10 Questions
Bruno is a ______-year-old German boy and the novel’s protagonist.
nine
Bruno misses the life and the friends he left behind in ______ when his family unexpectedly moved to Poland.
Berlin
Bruno’s family unexpectedly moved to ______ for his father’s career.
Poland
Bruno feels that his family’s new home at ______ Camp is “the loneliest place in the world”.
Out-With
Bruno eventually learns that the fence exists to separate a group of people known as “______” from people like him and his family.
Jews
To the very end of the novel, when he tragically dies in a ______ gas chamber.
Nazi
Bruno’s sister, ______, graduates from playing with dolls to closely tracking Germany’s progress in the war.
Gretel
Bruno’s childlike innocence endows him with an important virtue that other characters in the novel lack, namely, the capacity to keep an ______ mind.
open
The adults in the novel all have settled opinions about what’s occurring at ______ and in Europe more broadly.
Out-With
Even Bruno’s sister, Gretel, mindlessly echoes prejudices against the ______.
Jews
Study Notes
Bruno's Character
- Bruno is a nine-year-old German boy and the protagonist of the novel
- He misses his life and friends in Berlin after his family's unexpected move to Poland for his father's career
Bruno's Understanding of Out-With Camp
- Bruno feels that Out-With Camp is "the loneliest place in the world" but doesn't understand what the place is or what happens there
- He doesn't comprehend the purpose of the massive fence near his house or the presence of many soldiers
- He doesn't know who the people on the other side of the fence are or why they wear striped pajamas
Bruno's Ignorance and Innocence
- Bruno remains unaware of the historical and political context of Out-With Camp and the war
- He never fully understands the real purpose of Out-With Camp, even until his tragic death in a Nazi gas chamber
- His childlike innocence allows him to keep an open mind, unlike the adults in the novel
Bruno's Friendship with Shmuel
- Bruno befriends Shmuel, a Jewish boy he meets while walking along the fence
- Initially, Bruno is self-centered and unable to listen to Shmuel's experiences
- Over time, Bruno grows introspective, notices his own selfish behaviors, and learns to see things from Shmuel's perspective
- Bruno demonstrates empathy and responsibility for his friend, even as the novel approaches its tragic conclusion
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