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THE BOY IN THE

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THE BOY IN
T H E ST R I P E D
a fable by

JOHN BOYNE

P AJ A M A S

KEEP READING FOR A SNEAK PEEK...

For Jamie Lynch

acknowleDgments
For all their advice and insightful comments and for never allowing
me to lose my focus on the story, many thanks to David Fickling, Bella
Pearson, and Linda Sargent. And for getting behind this from the
start, thanks, as ever, to my agent, Simon Trewin. Thanks also to my
old friend Janette Jenkins for her great encouragement after reading
an early draft.
A DAVID FICKLING BOOK
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the
product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright 2006 by John Boyne
Introduction copyright 2016 by John Boyne
All rights reserved. Published by David Fickling Books, an imprint of Random
House Childrens Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
Originally published in hardcover by David Fickling Books,
a division of Penguin Random House Ltd., London, and subsequently
published in the United States by David Fickling Books, an imprint
of Random House Childrens Books, in 2006.
DaviD Fickling Books and the colophon are registered trademarks of
Penguin Random House LLC.
Visit us on the Web! randomhouseteens.com
Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at
RHTeachersLibrarians.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Boyne, John.
The boy in the striped pajamas : a fable / by John Boyne
p. cm.
Summary: Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called
Out-With in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped
pajamas who lives behind a wire fence.
ISBN 978-0-385-75106-3 (trade) ISBN 978-0-385-75107-0 (lib. bdg.)
1. Auschwitz (Concentration camp)Juvenile fiction. [1. Auschwitz
(Concentration camp)Fiction. 2. Concentration campsPolandFiction.
3. FriendshipFiction. 4. NazisFiction. 5. Holocaust, Jewish (19391945)
Fiction. 6. World War, 19391945JewsFiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.B69677Boy 2006 [Fic]dc22 2005033596
Printed in the United States of America
March 2016
37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28
Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment
and celebrates the right to read.

FREE SAMPLE NOT FOR SALE

Chapter One
Bruno Makes a Discovery

One afternoon, when Bruno came home from

school, he was surprised to find Maria, the
familys maid who always kept her head bowed
and never looked up from the carpet standing
in his bedroom, pulling all his belongings out of
the wardrobe and packing them in four large
wooden crates, even the things hed hidden at
the back that belonged to him and were nobody
elses business.
What are you doing? he asked in as polite a
tone as he could muster, for although he wasnt
happy to come home and find someone going
through his possessions, his mother had always
told him that he was to treat Maria respectfully
and not just imitate the way Father spoke to her.
You take your hands off my things.
Maria shook her head and pointed towards
the staircase behind him, where Brunos mother
had just appeared. She was a tall woman with long
red hair that she bundled into a sort of net behind
her head, and she was twisting her hands together
1

nervously as if there was something she didnt

want to have to say or something she didnt want
to have to believe.
Mother, said Bruno, marching towards her,
whats going on? Why is Maria going through
my things?
Shes packing them, explained Mother.
Packing them? he asked, running quickly
through the events of the previous few days to
consider whether hed been particularly naughty
or had used those words out loud that he wasnt
allowed to use and was being sent away because
of it. He couldnt think of anything though. In
fact over the last few days he had behaved in a
perfectly decent manner to everyone and
couldnt remember causing any chaos at all.
Why? he asked then. What have I done?
Mother had walked into her own bedroom
by then but Lars, the butler, was in there,
packing her things too. She sighed and threw
her hands in the air in frustration before marching back to the staircase, followed by Bruno, who
wasnt going to let the matter drop without an
explanation.
Mother, he insisted. Whats going on? Are
we moving?
Come downstairs with me, said Mother,
leading the way towards the large dining room
where the Fury had been to dinner the week
before. Well talk down there.
2

