The Boy in The Striped Pajamas explores three main themes: friendship, boundaries and innocence. John Boyne started by showing Bruno, a boy of his age, how to explore the theme of friendship. Bruno found out the nationality of the boy, and that led to a problem. Shmuel was an Auschwitz prisoner from Poland, who had been held there with his family. The war brought them together, and they became good friends from both sides of that fence. Bruno and Shmuel were so in love with each other that the fence between them was invisible to them. Their bond grew to the point that they became dependent on each other. The story also explores boundaries. Shmuel was separated from Bruno by Shmuel by a fence. It showed them that they cannot play together and can’t even explore. German Nazis had strict rules prohibiting Germans being friends with Jews or Poles. John Boyne, who was living on Auschwitz’s estate and had met Adolf Hitler, successfully told the story through Bruno’s eyes. Shmuel seemed to have no idea of the severity and circumstances in which he was held. Shmuel didn’t understand his father’s disappearance and was unable to comprehend the fact that he was being forced into gas chambers in order to serve his death sentence. Bruno, a nine-year-old boy who lived in Berlin, Germany in 1943, began the story. The family had to move from their home in Berlin, Germany, 1943. Bruno was nine years old. He wandered into an unknown part of Out-With and found an electric fence. A young boy was sitting on the other end of the fence. The boy, who was shoeless, was dressed in striped pajamas with a cloth cap. Bruno was surprised to notice the star-shaped armband of the boy. Bruno quickly made friends with the boy and established a trusting relationship. As they shared family stories, their bond strengthened and they discovered that they share the same birthday. Bruno asked Shmuel about the fence and their activities at that point in their first meeting. Bruno’s father invited his dinner guests to dinner, one man named ‘The Fury’ and Eva, a few days later. Bruno was immediately dissatisfied with the attitude and man they were treating him. Bruno referred to his sister Gretel as “the Hopeless Case”, because she had fallen in love with “the Fury” and was trying to impress him and the lady friend. Bruno was dismayed by the behavior of his sister and her romance with a young soldier. Bruno, as a young boy, misunderstood the words “Auschwitz” and “Fuhrer” to mean “Out-With” and “the Fury.” He explored the woods around his home and found himself often at the fence with his best friend Shmuel. Bruno saw the malnutrition in his friend and took food from his home to feed him. The inability to play football or explore together makes the two friends sad. Shmuel fell to his knees and told Bruno that he could not find his father. Bruno sympathized with his friends and promised to help him search for his father. However, he was limited by the fence’s separation. Shmuel offered to help Bruno and get him a pair pajamas from the bin. This would allow him to blend in with his fence side. Bruno donned the striped pajamas and took off his clothes. He then slipped onto Shmuel’s fence side through a hole that the boys had made. Shmuel lost his father abruptly. The loud, tall German soldiers demanded that the prisoners take off their pajamas and go to the shower. Bruno and Shmuel found their way to the front, scared and anxious about the unknown. As best friends, they held hands and were pushed together into gas chambers. I was asked the following question: “What have you learned about humanity, genocide, or innocence after you read the powerful story?” A German boy was contrasted with a Jewish one by the author to show the purity of children. Humans were influenced by their environment and circumstances, including war, prejudice, hatred, and dictatorship. Bruno, innocent in his father’s murders, proved innocence. Auschwitz is free of all convicted Jews. Because they don’t see Auschwitz in the same way as death camps, the boys didn’t understand what was happening. Genocide was first introduced by Bruno who saw Auschwitz as a place where children could have fun and play together. The horrors that genocide brings to light is obvious as Shmuel (Bruno) is put in the gas-chambers. Historical fiction was the genre that inspired this disturbing story. John Boyne is the author of this incredible story. It was inspired by a dream of two boys sitting side-by-side on barbed wire fences. He was inspired by the Holocost because of the way the fence was built. Boyne wanted to tell young children about the horrible treatment of innocent Jews. The story has three examples that led me to believe it was fiction. First, if a Jewish child spoke to anyone outside of the camp boundaries, they were likely to be caught and punished severely. Bruno would sit opposite the fence and chat with Shmuel each day. The soldiers would also instantly kill any camper, Jew, who attempted to make a hole under the fence. This is the story of Bruno, who dug a hole underneath the fence to help Shmuel find his father. The author wrote the story mainly from Bruno’s perspective, but briefly touched on Shmuel’s treatment in concentration camps. This informational book on the Holocaust is highly recommended to anyone who is interested. Everyone needs to be able to recognize and accept the horrors of Jewish history and treat all people with respect. I would read this book again. I love reading about the history of other cultures. It is both educational and interesting. The text-to–text connection I made was between “The Boy In The Striped Pajamas” and “The Boy At The Top Of The Mountain”, a story by John Boyne. Pierrot, a main character in the novel “The Boy At The Top Of The Mountain”, became an orphan after he left Paris to start anew with his aunt Beatrix. His aunt was hired as a servant at a large house in the German Mountains. This story happened in 1935 at the onset of the Second World War. It was also set in Berghof which was Adolf Hitler’s house. Pierrot was quickly taken by Hitler and thrust into a new, dangerous world. It was filled with terror and secrets which may prove to be too much for young Pierrot. Bruno and Pierrot had to leave their home in order to live in a creepy old house in Germany. Adolf Hitler had been a friend of the boys and they arrived at Auschwitz together in very difficult moments. A fence can divide people but hope can reunite them.