The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Plot Summary and Analysis

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: About the Author

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a 2006 novel by Irish author John Boyne. The story is told from the innocent perspective of Bruno, the son of a Nazi Schutzstaffel officer who moves with his family to a place called "Out-With" (a phonetic interpretation of Auschwitz), which is actually the Auschwitz extermination camp. Bruno befriends a Jewish boy named Shmuel who lives across a fence and, like the other prisoners there, wears "striped pajamas."

Plot Summary

The narrative follows Bruno, an eight-year-old boy (nine in the novel), whose father is a high-ranking Nazi officer. Bruno's family is forced to leave Berlin when his father is assigned to work at the Auschwitz extermination camp. The family accepts the relocation with resignation.

From the window of his new room, Bruno spots a fence behind which people always wear "striped pajamas"—in reality, Jewish prisoners. While wandering the area around his new home, Bruno meets a Polish Jewish boy named Shmuel through the security fence. Shmuel shares the story of his deportation and the terrible living conditions within the camp. Bruno befriends him and visits often, bringing him food. Eventually, Bruno's mother decides the camp is not a suitable place to raise a family and plans to return to Berlin.

The Tragic Conclusion

Before leaving, Bruno visits Shmuel to say goodbye. Shmuel is sobbing because his father has gone missing, so Bruno promises to help him find him. Bruno digs under the fence, puts on a prison uniform provided by his friend, and enters the camp. They fail to find Shmuel's father, and as it begins to rain, Bruno decides he wants to go home. Instead, camp guards force them to join a crowd being led to a "safe" place. The story ends with the two children holding hands inside a gas chamber.

In the epilogue, Bruno's father discovers his son's clothes by the wire and realizes what happened. Months later, after the Allies (specifically the Red Army) liberate the camp, Bruno's father is taken by soldiers and follows them without complaint, as he no longer cares what happens to him.