Bruno ran downstairs and even passed her

out on the staircase so that he was waiting in the
dining room when she arrived. He looked at her
without saying anything for a moment and
thought to himself that she couldnt have
applied her make-up correctly that morning
because the rims of her eyes were more red than
usual, like his own after hed been causing chaos
and got into trouble and ended up crying.
Now, you dont have to worry, Bruno, said
Mother, sitting down in the chair where the
beautiful blonde woman who had come to
dinner with the Fury had sat and waved at him
when Father closed the doors. In fact if anything
its going to be a great adventure.
What is? he asked. Am I being sent away?
No, not just you, she said, looking as if she
might smile for a moment but thinking better of
it. We all are. Your father and I, Gretel and you.
All four of us.
Bruno thought about this and frowned. He
wasnt particularly bothered if Gretel was being
sent away because she was a Hopeless Case and
caused nothing but trouble for him. But it
seemed a little unfair that they all had to go with
her.
But where? he asked. Where are we going
exactly? Why cant we stay here?
Your fathers job, explained Mother. You
know how important it is, dont you?
3

Yes, of course, said Bruno, nodding his

head, because there were always so many visitors
to the house men in fantastic uniforms, women
with typewriters that he had to keep his mucky
hands off and they were always very polite to
Father and told each other that he was a man
to watch and that the Fury had big things in
mind for him.
Well, sometimes when someone is very
important, continued Mother, the man who
employs him asks him to go somewhere else
because theres a very special job that needs
doing there.
What kind of job? asked Bruno, because if
he was honest with himself which he always
tried to be he wasnt entirely sure what job
Father did.
In school they had talked about their fathers
one day and Karl had said that his father was a
greengrocer, which Bruno knew to be true
because he ran the greengrocers shop in the
centre of town. And Daniel had said that his
father was a teacher, which Bruno knew to be
true because he taught the big boys who it was
always wise to steer clear of. And Martin had said
that his father was a chef, which Bruno knew to
be true because he sometimes collected Martin
from school and when he did he always wore a
white smock and a tartan apron, as if hed just
stepped out of his kitchen.
4

But when they asked Bruno what his father

did he opened his mouth to tell them, then
realized that he didnt know himself. All he
could say was that his father was a man to watch
and that the Fury had big things in mind for
him. Oh, and that he had a fantastic uniform
too.
Its a very important job, said Mother,
hesitating for a moment. A job that needs a very
special man to do it. You can understand that,
cant you?
And we all have to go too? asked Bruno.
Of course we do, said Mother. You
wouldnt want Father to go to his new job on his
own and be lonely there, would you?
I suppose not, said Bruno.
Father would miss us all terribly if we
werent with him, she added.
Who would he miss the most? asked Bruno.
Me or Gretel?
He would miss you both equally, said
Mother, for she was a great believer in not playing favourites, which Bruno respected, especially
since he knew that he was her favourite really.
But what about our house? asked Bruno.
Whos going to take care of it while were gone?
Mother sighed and looked around the room
as if she might never see it again. It was a very
beautiful house and had five floors in total, if you
included the basement, where Cook made all
5

the food and Maria and Lars sat at the table arguing with each other and calling each other
names that you werent supposed to use. And if
you added in the little room at the top of the
house with the slanted windows where Bruno
could see right across Berlin if he stood up on
his tiptoes and held on to the frame tightly.
We have to close up the house for now, said
Mother. But well come back to it someday.
And what about Cook? asked Bruno. And
Lars? And Maria? Are they not going to live in
it?
Theyre coming with us, explained Mother.
But thats enough questions for now. Maybe you
should go upstairs and help Maria with your
packing.
Bruno stood up from the seat but didnt go
anywhere. There were just a few more questions
he needed to put to her before he could allow
the matter to be settled.
And how far away is it? he asked. The new
job, I mean. Is it further than a mile away?
Oh my, said Mother with a laugh, although
it was a strange kind of laugh because she didnt
look happy and turned away from Bruno as if
she didnt want him to see her face. Yes, Bruno,
she said. Its more than a mile away. Quite a lot
more than that, in fact.
Brunos eyes opened wide and his mouth
made the shape of an O. He felt his arms
6

