essay questions the boy in the striped pyjamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Chapters 16-20

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Compare Bruno and Shmuel , analyzing three examples from the novel.

Explore to what effect John Boyne uses a child’s perspective throughout the novel. How does this perspective lend itself to the themes he wishes to convey?

List and analyze some of the things you have learned about World War II and the Holocaust through this novel.

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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

Describe the setting of Berlin in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Against whom were the Germans fighting in World War II? When did the Third Reich begin? How is the setting described in Chapter One: "Bruno Makes a Discovery"?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the narrative style established in the beginning of the novel. Is the story told from a first, second, or third-person perspective? Why do you think the author chooses this narrative style? Is the narrator’s perspective omniscient or limited?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the character of Bruno as the protagonist in the novel. How old is Bruno? What are Bruno’s favorite things about living in Berlin? How does Bruno feel about his sister? How does Bruno evolve as a character by the end of the story?

Essay Topic 4

Discuss the history of the Auschwitz concentration camp...

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"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" Study Guide, Questions & Discussion

• Pamela Rice-Linn
• Categories : Literature study guides and chapter summaries
• Tags : Homework help & study guides

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Pick up your copy of John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas to help you recall answers to the following questions. Page numbers from the hardback copy are provided to help you identify evidence from the story, but not all questions rely on the words on the page. For some questions, you’re going to have to think for yourself and come to your own conclusions. Don’t be afraid to dig deeper for more meaning or settle for the most obvious answer. The best questions are the ones you ask to satisfy your own curiosity. For now, here are a few of my own to get you started.

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Practice for Chapters One to Five

• Why is Maria packing Bruno’s things? (page 3)
• Why must Bruno’s father move away to do his job? (page 4)
• What matters most to Bruno in Berlin? (page 9)
• What did Bruno hope to see outside his bedroom window? (page 20)
• Why do you think Bruno always tries to be honest with himself? (page 21)
• Who first called the new home ‘Out-With’ and why did they do that? (page 24)
• How could the house serve as a symbol for Bruno’s family? Why is it important to not pass judgments based on appearances?(page 26)
• Why is there no greenery in the distance after the fence? How could this be symbolic? (page 32)
• In chapter four, Bruno states his age. How else do you know Bruno is young?
• What is the tone of chapter four? What occurs in the chapter to set the tone? (page 38)
• Why does Mother feel they should never have let the Fury come to dinner? (page 40)
• Why was Mother so startled by Maria’s sudden appearance? (page 40)
• While Bruno is at the train station, he notices two trains separated by a platform. What is the author’s purpose for including this description? How does Bruno feel about the trains? (page 41)
• How does Father’s office compare with the rest of the house? (page 45)
• What is Bruno’s relationship like with his Father? (page 46)
• According to Bruno’s reasoning, why was his father assigned to work at Out-With? (page 50)
• How does Father explain the people in the huts in the distance to Bruno? (page 53)

Chapters Six to Ten

• How does Maria respond to Bruno’s question about living at the new house? (page 58)
• Why does Maria defend Father? (page 60)
• Why was Bruno proud of his Father after hearing Maria’s story? (page 62)
• After talking to Maria, how has Bruno’s opinion of her changed? (page 63)
• What is Maria’s advice to Bruno after their talk? (page 64)
• How does Mother prove she is a decent person? (page 68)
• What does Bruno decide to do for fun? (page 70)
• What does Lieutenant Kotler do to make Gretel and Bruno uncomfortable? (page 75-76)
• What happened to Bruno on the tire swing? Who rescues him? (page 78-79)
• Before he became the family’s waiter, what did Pavel do for a living? (page 82)
• Why does Mother say she’ll take credit for mending injury? (page 85)
• What was the best part about acting with Grandmother? (page 88)
• What happened after the last play’s performance? (page 89)
• How are appearances important? (page 91)
• Why is it important to speak your mind? (page 91)
• How is Bruno’s costume similar to Father’s uniform? What could this symbolize? (page 92)
• What does Bruno want to do when he is older? How is this occupation meaningful to the story? (page 102)
• According to Bruno, what are two categories of discovery? (page 105)
• Why does Shmuel wish he had a name all his own? Why is this important? (page 109)
• What do Bruno and Shmuel have in common? (page 109)
• How does this novel support a theme of discovery?

