Bruno Prejudice Quotes

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In the novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Bruno develops an understanding of discrimination, loses his innocence and develops the most special of friendships . Through a unique friendship with a boy in a Jewish concentration camp in Auschwitz, Poland he witnesses and learns of discrimination. Bruno sees with his own eyes how his friend Shmuel and the other Jews are discriminated against by the Nazi soldiers and even by his own family. The more Bruno learns about what is happening to the people on the other side of the fence the more his innocence is lost. His friendship with Shmuel forces Bruno to confront his own beliefs and values and how they differ from what his father has taught him. Bruno develops loyalty, empathy, courage and …show more content…
This is a more mature friendship, Bruno and Shmuel never play games they just talk from opposite sides of the fence and listen to each other. Bruno describes it as “the strangest friendship he has ever had”. “We’ve been talking to each other for more than a year and we’ve never got to play once”. When Bruno meets Shmuel, he finds it hard to think of anything else and makes the long walk to visit his friend nearly everyday. On the really rainy days he “misses their conversations with each other and wonders if Shmuel is missing him just as much”. Bruno develops a lot of special qualities through his friendship with Shmuel, for example loyalty, empathy, maturity and questioning what’s right and wrong. He shows loyalty by helping Shmuel look for his papa. He shows empathy by taking food to his friend everyday. He shows maturity by listening to Shmuel everyday without the need to play games like most children play .Bruno feels ashamed of himself when he doesn’t stand up for Shmuel in front of Lt Kotler and feels guilty that he has let his friend down. Bruno says “ he had never felt so ashamed in his life.. and he felt cruel and cowardly”, towards his friend. His loyalty and determination to not let his friend down costs him his life when he goes with Shmuel to the other side of the fence, as he has promised to help him look for his father. Bruno becomes so close to Shmuel that he forgets his old friends names. As they are led into the room where they die he doesn’t want to let go of Shmuel’s hand and tells him “you’re my best friend for
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Essay on The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Portfolio

other. Sometimes Bruno says very inappropriate things, like the one time when he claims that he would love to be on Shmuel’s side of the fence because there are many other boys he could play with. Of course, this is complete nonsense because people in concentration camps were treated anything but well, but Bruno’s childish lack of knowledge kind of excuses statements like this. Shmuel Shmuel, the Jewish boy behind the mysterious fence, is portrayed as the complete opposite of Bruno. Even though he…

Words 6434 - Pages 26