stretching out at his sides like they did whenever

something surprised him. You dont mean were
leaving Berlin? he asked, gasping for air as he
got the words out.
Im afraid so, said Mother, nodding her
head sadly. Your fathers job is
But what about school? said Bruno, interrupting her, a thing he knew he was not
supposed to do but which he felt he would be
forgiven for on this occasion. And what about
Karl and Daniel and Martin? How will they know
where I am when we want to do things together?
Youll have to say goodbye to your friends
for the time being, said Mother. Although Im
sure youll see them again in time. And dont
interrupt your mother when shes talking,
please, she added, for although this was strange
and unpleasant news, there was certainly no
need for Bruno to break the rules of politeness
which he had been taught.
Say goodbye to them? he asked, staring at
her in surprise. Say goodbye to them? he
repeated, spluttering out the words as if his
mouth was full of biscuits that hed munched
into tiny pieces but not actually swallowed yet.
Say goodbye to Karl and Daniel and Martin? he
continued, his voice coming dangerously close
to shouting, which was not allowed indoors. But
theyre my three best friends for life!
Oh, youll make other friends, said Mother,
7

waving her hand in the air dismissively, as if the

making of a boys three best friends for life was
an easy thing.
But we had plans, he protested.
Plans? asked Mother, raising an eyebrow.
What sort of plans?
Well, that would be telling, said Bruno, who
could not reveal the exact nature of the plans
which included causing a lot of chaos, especially
in a few weeks time when school finished for the
summer holidays and they didnt have to spend
all their time just making plans but could
actually put them into effect instead.
Im sorry, Bruno, said Mother, but your
plans are just going to have to wait. We dont
have a choice in this.
But, Mother!
Bruno, thats enough, she said, snapping at
him now and standing up to show him that she was
serious when she said that was enough. Honestly,
only last week you were complaining about how
much things have changed here recently.
Well, I dont like the way we have to turn all
the lights off at night now, he admitted.
Everyone has to do that, said Mother. It
keeps us safe. And who knows, maybe well be in
less danger if we move away. Now, I need you to
go upstairs and help Maria with your packing.
We dont have as much time to prepare
as I would have liked, thanks to some people.
8

Bruno nodded and walked away sadly, knowing that some people was a grown-ups word for
Father and one that he wasnt supposed to use
himself.
He made his way up the stairs slowly, holding
on to the banister with one hand, and wondered
whether the new house in the new place where
the new job was would have as fine a banister to
slide down as this one did. For the banister in
this house stretched from the very top floor
just outside the little room where, if he stood on
his tiptoes and held on to the frame of the
window tightly, he could see right across Berlin
to the ground floor, just in front of the two
enormous oak doors. And Bruno liked nothing
better than to get on board the banister at the
top floor and slide his way through the house,
making whooshing sounds as he went.
Down from the top floor to the next one,
where Mother and Fathers room was, and the
large bathroom, and where he wasnt supposed
to be in any case.
Down to the next floor, where his own room
was, and Gretels room too, and the smaller bathroom which he was supposed to use more often
than he really did.
Down to the ground floor, where you fell off
the end of the banister and had to land flat on
your two feet or it was five points against you and
you had to start all over again.
9

The banister was the best thing about this

house that and the fact that Grandfather and
Grandmother lived so near by and when he
thought about that it made him wonder whether
they were coming to the new job too and he
presumed that they were because they could
hardly be left behind. No one needed Gretel
much because she was a Hopeless Case it would
be a lot easier if she stayed to look after the
house but Grandfather and Grandmother?
Well, that was an entirely different matter.
Bruno went up the stairs slowly towards his
room, but before going inside he looked back
down towards the ground floor and saw Mother
entering Fathers office, which faced the dining
room and was Out Of Bounds At All Times And
No Exceptions and he heard her speaking
loudly to him until Father spoke louder than
Mother could and that put a stop to their
conversation. Then the door of the office closed
and Bruno couldnt hear any more so he
thought it would be a good idea if he went back
to his room and took over the packing from
Maria, because otherwise she might pull all his
belongings out of the wardrobe without any care
or consideration, even the things hed hidden at
the back that belonged to him and were nobody
elses business.