Chapters Eleven to Fifteen

• According to Bruno, why was the Fury rude? (page 122)
• Why did Bruno’s parents argue after their dinner guests left? (page 124)
• How does Bruno’s arrival at Out-With differ from Shmuel’s arrival? (page 130)
• Why does Bruno decide not to share the news about his new friend with his family? (page 133)
• What is Maria’s religion? How do you know? (page 137)
• Describe Bruno’s personality? How does he change from the beginning of the story to this point?
• What does Shmuel want to do when he grows up? (page 139)
• Bruno claims his father is one of the good soldiers. Why is his statement ironic? (page 140)
• How does Shmuel know Lieutenant Kotler? (page 141)
• How does Bruno prove he is naïve about Out-With? (page 141)
• Why does Mother ask Bruno to not use the word ‘hate’? (page 143)
• Why did Lieutenant Kotler’s father leave Germany? Why is this news shocking to Father? (page 145)
• What did Lieutenant Kotler do to Pavel? Why didn’t anyone help Pavel?
• Why does Bruno want Shmuel to crawl under the fence? (page 150)
• Why does Bruno try to conceal mentioning Shmuel to his sister? (page 154)
• How did Bruno deceive his sister about Shmuel? (page 156)
• How does talking about Shmuel affect Bruno? (page 158)
• Why does Gretel make fun of Bruno? How is her jest ironic? (page 159)
• What were some of Bruno’s reasons for not liking Lieutenant Kotler? (page 162-163)
• Why is Shmuel in the kitchen? How did he get there? (page 166)
• How are Bruno’s hands and Shmuel’s hands different? Why is this significant? (page 167)
• Why is Shmuel afraid to eat the food Bruno has offered? (page 170)
• Why didn’t Bruno speak up to defend Shmuel? (page 171)
• What does Bruno say that finally wins Shmuel’s acceptance? How does Shmuel show he forgives his friend? (page 175)

Chapters Sixteen to Twenty

• Why does Bruno return to Berlin? (page 176)
• Why was Father sad? (page 177)
• Why would Grandmother be upset about the wreath from the Fury? (page 177)
• For Bruno, what is the best thing about life at Out-With? (page 178)
• How did Gretel’s room change? (page 180)
• What was wrong with Gretel and Bruno’s hair? (page 184)
• Why are Mother and Father shouting again? (page 187)
• What does Gretel miss about life in Berlin? (page 189)
• Why are Father and Gretel silent after Bruno’s remark about the children behind the fence? (page 191)
• What news does Bruno have for Shmuel? (page 194)
• Why did Shmuel stay away for so many days? (page 194)
• How do Bruno and Shmuel plan to play together? (page 199)
• How does the uniform Shmuel provides remind Bruno of his Grandmother? (page 205)
• What did Bruno expect to find behind the fence? What did Bruno discover instead? (page 207)
• What kept Bruno from going straight home? (page 208)
• What does Bruno do and say to comfort Shmuel? (page 212)
• Why did Mother stay at Out-With longer than expected? (page 214)
• What clues were discovered after Bruno’s disappearance? (page 215)
• What realization did Father piece together at the fence? (page 215)
• Why does the author state at the end of the story “Of course all of this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age”? (page 216)

Use a copy of John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and a few sheets of blank paper to complete the following study guide tasks. These tasks are designed to help you grasp the big picture about this novel and figure out exactly what the author is trying to teach you about people and events in history.

Connecting Themes in John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

When you consider the themes or life lessons about a story, you look at the story holistically and not in separate parts. Test your knowledge of the entire novel by thinking of ways to relate the following themes to events, characters, and conflicts_._ Make a web diagram for each theme. Make sure to include information from the three categories of sources in the novel: the events, characters, and conflicts. As you recall information for each theme, organize your information. You’ll be surprised by the many connections you’ll create through these themes and the entire novel.

