Eng Isp Essay

“The easiest kind of relationship is with ten thousand people, the hardest is with one” (Joan Baez). This quote can be applied to this novel because the relationships in this novel are all one on one and extremely personal. Relationships play a vital role in the novel “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas”. This is because Bruno, the main character, has so many different relationships that all have an impact on him. These relationships are so important because they can either have a negative or positive impact on Bruno, which affect his character in the novel. There were several important relationships written about in the book. However, three of the most impactful relationships that Bruno had were with Shmuel, Gretel, and Bruno’s father.
The relationship between Shmuel and Bruno is the most important in the novel, because it was the most impactful. Shmuel impacted Bruno’s life drastically in many ways, by becoming his very best friend, and furthermore being the reason why Bruno was not lonely in ‘Out-With’. Until Bruno met Shmuel, he was distraught about the move, and had wished that he were back in his home in Berlin with his three best friends. Bruno’s opinion of the Jews was being formed based on his family’s beliefs until he met Shmuel, and he slowly discovered that Jews were not these scary monsters that they were being portrayed as. An example of this is when Shmuel says to Bruno “We’re not supposed to be friends you and me. We’re supposed to be enemies. Did you know that?” (Boyne, p.118). From this quote, it is understood that even though Shmuel doesn’t exactly know what the Holocaust is, he is aware that Jews and non-Jews should not be friends. Bruno was only made to believe that the Jews were power seeking, ruthless people who wanted to be in charge of everyone else. On a sad note, Shmuel had one major negative effect on 1
Bruno’s life, because Bruno went to help Shmuel look for his father, he ended up being rounded up in a group of Jews, went into the gas chambers and died there.
Undoubtedly, Gretel and Bruno’s relationship had its ups and downs; the loved each other but constantly argued and bickered, however Gretel did have an impact on her little brother Bruno. Bruno often refers to Gretel as a hopeless case; in fact Bruno is even a little scared of his sister because she makes it very clear that she is in charge. Gretel somewhat helped Shmuel develop an immunity to negativity towards him, because her and her friends had teased him so much, he learned to live with it. For instance, in chapter three it is written that Bruno had always been a little self conscious because he was not as tall as the other nine year olds, so Gretel’s friends would tease him about his height. Throughout the novel, Bruno’s character evolves into a boy who is very open minded and not judgmental, while Gretel’s character remains stagnant. This helps Bruno to see how people shouldn’t be reacting to the Jews, so Gretel is, in a way, an example to him of what not to do. This is because Gretel had believed the rumors and propaganda and she was becoming a Jew hater. An example of how Bruno witnesses how he should not react to Jews is after “the horrible thing” happens to Pavel. Bruno is really distraught about this whole situation while Gretel believes that Pavel deserved it, and he just got what was coming to him. Despite their bickering, and Bruno’s reluctance to spend time with his sister, at some points in the novel, Gretel acts as a friend towards Bruno, someone he could talk to, this is something positive that Gretel does for Bruno. For example, after the “horrible” thing happens to Pavel, Bruno sits in his sister’s rooms and cries, even though Gretel has no love for the Jews, she still comforts her brother. 2
Unquestionably Bruno’s father had some strong impacts on Bruno’s life, because Bruno was young and naïve his father was able to attempt and form his opinions for him. Bruno’s father has a very important

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