10

Chapter Two
The New House

When he first saw their new house Brunos eyes

opened wide, his mouth made the shape of an O
and his arms stretched out at his sides once
again. Everything about it seemed to be the
exact opposite of their old home and he
couldnt believe that they were really going to
live there.
The house in Berlin had stood on a quiet
street and alongside it were a handful of other
big houses like his own, and it was always nice
to look at them because they were almost the
same as his house but not quite, and other
boys lived in them who he played with (if they
were friends) or steered clear of (if they were
trouble). The new house, however, stood all on
its own in an empty, desolate place and there
were no other houses anywhere to be seen,
which meant there would be no other families
around and no other boys to play with, neither
friends nor trouble.
The house in Berlin was enormous, and even
11

though hed lived there for nine years he was still

able to find nooks and crannies that he hadnt
fully finished exploring yet. There were even
whole rooms such as Fathers office, which was
Out Of Bounds At All Times And No Exceptions
that he had barely been inside. However, the
new house had only three floors: a top floor
where all three bedrooms were and only one
bathroom, a ground floor with a kitchen, a
dining room and a new office for Father (which,
he presumed, had the same restrictions as the
old one), and a basement where the servants
slept.
All around the house in Berlin were other
streets of large houses, and when you walked
towards the centre of town there were always
people strolling along and stopping to chat to
each other or rushing around and saying they
had no time to stop, not today, not when
they had a hundred and one things to do. There
were shops with bright store fronts, and fruit and
vegetable stalls with big trays piled high with
cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers and corn. Some
were overspilling with leeks and mushrooms,
turnips and sprouts; others with lettuce and
green beans, courgettes and parsnips.
Sometimes he liked to stand in front of these
stalls and close his eyes and breathe in their
aromas, feeling his head grow dizzy with the
mixed scents of sweetness and life. But there
12

were no other streets around the new house,

no one strolling along or rushing around, and
definitely no shops or fruit and vegetable stalls.
When he closed his eyes, everything around
him just felt empty and cold, as if he was in the
loneliest place in the world. The middle of
nowhere.
In Berlin there had been tables set out on
the street, and sometimes when he walked home
from school with Karl, Daniel and Martin there
would be men and women sitting at them, drinking frothy drinks and laughing loudly; the
people who sat at these tables must be very funny
people, he always thought, because it didnt
matter what they said, somebody always laughed.
But there was something about the new house
that made Bruno think that no one ever laughed
there; that there was nothing to laugh at and
nothing to be happy about.
I think this was a bad idea, said Bruno a few
hours after they arrived, while Maria was unpacking his suitcases upstairs. (Maria wasnt the
only maid at the new house either: there were
three others who were quite skinny and only ever
spoke to each other in whispering voices. There
was an old man too who, he was told, was there
to prepare the vegetables every day and wait on
them at the dinner table, and who looked very
unhappy but also a little angry.)
We dont have the luxury of thinking, said
13

Mother, opening a box that contained the set of

sixty-four glasses that Grandfather and Grandmother had given her when she married Father.
Some people make all the decisions for us.
Bruno didnt know what she meant by that so
he pretended that shed never said it at all. I
think this was a bad idea, he repeated. I think
the best thing to do would be to forget all about
this and just go back home. We can chalk it up to
experience, he added, a phrase he had learned
recently and was determined to use as often as
possible.
Mother smiled and put the glasses down
carefully on the table. I have another phrase for
you, she said. Its that we have to make the best
of a bad situation.
Well, I dont know that we do, said Bruno.
I think you should just tell Father that youve
changed your mind and, well, if we have to stay
here for the rest of the day and have dinner here
this evening and sleep here tonight because
were all tired, then thats all right, but we should
probably get up early in the morning if were to
make it back to Berlin by tea-time tomorrow.
Mother sighed. Bruno, why dont you just go
upstairs and help Maria unpack? she asked.
But theres no point unpacking if were only
going to
Bruno, just do it, please! snapped Mother,
because apparently it was all right if she
14

interrupted him but it didnt work the other way

round. Were here, weve arrived, this is our
home for the foreseeable future and we just have
to make the best of things. Do you understand
me?
He didnt understand what the foreseeable
future meant and told her so.
It means that this is where we live now,
Bruno, said Mother. And thats an end to it.
Bruno had a pain in his stomach and he
could feel something growing inside him, something that when it worked its way up from the
lowest depths inside him to the outside world
would either make him shout and scream that
the whole thing was wrong and unfair and a big
mistake for which somebody would pay one of
these days, or just make him burst into tears
instead. He couldnt understand how this had all
come about. One day he was perfectly content,
playing at home, having three best friends for
life, sliding down banisters, trying to stand on his
tiptoes to see right across Berlin, and now he was
stuck here in this cold, nasty house with three
whispering maids and a waiter who was both
unhappy and angry, where no one looked as if
they could ever be cheerful again.
Bruno, I want you to go upstairs and unpack
and I want you to do it now, said Mother in an
unfriendly voice, and he knew that she meant
business so he turned round and marched away
15