• Appearances

Compare and Contrast Characters and Settings

Authors often create characters to offset other characters in a novel. For every good guy, there should be a bad guy; for every good place, a bad place. In John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the author provides many opportunities for the reader to compare and contrast . Here are a few suggestions for comparison and contrast from the novel. Use a Venn diagram (two overlapping circles with three total sections to show how two things are different and how they are the same) to compare and contrast the following characters and settings.

• Bruno and Gretel
• Bruno and Shmuel
• Pavel and Lieutenant Kotler
• Berlin and Out-With
• Mother and Father

If you’ve survived this study guide then you’re sure to do well on any exam or essay or book report you need to complete for class. John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas offers plenty of discussion topics for you to use, so don’t be afraid to explore your minds to ask the tough questions and make the connections to help you see the big picture within this masterpiece of a novel.

• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas cover jacket - Wikimedia Commons
• Boyne, John. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. David Fickling Books: New York, 2006.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Innocence and Ignorance

Bruno , the main character of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , is a nine-year-old boy who is the son of a German Commandant ( Father ) during World War II. Father has been rising in the ranks of the Nazi army, and Bruno has lived a sheltered life in Berlin with his Mother , sister Gretel , maid Maria , and butler Lars . The story, which is a fictional “fable” of the…

Bruno ’s world in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is filled with places he is not allowed to go, and the reasons for these boundaries are rarely explained to him. He is never allowed into his Father ’s office, “with no exceptions,” and he and his sister Gretel are often shooed away from dinner parties and important conversations behind closed doors. Bruno, as a nine-year-old boy, loves nothing more than to explore, and this…

Family and Friendship

Family and friendship are both important themes for Bruno , as he struggles to determine what role he plays in his household, and how to approach his friendship with Shmuel . Bruno has not been indoctrinated with a hatred for Jews, despite the fact that his father is high-ranking Nazi officer, but his parents do stress that he is not allowed to go near the fence , and his father refers to the people in…

Nationalism

During World War II, the Nazi Party, which gained control of Germany, operated on the idea that ethnic Germans were superior to the rest of the world, particularly the Jewish population in Europe at the time. Nazi rhetoric and propaganda operated heavily on the idea of the “other”—emphasizing an “us vs. them” division, and demonizing and dehumanizing “them.” In practice this meant attempting to prove, using pseudoscience, the Bible, nationalism, and scare tactics, that Jews…

Gender Roles

The perpetuation of traditional gender roles is present throughout the novel, and contributes to much of the misinformation and miscommunication between the characters. Father is the definitive patriarch of the family, and he is in charge of what the entire family does and where they go. Bruno aspires to be as big and strong as his father, but also feels conflicted in his relationship with his father because of how he appears to treat Mother …

Though most of the characters in the novel are not explicit members or supporters of the Nazi party, many of them end up complying with the regime’s ideals and goals out of a sense of duty, fear, or apathy. Mother, though she is not thrilled with Father’s new job as a director of the concentration camp Auschwitz, does not actively fight his decision to move the family. This seems to stem from a sense of…

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — The Boy in The Striped Pajamas — Analysis of the Themes in The Boy in The Striped Pajamas

Analysis of The Themes in The Boy in The Striped Pajamas

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Words: 869 |

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Words: 869 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Prompt Examples for "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" Essay

• Innocence and Ignorance: Discuss how the themes of innocence and ignorance are portrayed in the novel and how they are central to the story's impact.
• The Holocaust and Inhumanity: Analyze how the novel explores the theme of the Holocaust and its inhumane atrocities, and how it portrays the consequences of hatred and prejudice.
• Friendship and Compassion: Examine the theme of friendship and compassion as depicted through the unlikely friendship between Bruno and Shmuel, and how it transcends the boundaries created by their circumstances.
• Parent-Child Relationships: Discuss the theme of parent-child relationships, focusing on the dynamics between Bruno and his parents, and how these relationships evolve throughout the novel.
• Moral Dilemmas and Consequences: Explore the moral dilemmas faced by characters in the story and how their choices lead to profound consequences, highlighting the ethical questions raised by the narrative.

