The use of language in texts inspires emotional reactions in readers. A particular theme that impacts the reader is the World War II Holocaust when Germans killed the Jewish race. The holocaust is confronting as it demonstrates the horrors of war which conflicts with the values of the reader. From this point on many people acted and wanted equality throughout the world. One particular novel that has a deep effect on the reader is John Boyne’s novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. In order to convey this emotion Boyne uses different language techniques to shock and encourage the reader to make social changes in terms of race and gender equality. The main techniques Boyne uses are characterisation, literary devices, dramatic irony .
The Holocaust took place in World War II when Nazi Germany killed people in a planned and forced way. Six million Jewish people were killed for no reason other than Germans wanted people to blame for the misfortunes that was happening during this time. Millions of other people were killed that the Nazis considered as a bad influence on society, these were gypsies, homosexuals and communists. Many were rounded up, put in ghettos, forced to work in concentration camps and then killed in large, overcrowded gas chambers. Some people say this did not happen at all, or they say that it is described wrongly. But the evidence was right there, Jew’s were treated inhumanely and were slaughtered because of a man who believed he knew best for his country, this is the event that Boyne bases his novel around. This event in history inspires people to have a positive reaction and to want equality throughout the world. Another event that occurred in 1994 was the Rwanda massacre where hundreds and thousands of Tutsis were killed, this also had a large impact on society wanting to act and make a change for equality.
In novels, characters are used to make readers react to their personalities in different ways.