without another word. He could feel tears

springing up behind his eyes but he was
determined that he wouldnt allow them to
appear.
He went upstairs and turned slowly around
in a full circle, hoping he might find a small
door or cubby hole where a decent amount of
exploration could eventually be done, but there
wasnt one. On his floor there were just four
doors, two on either side, facing each other. A
door into his room, a door into Gretels room,
a door into Mother and Fathers room, and a
door into the bathroom.
This isnt home and it never will be, he muttered under his breath as he went through his
own door to find all his clothes scattered on the
bed and the boxes of toys and books not even
unpacked yet. It was obvious that Maria did not
have her priorities right.
Mother sent me to help, he said quietly,
and Maria nodded and pointed towards a big
bag that contained all his socks and vests and
underpants.
If you sort that lot out, you could put them
in the chest of drawers over there, she said,
pointing towards an ugly chest that stood across
the room beside a mirror that was covered in
dust.
Bruno sighed and opened the bag; it was full
to the brim with his underwear and he wanted
16

nothing more than to crawl inside it and hope

that when he climbed out again hed have woken
up and be back home again.
What do you think of all this, Maria? he
asked after a long silence because he had always
liked Maria and felt as if she was one of the
family, even though Father said she was just a
maid and overpaid at that.
All what? she asked.
This, he said as if it was the most obvious
thing in the world. Coming to a place like this.
Dont you think weve made a big mistake?
Thats not for me to say, Master Bruno, said
Maria. Your mother has explained to you about
your fathers job and
Oh, Im tired of hearing about Fathers job,
said Bruno, interrupting her. Thats all we ever
hear about, if you ask me. Fathers job this and
Fathers job that. Well, if Fathers job means that
we have to move away from our house and the
sliding banister and my three best friends for
life, then I think Father should think twice about
his job, dont you?
Just at that moment there was a creak outside
in the hallway and Bruno looked up to see the
door of Mother and Fathers room opening
slightly. He froze, unable to move for a moment.
Mother was still downstairs, which meant that
Father was in there and he might have heard
everything that Bruno had just said. He watched
17

the door, hardly daring to breathe, wondering

whether Father might come through it and take
him downstairs for a serious talking-to.
The door opened wider and Bruno stepped
back as a figure appeared, but it wasnt Father. It
was a much younger man, and not as tall as
Father either, but he wore the same type of
uniform, only without as many decorations on it.
He looked very serious and his cap was secured
tightly on his head. Around his temples Bruno
could see that he had very blond hair, an almost
unnatural shade of yellow. He was carrying a box
in his hands and walking towards the staircase,
but he stopped for a moment when he saw
Bruno standing there watching him. He looked
the boy up and down as if he had never seen a
child before and wasnt quite sure what he was
supposed to do with one: eat it, ignore it or kick
it down the stairs. Instead he gave Bruno a quick
nod and continued on his way.
Who was that? asked Bruno. The young
man had seemed so serious and busy that he
assumed he must be someone very important.
One of your fathers soldiers, I suppose,
said Maria, who had stood up very straight when
the young man appeared and held her hands
before her like a person in prayer. She had
stared down at the ground rather than at his
face, as if she was afraid she might be turned to
stone if she looked directly at him; she only
18