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" Essay Example

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

By john boyne, the boy in the striped pajamas themes, gender inequality.

Boyne concerns himself with the plight of female characters, though the details of their specific situations are revealed through the lens of Bruno 's narration. Father 's literal silencing of Mother in most of their conversations is representative of the figurative silencing of women's voices at this point in history, as well as in many times of war. At first, Mother reacts passive aggressively, the only way she can, for example by referring to Father as "some people." When Bruno overhears Mother confronting Father in Chapter Seventeen, she speaks up for herself and demands to leave Out-With. She tells Father, "This is your assignment, not ours. You stay if you want to" (187). At a time when gender roles determined that a wife obey her husband, this distinction between his responsibilities and her own is a bold statement.

Grandmother is outspoken about her strong disapproval of Father's new appointment to Commandant and represents the strongest voice among the female characters, who are the only ones with reservations about what is going on in their country. Maria must keep her silence because of her financial dependence on Bruno's Father and Mother makes small defiant gestures like protecting Pavel , but Grandmother spoke up loud and clear about her disapproval. Unfortunately, because of her position as a woman, she is unable to do anything to stop her son from pursuing his career in the Nazi party.

Childlike Misunderstanding of Tragedy

One of the ways Boyne establishes that the third-person narration is from Bruno's childish point of view is through the use of capitalization and misnaming of specific, recognizable names. For example, Bruno refers to his father's boss as "the Fury"; the reader must extrapolate that this is actually "the Furor," or Adolf Hitler. When Father prompts him to shout "Heil Hitler!" upon leaving the office at the end of Chapter Five, Bruno assumes this notorious Nazi salute is just "another way of saying, 'Well, goodbye for now, have a pleasant afternoon'" (54). Bruno understands that Father's office is "Out Of Bounds At All Times And No Exceptions," a phrase that he has memorized after hearing it many times from his parents, the reader imagines. Bruno's sister, Gretel , is introduced as being "Trouble From Day One" (21). This way of thinking about things so concretely, of making sense of a rule and applying it to all situations, is a characteristic of Bruno that identifies him as a child. The reader is encouraged to take on this childlike point of view through the use of capitalization. Because of the limits of the narrator, the reader is able to approach the horrors of the Holocaust as if he or she has no prior knowledge - much like Bruno. The reader is required to put together details Bruno notices in order to make sense of the larger issues at play.

Timelessness of War and Genocide

In Chapter Three, Gretel tells Bruno that the place they are now living is called "Out-With," and this is what he continues to call it from this point on in the story. It is clearly a misunderstanding of the name "Auschwitz," but by not referring to the concentration camp by its proper name, Boyne avoids specificity to a certain extent. Bruno doesn't understand the derogatory term that Lieutenant Kotler calls Pavel and, later, Shmuel . By not specifically naming the word, Boyne both allows the reader to take on Bruno's childlike perspective and suggests the universality of this interaction. Lieutenant Kotler could be any soldier during any war time, shouting a derogatory term to dehumanize a victim of any genocide. This allows the fable a sense of timelessness, extending beyond the specific situation at Auschwitz.

In the last chapters, Boyne issues a veiled call to action to the reader, who could be living during a time of war or genocide. The most obvious instance is in the ironic tone on the final page of the story, after a devastated Father has been taken away from Out-With: "Of course all this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age" (216). Boyne means for the reader to consider just the opposite: there are genocides occurring in this day and age, all over the world, and the reader is likely employing various coping strategies to ignore or dismiss them. Bruno's annoyance at being forced to march with the group of Jews in the concentration camp is representative of the disconnect many witnesses to genocide experience. As he is marched through the cold mud and rain, "he longed to be back in his house, watching all this from a distance and not wrapped up in the center of it" (211). This idea is a commentary on the perspective of those who allowed the Holocaust to occur while they remained removed from it, since it did not affect them personally. It applies to all witnesses to genocide in any time or place. The reader is meant to question how easy it is to watch "from a distance," as long as one is not victimized.

