference in characters behaviour and personality from the beginning to the end is a direct result of the historical settings