relaxed when he had gone. Well get to know

them in time.
I dont think I like him, said Bruno. He was
too serious.
Your father is very serious too, said Maria.
Yes, but hes Father, explained Bruno.
Fathers are supposed to be serious. It doesnt
matter whether theyre greengrocers or teachers
or chefs or commandants, he said, listing all the
jobs that he knew decent, respectable fathers did
and whose titles he had thought about a
thousand times. And I dont think that man
looked like a father. Although he was very
serious, thats for sure.
Well, they have very serious jobs, said Maria
with a sigh. Or so they think anyway. But if I was
you Id steer clear of the soldiers.
I dont see what else there is to do other
than that, said Bruno sadly. I dont even think
theres going to be anyone to play with other
than Gretel, and what fun is that after all? Shes
a Hopeless Case.
He felt as if he was about to cry again but
stopped himself, not wanting to look like a baby
in front of Maria. He looked around the room
without fully lifting his eyes up from the ground,
trying to see whether there was anything of
interest to be found. There wasnt. Or there
didnt seem to be. But then one thing caught his
eye. Over in the corner of the room opposite the
19

door there was a window in the ceiling that

stretched down into the wall, a little like the one
on the top floor of the house in Berlin, only not
so high. Bruno looked at it and thought that he
might be able to see out without even having to
stand on tiptoes.
He walked slowly towards it, hoping that
from here he might be able to see all the way
back to Berlin and his house and the streets
around it and the tables where the people sat
and drank their frothy drinks and told each
other hilarious stories. He walked slowly because
he didnt want to be disappointed. But it was just
a small boys room and there was only so far he
could walk before he arrived at the window.
He put his face to the glass and saw what was out
there, and this time when his eyes opened wide
and his mouth made the shape of an O, his
hands stayed by his sides because something
made him feel very cold and unsafe.

20

Chapter Three
The Hopeless Case

Bruno was sure that it would have made a lot

more sense if they had left Gretel behind in
Berlin to look after the house because she was
nothing but trouble. In fact he had heard her
described on any number of occasions as being
Trouble From Day One.
Gretel was three years older than Bruno and
she had made it clear to him from as far back as
he could remember that when it came to the
ways of the world, particularly any events within
that world that concerned the two of them, she
was in charge. Bruno didnt like to admit that
he was a little scared of her, but if he was honest
with himself which he always tried to be he
would have admitted that he was.
She had some nasty habits, as was to be
expected from sisters. She spent far too long in
the bathroom in the mornings for one thing,
and didnt seem to mind if Bruno was left outside, hopping from foot to foot, desperate to go.
She had a large collection of dolls positioned
21

on shelves around her room that stared at Bruno

when he went inside and followed him around,
watching whatever he did. He was sure that if he
went exploring in her room when she was out of
the house, they would report back to her on
everything he did. She had some very unpleasant friends too, who seemed to think that it was
clever to make fun of him, a thing he never
would have done if he had been three
years older than her. All Gretels unpleasant
friends seemed to enjoy nothing more than
torturing him and said nasty things to him
whenever Mother or Maria were nowhere in
sight.
Brunos not nine, hes only six, said one
particular monster over and over again in a singsong voice, dancing around him and poking him
in the ribs.
Im not six, Im nine, he protested, trying
to get away.
Then why are you so small? asked the
monster. All the other nine-year-olds are bigger
than you.
This was true, and a particular sore point for
Bruno. It was a source of constant disappointment to him that he wasnt as tall as any of the
other boys in his class. In fact he only came up to
their shoulders. Whenever he walked along the
streets with Karl, Daniel and Martin, people
sometimes mistook him for the younger brother
22

of one of them when in fact he was the second

oldest.
So you must be only six, insisted the
monster, and Bruno would run away and do his
stretching exercises and hope that he would
wake up one morning and have grown an extra
foot or two.
So one good thing about not being in Berlin
any more was the fact that none of them would
be around to torture him. Perhaps if he was
forced to stay at the new house for a while, even
as long as a month, he would have grown by the
time they returned home and then they wouldnt be able to be mean to him any more. It was
something to keep in mind anyway if he wanted
to do what Mother had suggested and make the
best of a bad situation.
He ran into Gretels room without knocking
and discovered her placing her civilization of
dolls on various shelves around the room.
What are you doing in here? she shouted,
spinning round. Dont you know you dont
enter a ladys room without knocking?
You didnt bring all your dolls with you,
surely? asked Bruno, who had developed a habit
of ignoring most of his sisters questions and
asking a few of his own in their place.
Of course I did, she replied. You dont
think Id have left them at home? Why, it could
be weeks before were back there again.
23