Indoctrination

The indoctrination of children employed by the Nazi party is most obvious in the character of Gretel. When we first meet her in Chapter Three, she is clearly a child, though a few years older than Bruno. She spends most of her time arranging her dolls and has brought the entire collection from Berlin with her. Significantly, she is the one who tells Bruno that the name of their new home is "Out-With." This misnaming of the specific location marks Gretel as a child at this point, in contrast to the teenager she will grow into by the end of the story. When Bruno points out how young she is in front of Lieutenant Kotler, she responds by snapping at him, "'I'll be thirteen in a couple of weeks' time. A teenager. Just like you'" (74). Her words to Lieutenant Kotler accomplish two things: first, they foreshadow her mental shift as she grows out of childhood; and second, they remind the reader that some of the Nazi soldiers committing horrible actions against the Jews in the concentration camps were indoctrinated teenagers. Finally, Gretel replaces her collection of dolls with maps of Europe given to her by Father, which she updates using the newspapers each day as she reads about developments in the war. Her transition out of childhood naivete is represented clearly in her correction of Bruno's usage of "Out-With" in place for "Auschwitz." It was she who first told him the name of the place, but now she corrects him. Her understanding of the situation is still simplistic and lacks understanding: she has accepted what her Father and Herr Liszt have taught her without much critical thinking.

Natural vs. Unnatural

The theme of unnaturalness, especially as it relates to Auschwitz and the Holocaust generally, is introduced in Chapter Six. Instead of answering Bruno's question about whether she likes it at Out-With, Maria describes how much she loved the garden at the house in Berlin. Bruno takes this as an indirect answer to his question, since it is in such stark contrast to the atmosphere at Auschwitz. The theme of the Holocaust being unnatural arises again in Chapter Eleven, when Mother protests the move to Out-With by saying, "...as if it's the most natural thing in the world and it's not, it's just not..." (124). The Nazis used the argument that the Aryan race was "naturally" superior to all others, using the idea of natural dominance as justification in exterminating the Jewish population. But Boyne turns this assumption on its head, pointing out throughout the story just how "unnatural" the atmosphere and situation at Out-With really is.

Justification of Evil Actions

Boyne embeds questions and key ideas about the nature of human interaction into the characters' conversations in order to draw the reader's attention to larger issues. For example, Father assures Bruno that the Jews on the other side of the fence are "not people at all" - this is how he justifies to himself killing them at Auschwitz (53).

Maria's description of how kind Father has been to her serves as a commentary on the mental and emotional justification for Nazi soldiers generally, who might do kind deeds and appear to be wonderful people in other parts of their lives, while simultaneously carrying out the extermination of Jews.

Complacency

Bruno's betrayal of Shmuel in front of Lieutenant Kotler is representative of the many people who betrayed their Jewish neighbors and friends during the Holocaust in similar ways, by simply being complacent. By distancing himself from Shmuel because he is afraid of the consequences of associating with the boy, Bruno contributes to Shmuel's punishment for a crime he did not commit: stealing food. The way Bruno considers his actions immediately following the event reflects a personal disconnect: "He wondered how a boy who thought he was a good person really could act in such a cowardly way toward a friend" (174). He feels ashamed of himself, but does not take action to right the wrong. When Shmuel finally returns to meet him at the fence, his face covered in bruises, Bruno apologizes. His words could have easily come from any of the Germans who fell in line with the Nazis and didn't speak up for the Jews during the Holocaust.

