The boy in the striped pyjamas穿條紋睡衣的男孩

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TheBoyintheStripedPyjamas

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TheBoyintheStripedPyjamasisanovelbyIrishnovelistJohnBoyne.ThestoryhappenedinGermanin1942,duringtheWorldWarII.Bruno,anine-year-oldboy,andhisfamilyhavetoleavetheirhomeinBerlinandmovetoafarandstrangeplacewherethereisnootherchildrentoplaywithhim.Hethentakesanexplorationnearthefenceandmeetsalittleboywhoisontheothersideofthefence,Shmuel.TheybecomegoodfriendsandBrunodecidestohelpShmueltofindhisfather,whilehenevercomesoutfromthecamp.

Differentfromotherwarnovels,thisnovelindirectlyrevealsthecoldnessandmercilessnessofthewarthroughtwoinnocentlittleboys’talks,insteadofdescribingthebloodyandhorriblescenes,evokingstrongerfeelingsamongreadersandheartbreakingreadersextremely.Theinnocenceofchildrenisinstarkcontrastwiththecruelnessandbrutalityofthewar.WhenBrunofoundthecampwiththefenceneartheirhouse,hesimplyregardeditasanuglybuilding.Hundredsof,eventhousandsofpeopleinthesame-lookclothes,thestripedclothes,livedinthecampandsufferedgreatpainseveryday,butlittleBrunodidnotknowthetruthandonlyfelthappywhenhefoundalotofchildrenwerethere.HetoldShmuelhedidnotlikestripedclothesbutinfacthelikedit,ofcoursehedidnotknowwhattheclothesmeant.HeevenfeltunfairandadmiredShmuelforShmuelhadalotoffriendstoplaywithontheothersideofthefencewhilehedidnothave.Thewarissoridiculousandabsurdinfrontofchildren’sinnocentwords,whilechildrenarepoorandhelplessinfrontofthewar’smercilessness.

Thewardistortspeople’smindandmakesadults’worldfullofdeceptionandlies.Maria,thefamily’smaid,toldBrunohisfatherwasaverygoodman.HeofferedMariaajobandtookcareofMaria’smotherwhenshewasverysickeventhoughhewasnotobligedto.However,allthesehappenedbeforethewar.WhenBruno’sfatherbecameanofficerandgotpromoted,hechanged.HetoldBrunopeopleinthestripedclotheswerenothumanbeingsandnotallowedBrunotolookthatcampfromthewindow.Hecheatedthattheterriblesmellfromthesmokestackinthecampwastheresultofrubbishincineration.HelookedforateachertoteachGretelandBrunohistoryandsociology,orexactlytoimplantNaziconceptsinthem,whichreallyworked,GretelbecametossedherdollasideandbecameinterestedintheNaziconcepts.Peoplelosttheirnatureduringthewarandbecameapatheticandcold.

Eventhoughpeople’ssoulshavebeendistortedandtheirpersonalitiesdamaged,therearestillpeoplewhoaresaneandrational.Bruno’smotherknewwhatherhusbandhaddonewasinhumanandhopedtocomebackhomeinBerlinwiththeirchildren.Shearguedwithherhusband,butshehadnochoicebuttocompromisewiththerealitybecauseifshesaidsomethingimproper,thewholefamilywouldbeindanger.Bruno’sgrandmotherwasveryclearwithhisfather’sjobandfeltshamefulforwhathisfatherhaddone.Itisgratefulthatnoteveryonehaslosttheirmindduringthewar.Althoughthesepeoplearealsohelplessinfaceofthewarandcandonothingagainstthewar,theybringusthehopeofhumannature.

Regardlessofthenationalitiesandraces,weareallthesame.Intheendofthenovel,Brunoputonthestripedpyjamasandrolledunderthefence,thentheywereonthesamesideofthefence.However,whenBrunowantedtowentoutandcamebackhome,thesoldierscalledallthepeopleinstripedpyjamasbetogetherandthenhecameintothegaschamberwithShmuel,butsoldiersdidnotrecognizehimbecausetheyonlyknewthestripedpyjamas.EvenifyouarethesonofaNaziofficer,noonewillknowyouifyouwearthestripedclothes-thesymbolofJewish.Thus,itisridiculoustodivideraces,whichBruno’sdeathhasproved.

Thereisnowinnerinawar,especiallytheinhumaneracialcleansing.Thetwolittleboys,BrunoandShmuel,whohavedifferentdestiniesandfateswerekilledtog