Weeks? said Bruno, sounding disappointed

but secretly pleased because hed resigned himself to the idea of spending a month there. Do
you really think so?
Well, I asked Father and he said we would be
here for the foreseeable future.
What is the foreseeable future exactly?
asked Bruno, sitting down on the side of her
bed.
It means weeks from now, said Gretel with
an intelligent nod of her head. Perhaps as long
as three.
Thats all right then, said Bruno. As long as
its just for the foreseeable future and not for a
month. I hate it here.
Gretel looked at her little brother and found
herself agreeing with him for once. I know what
you mean, she said. Its not very nice, is it?
Its horrible, said Bruno.
Well, yes, said Gretel, acknowledging that.
Its horrible right now. But once the house is
smartened up a bit it probably wont seem so
bad. I heard Father say that whoever lived here at
Out-With before us lost their job very quickly
and didnt have time to make the place nice for
us.
Out-With? asked Bruno. Whats an OutWith?
Its not an Out-With, Bruno, said Gretel
with a sigh. Its just Out-With.
24

Well, whats Out-With then? he repeated.

Out with what?
Thats the name of the house, explained
Gretel. Out-With.
Bruno considered this. He hadnt seen any
sign on the outside to say that was what it was
called, nor had he seen any writing on the front
door. His own house back in Berlin didnt even
have a name; it was just called number four.
But what does it mean? he asked in
exasperation. Out with what?
Out with the people who lived here before
us, I expect, said Gretel. It must have to do with
the fact that he didnt do a very good job and
someone said out with him and lets get a man in
who can do it right.
You mean Father.
Of course, said Gretel, who always spoke of
Father as if he could never do any wrong and
never got angry and always came in to kiss her
goodnight before she went to sleep which, if
Bruno was to be really fair and not just sad about
moving houses, he would have admitted Father
did for him too.
So were here at Out-With because someone
said out with the people before us?
Exactly, Bruno, said Gretel. Now get off my
bedspread. Youre messing it up.
Bruno jumped off the bed and landed with a
thud on the carpet. He didnt like the sound it
25

made. It was very hollow and he immediately

decided hed better not go jumping around this
house too often or it might collapse around their
ears.
I dont like it here, he said for the
hundredth time.
I know you dont, said Gretel. But theres
nothing we can do about it, is there?
I miss Karl and Daniel and Martin, said
Bruno.
And I miss Hilda and Isobel and Louise,
said Gretel, and Bruno tried to remember which
of those three girls was the monster.
I dont think the other children look at all
friendly, said Bruno, and Gretel immediately
stopped putting one of her more terrifying dolls
on a shelf and turned round to stare at him.
What did you just say? she asked.
I said I dont think the other children look
at all friendly, he repeated.
The other children? said Gretel, sounding
confused. What other children? I havent seen
any other children.
Bruno looked around the room. There was a
window here but Gretels room was on the
opposite side of the hall, facing his, and so
looked in a totally different direction. Trying not
to appear too obvious, he strolled casually
towards it. He placed his hands in the pockets of
his short trousers and attempted to whistle a
26

song he knew while not looking at his sister at all.

Bruno? asked Gretel. What on earth are
you doing? Have you gone mad?
He continued to stroll and whistle and he
continued not to look until he reached the
window, which, by a stroke of luck, was also low
enough for him to be able to see out of. He
looked outside and saw the car they had arrived
in, as well as three or four others belonging to
the soldiers who worked for Father, some of
whom were standing around smoking cigarettes
and laughing about something while looking
nervously up at the house. Beyond that was the
driveway and further along a forest which
seemed ripe for exploration.
Bruno, will you please explain to me what
you meant by that last remark? asked Gretel.
Theres a forest over there, said Bruno,
ignoring her.
Bruno! snapped Gretel, marching towards
him so quickly that he jumped back from the
window and backed up against a wall.
What? he asked, pretending not to know
what she was talking about.
The other children, said Gretel. You said
they dont look at all friendly.
Well, they dont, said Bruno, not wishing to
judge them before he met them but going by
appearances, which Mother had told him time
and time again not to do.
27

But what other children? asked Gretel.