Another example of the theme of complacency is when Lieutenant Kotler attacks Pavel for accidentally spilling the wine on him. The narrator only states that, "What happened then was both unexpected and extremely unpleasant. Lieutenant Kotler grew very angry with Pavel and no one - not Bruno, not Gretel, not Mother and not even Father - stepped in to stop him doing what he did next, even though none of them could watch" (148-49). This omission of detail makes the interaction representative of all acts of violence against Jews at the hands of Nazis and, in fact, against the oppressed group in any genocide throughout history. Bruno and his family represent the bystanders who were repulsed by did not act to stop the violence.

Arbitrary Boundaries

The most obvious boundary in the story is the fence dividing Bruno's side of Out-With from Shmuel's side. But Boyne calls into question the arbitrary boundaries that got each boy to his side of the fence: most importantly, that between Jews and "Opposites." Shmuel serves as a mirror character for Bruno; they were born on the same day, and Bruno declares, "We're like twins" (110). The symbols of the Star of David and the Nazi Swastika, which are never named, come to represent the arbitrary boundary that allowed the Nazis to exterminate other human beings. In Chapter Twelve, Shmuel describes how he came to have to wear his Star of David armband and draws the symbol in the dirt. Bruno points out that his Father wears one, too, and draws the Nazi symbol in the dirt on his side of the fence. The key difference between them is that Shmuel is Jewish and thus a member of the oppressed group in this genocide, while Bruno happens to be German and thus a member of the oppressing group. When Bruno tells Shmuel that Father also wears an armband, Shmuel observes, "Yes, but they're different, aren't they?" (127).

The use of Shmuel's point of view further blurs the boundary between the two boys. When Bruno has put on the pajamas and turns around to show Shmuel what he looks like, "It was almost (Shmuel thought) as if they were all exactly the same really" (204). Boyne puts the indication of Shmuel's point of view in parentheses in order to imply that while the thought is Shmuel's, it is also a commentary on the situation generally. Once Bruno puts on the pajamas he looks no different from Shmuel, but really, the distinction made between the Jews and the Germans is arbitrary and erroneous, since they are all human beings.

Human Nature

At the core of this story is the question of what constitutes human nature. It especially emerges through the different characters' actions and personalities. While Shmuel and Bruno represent the childlike capacity for good and kindness, Lieutenant Kotler and Father demonstrate man's ability to execute unbelievable cruelty. In a story about the Holocaust, this question of how humans are inclined to treat one another and react in tragic situations is at the forefront.

Boyne seems to suggest that humans are constantly choosing how to treat themselves and others, rather than pointing to an inherent tendency for good or evil. Even at a young age, Bruno is able to change his perspective regarding live at "Out-With" throughout the course of the story. In contrast, Gretel chooses to become indoctrinated and wrapped up in the evil of the Nazi brainwashing.

The theme of innocence is tied to that of Bruno's childlike misunderstanding of the tragedy through which he is living. His innocence prevents him from understanding, in the last chapters, the fate he is about to experience in the gas chamber. As he is marched along with the other prisoners, "he wanted to whisper to them that everything was all right, that Father was the Commandant, and if this was the kind of thing that he wanted the people to do then it must be all right" (210). Bruno is, of course, completely wrong: this is the sort of thing Father wants the Jews to do, but there is nothing "all right" about it. The very character in whom Bruno has faith is the one who is bringing about the deaths of so many, his own son included.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What are some examples of figurative language used in The Boy In The Striped Pajamas?

In "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne, figurative language is used extensively to convey themes, emotions, and the perspectives of the characters, particularly that of the young protagonist, Bruno. Here are some examples:

How does Bruno feel when he looks at Pavel?

This depends in what part of the book you are referring to. Do you have a chapter for this?

How does Bruno feel about his sister?

Bruno sees his sister as a hopeless case..... not someone he would choose to play with. Gretel is, of course, older and unlikely to be interested in the same things as Bruno.

' I don't see what else there is to do other than that,' said Bruno...

Study Guide for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas study guide contains a biography of John Boyne, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne.

• Trying Themes of 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas'
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas as a Genuine Fable

Lesson Plan for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

• Introduction
• Genre and style