RR

         The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne is one of the most emotionally challenging books for me to read. It tells the story of a boy who's father runs Auschwitz, a Nazi death camp. The book really captures the innocence of a child in this world of complete horror and disgust. I think the thing that makes the book so touching is how unaware Bruno is of whats going on around him.

          I think one way that Bruno exhibits this innocence is the way that Bruno thinks of certain words. In his point of view Auschwitz is "Out-With". This alone shows how oblivious and young he is. I actually read through the entire book with out realizing that he was actually talking about Auschwitz. I became really emotional while reading this book. I have been to Yad Vashem, and it just makes me feel so much more connected to the events that take place in it that ever before.

          Bruno also shows his lack of understanding in other ways. Another example of Bruno's innocence is that he ventures to the fence into the camp without fear at all and talks with a boy who is in the camp. This also really shows that Bruno doesn't know that bad things happen in the camp. Bruno goes farther when he actually goes into the camp with his new found friend. This is one of the most devastating parts of the book, because the reader knows the consequences of him doing this while he has no ideas. At this point of the book, I started to tear up because it really shows how helpless children were murdered with out a second glance. Even the son of the guy who runs the camp can be mixed among the others and exterminated like an insect. It is really sickening to think that this really did happen.

           In the end, Bruno and his friend in the striped pajamas are sent to the gas chambers. The book really shows the innocence of the children so unjustly killed. This book really makes me think about the world we live in and pray to god we can help any child from being murdered like this.