Where are they?
Bruno smiled and walked towards the door,
indicating that Gretel should follow him. She
gave out a deep sigh as she did so, stopping to
put the doll on the bed but then changing her
mind and picking it up and holding it close to
her chest as she went into her brothers room,
where she was nearly knocked over by Maria
storming out of it holding something that closely
resembled a dead mouse.
Theyre out there, said Bruno, who had
walked over to his own window again and was
looking out of it. He didnt turn back to check
that Gretel was in the room; he was too busy
watching the children. For a few moments he
forgot that she was even there.
Gretel was still a few feet away and
desperately wanted to look for herself, but
something about the way he had said it
and something about the way he was watching
made her feel suddenly nervous. Bruno had
never been able to trick her before about
anything and she was fairly sure that he
wasnt tricking her now, but there was something
about the way he stood there that made her feel
as if she wasnt sure she wanted to see these
children at all. She swallowed nervously and said
a silent prayer that they would indeed be
returning to Berlin in the foreseeable future
28

and not in a month as Bruno had suggested.

Well? he said, turning round now and seeing his sister standing in the doorway, clutching
the doll, her golden pigtails perfectly balanced
on each shoulder, ripe for the pulling. Dont
you want to see them?
Of course I do, she replied and walked
hesitantly towards him. Step out of the way
then, she said, elbowing him aside.
It was a bright, sunny day that first afternoon
at Out-With and the sun reappeared from
behind a cloud just as Gretel looked through the
window, but after a moment her eyes adjusted
and the sun disappeared again and she saw
exactly what Bruno had been talking about.

29

QUESTIONS FOR
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Discuss the relationship between Bruno and
Gretel. Why does Bruno seem younger than
nine? In a traditional fable, characters are
usually one-dimensional. How might Bruno
and Gretel be considered one-dimensional?
At age 12, Gretel is the proper age for
membership in the League of Young Girls, a
branch of Hitlers Youth Organization. Why
do you think she is not a member, especially
since her father is a high-ranking officer in
Hitlers army?
What is it about the house at Out-With
that makes Bruno feel cold and unsafe?
(p. 20) How is this feeling perpetuated as
he encounters people like Pavel, Maria, Lt.
Kotler, and Shmuel?
Describe his reaction when he first sees the
people in the striped pajamas. What does
Gretel mean when she says, Something
about the way [Bruno] was watching made
her feel suddenly nervous? (p. 28) How
does this statement foreshadow Brunos
ultimate demise?
Bruno asks his father about the people
outside their house at Auschwitz. His father
answers, Theyre not people at all, Bruno.
(p. 53) Discuss the horror of this attitude.
How does his fathers statement make Bruno
more curious about Out-With?
Explain what Brunos mother means when she
says, We dont have the luxury of thinking.
(p. 13) Identify scenes from the novel that
indicate Brunos mother isnt happy about
their life at Out-With. Debate whether she is
unhappy being away from Berlin, or whether
she is angry about her husbands position.
How does Brunos grandmother react to her
sons military role?
When Bruno and his family board the train
for Auschwitz, he notices an overcrowded
train headed in the same direction. How
does he later make the connection between
Shmuel and that train? How are both trains
symbolic of each boys final journey?

A pun is most often seen as humorous. But,

in this novel the narrator uses dark or solemn
puns like Out-With and Fury to convey certain
meanings. Bruno is simply mispronouncing
the real words, but the author is clearly
asking the reader to consider a double
meaning to these words. Discuss the use
of this wordplay as a literary device. What is
the narrator trying to convey? How do these
words further communicate the horror of
the situation?
When Bruno dresses in the filthy striped
pajamas, he remembers something his
grandmother once said. You wear the right
outfit and you feel like the person youre
pretending to be. (p. 205) How is this true
for Bruno? What about his father? What
does this statement contribute to the storys
overall meaning?
Discuss the moral or message of the novel.
What new insights and understandings does
John Boyne want the reader to gain from
reading this story?
Ask students to discuss the differences
between a fable, an allegory, and a proverb.
How might this story fit into each genre?

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THE BOY IN
TH E STR IPE D PAJ AMAS
by John Boyne

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