Essay on The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Does it Base on Real Records?

Is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas realistic historical fiction, reflecting real elements that can be found in historical records? With John Boyne’s novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the audience has a chance to see the life of nine year old Bruno as he moves from his home in Berlin to “Out-With” as if it was an entire new life. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a work of realistic historical fiction because it represents real events, people, and places. 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas shows an example of what could be real events in example the maltreatment of the Jews. According to the text, ““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...” (John Boyne 72). In a novel written by author Barbara Rogasky, Smoke and Ashes, the author wrote,“Had I been at the main camp, I would have passed a building where, each day, about a dozen prisoners were standing with their noses pressed to the brick wall. They never moved”(Michael Bornstein 135)”. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas does show examples of Jewish maltreatment because they are punished inhumanly.

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne shows depictions of what could be real historical people. The author demonstrates in the text, “Gretel had decided that she doesn't dolls any more….In place she had hung up maps of Europe that Father had given her…”(John Boyne 94). In a novel written by author Michael Kater, Hitler Youth, he demonstrates a sample of 1922 German girls, “German girls were to be the guardians of “German blood”, German culture, German way of life and customs, physical and spiritual health and correctness”(Michael Kater 139). John Boyne illustrates Gretel as an example of Hitler Youth because she keeps up with the news of the war and follows German Culture.

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas John Boyne exhibits examples of what could be a real place. The text states,“And the room went dark, and somehow, despite the chaos that followed, Bruno found that he still was still holding Shmuel's hand in his own…”(John Boyne 111). Author Eric Hampton's novel ,In the Camps, portrays an example of a real place in this passage. “A death camps whose basic purpose was to kill Jews. Gas Chambers were built for that use”(Eric Hampton 7).  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas pictures Auschwitz death camp because of people slowly fading away and chaos.

The truth expressed in this work manifests the idea that The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a realistic historical fiction because it symbolizes real events, people, and places. They can be dated back to WW2 Germany to show evidence.The work above juxtaposed examples from The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and books written by authors Michael H. Kater, Eric Hampton, and Barbara Rogasky.