Katia's SPJs Essay

Innocence, The Secret Weapon Against the Wickedness.

Bishop Robert South once said, “Innocence is like a polished armor; it adorns and defends.” In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, author John Boyne shows the benefits of being innocent. In this novel the narrator tells the story of how Bruno and his family were living in the Holocaust period, and because of the job of Bruno’s father they had to leave their house and move to the countryside. The author also shows through the story how Bruno is naive about that they ended up living near one concentration camp, which name is Auschwitz, and demonstrates that he does not have a clue why a group of people called “Jews” were inside of the fence that bounded the camp that they lived by. Later, and until the final page of the book, the audience can read how the curiosity and innocence of Bruno leads him to meet a Jewish boy named Shmuel, and become his best friend in life. In Boyne’s novel The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Bruno’s innocence is good when Bruno does not understand who Jewish people are, he does not have any idea about the period that they are passing through, and he ignores what happens to Shmuel in the concentration camp, which shows the reader that innocence is important and necessary for life, especially in children because this protect them even in harsh times.

To begin with, Bruno shows how naive he is about the Jewish people. When Bruno and his family were moving to the countryside, they were going to travel in one train that was very comfortable, but Bruno notices about another train that was full of people and, “For a moment he considered running across the platform to tell the people about the empty seats” (Boyne 41). Here the author shows that really Bruno do not figure out about Jewish and why they are not allowed to have the same rights that he and his family have. He is unaware what could happens if one Jewish person tries to enter the train that he is in. Lamentably, the reality is that if one Jew tried to go out of the train, and more if they try to enter in the train where Germans are, the most presumable thing is that in the same instant one soldier take “care” of the situation and they end up being riddled. But Bruno is just a child and does not think about it, for him everybody is equal, and everyone deserves the same things that he have. For this, his innocence is good, because it keeps him pure, and that is something that children must do not loose. Bruno is innocent about the Jewish citizens and who they are.

Second, Bruno is unaware about the time that they are living in. One day when Shmuel and Bruno were talking about the signs that were put in the armbands that jewish have and also the sign that is in the armband of Bruno’s father, Bruno tells Shmuel, “All the same... I think I’d quite like one. I don't know which one I’d prefer though, your one or father’s” (Boyne 127). Here John Boyne reveals that Bruno is free of stress about the war that is happening at that moment. Also he does not figure out the immense distance that existed between two of the most big groups of people that are living during this period, in one side there are the Germans, who are the people that are doing horrible things to the Jewish, that are the ones that are suffering thing as discrimination, abuse, and most of they are being killed inside of concentration camps. But Bruno does not know anything of all this information, as a child he just thinks that the signs in the armband do not mean anything, he just wants the one that is more cool, which is a typical behavior for a children, he is naive about the conflicts that are occurring, and this is positive because as a kid of nine years old, he does not need to be worrying about wars. The only thing that will happen if he realizes all these horrible things is that he will be afraid all the time and probably end being traumatized. Bruno does not have idea about the war that is occuring at that moment.

Lastly, Bruno ignores what shmuel is having to go through. One day Bruno went to talk to Shmuel about that he is leaving Out-With,  and returning to Berlin. Because of this, Shmuel gets sad realizing that his best friend is moving, but when Bruno notices it, he said to Shmuel, “You could come on a holiday to Berlin. You can't stay here forever after all. Can you?” (Boyne 196). Here as the reader can see, Bruno does not have any idea of the conditions in which Shmuel is going through. Bruno thinks that just because he is free, and he can go wherever he wants, Shmuel could do it. In all the time that they talk together they create strong links, and even all the differences that existed between they,they became best friends for life. The innocence that Bruno has makes him find true friendship. Also Bruno releases from Shmuel the fear and stress that he has for living inside of the concentration camp, and even that he does not know, he is giving him hope. All the actions that Bruno is doing  demonstrates how pure he is and that he have a incredible degree of humanity, all this because of his innocence. Bruno is naive about the situation of Shmuel.

In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the innocence of Bruno is positive when Bruno is unaware about the Jewish population, he does not figure out what period they are passing through, and he is naive about how his friend Shmuel is living, demonstrating to the audience that being innocent is good and needs to be preserved in kids. The innocence that Bruno has is the major reason why he meets Shmuel and he could creates a beautiful friendship. Also his innocence help him to do not discovers the type of people that surround him, and the cruel and horrible things that they do to other humans. More that his father is one of the principal person responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, which their only crime is be Jewish. If Bruno realize this, he will be afraid and disappointed even of his own dad. This novel represents the importance of innocence in a world of  evil, because this keeps the mind pure, without fear and helps to not have detriments. Boyne with his novel wants his readers to know that innocence is the umbrella that protects humanity from the sinfulness, and that it must not disappear.