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Boy In The Striped Pajamas Essay

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Boy In The Striped Pajamas Essay
A Childhood Interrupted

Directed by Mark Herman and produced by David Heyman, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a film released in theatres in 2008. This film is based on the 2006 novel written by Irish man John Boyne. It is a Holocaust-based drama film that follows the lives of two eight-year-old boys. Bruno is the son of a Nazi Commandant and Schmuel is the son of a Jewish inmate. Through these children’s eyes, viewers are invited to discover a poignant tale involving the horrors of the World War II concentration camps. Both boys share a lot of commonalities, but what is most prominent is the characterization of their childhood innocence. The meeting of these two boys from inherently adverse backgrounds is a compelling story because they defy the bigotry of the adults to form a forbidden friendship. Through simple talks and shared meals, Bruno and Schmuel cross the line of segregation to stand hand-in-hand in facing a heart breaking, unpredictable tragedy resulting in a childhood abruptly ended.
The first time that Bruno and Schmuel meet, viewers are right away able to depict which boy is inferior to the other. Bruno is dressed in clean clothing and Schmuel in an …show more content…
When Schmuel finishes gorging down his food, Bruno throws the soccer ball over the electric fence for Schmuel to toss back. Schmuel hurriedly gives Bruno the ball back in a scared manner and informs Bruno to not throw the ball back and Bruno is astonished. He goes on to question Schmuel asking, “Do you not like playing?” Schmuel just shrugs and replies, “Not here.” Not having been exposed to the horrors of what a concentration camp is truly like, Bruno cannot fully comprehend why Schmuel is so paranoid about having fun. In Bruno’s mind all children have fun. It is a natural thing that kids partake in, but to Schmuel fun does not exist, well, not
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