Literary Analysis #5

Th Boy in the Striped Pajamas By. John Boyne GENERAL 1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same). This novel is about life of a boy name Bruno during World War II. He is a 9 year old boy who lives in Berlin. He had to move to a place called "OUt-With" because his father, high-ranking SS Officer, got promoted to Commandant. Being a little kid, Bruno misses his hometown and unhappy that he doesn't have anyone to talk to. One day he sees a group of people wearing striped pajamas and striped hats. We can figure out that they are Jews. His father tell Bruno that they are not a real people at all. One day, Bruno decides to explore anyway. He finds a boy in his age on the other side of the fence. Bruno gets really excited to see a boy in his age that he introduces himself and find out the other boy's name, Shmuel. Shmuel tells Bruno that he and his family were broken apart and forced to work in Auschwitz. Almost everyday, the two boys meet at the same spot. Soon, they become best friends. One day, Bruno's family decides to move back to Berlin, while the father stays at Auschwitz. Before they move, Bruno agrees to dress in a set of striped pajamas and go under the fence to help Shmuel find his father. Soon they get mixed up in a group of people going on a march. They don't know where they are going, soon they go into a gas chamber. The boys just think it is a place that keeps them from the rain. And the novel ends with Bruno pondering, yet unafraid, in the dark holding hands with Shmuel. In an epilogue, Bruno's family look for Bruno and his father finds Bruno's clothes in front of the fence. Soon find out that his son got killed in the gas chamber. First, he was very depressed but few months later, the Red Army arrives to liberate the camp and orders Bruno's father to go with them. He goes because "he didn't really mind what they did to him anymore." 2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches. The theme of this book is the strength of friendship. Bruno is a German and Shmuel is a Jewish boy. Even though their country is an enemy, Bruno and Shmuel becomes best friend. Whenever they were sad and having a hard time, they cheered up each other. They both were too innocent to know the difference between them. And their friendship was strong enough to ignore their identity. Even though their innocence and friendship lead them to death, they were happy to be together. 3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s). The tone of this story change over time. Beginning of the story, the tone is just ordinary. The main character is moving but he does not want to. But them, after he meets Shmuel, the tone turns to happy and excited. They become best friend and the life gets very excited for them. In the end, the tone change to sad, hurtful and depress. Even though Bruno and Shmuel are innocent and happy, the readers do not feel that way. It is because the readers know that they are going to die. 4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.) Metaphor-compared the jail cloth to striped pajama Narrator-the Narrator changes his tone in every situation. Character-We can see their innocent mind. Setting-they are in the same country, town, area; but different place. Point-of-view- 3rd person, we can see each character's action. Mood- change over time; Foreshadow-foreshadow the death of boys Symbolism- the striped pajama symbolize that they are Jewish. CHARACTERIZATION 1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)? Shmuel and Bruno is direct characterization. The narrator describes their characteristics. And there is no indirect character in this book. 2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)? The author's syntax and diction does change when he focuses on character. When the author focuses on character, he gets very descriptive and informative than when he talks about other thing. 3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain. The Protagonist is static and flat. Bruno is a 9 year old kid that does not know anything. He starts the novel with being innocent and ends with innocent. 4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction. I would love to meet Bruno and Shmuel be cause they are so innocent unlike people now. Even some of nine years old here is no innocent at all. They are very warm-hearted. Bruno and Shmuel becomes best friend even though their country is an enemy with each other. When they were about to die, even though Bruno had weird feeling he was not afraid because he was with Shmuel. "...Despite the chaos that followed, Bruno found that he was still holding Shmuel's hand in his own and nothing in the world would have persuaded him to let it go."