Chapter 11+12

What are the main themes of the novel so far?

What are the main techniques?

Think of 5 important questions for each of these two chapters about how important motifs and themes play a role in each chapter.

Chapter 11

Has the use of juxtaposition between Hitler and his assistant changed your view on the Germans?

How and why is the motif of juxtaposition used throughout chapter 11?

What effect does alliteration have when the author is describing the guests?

Why is dramatic irony and irony used throughout chapter 11?

Why do we feel more innocence towards Bruno whilst reading this chapter?

Chapter 12

Why does the use of juxtaposition in this chapter result in more innocence towards Bruno and Shmuel?

How has irony been used in the quote from Bruno "what they don't know wont hurt them"?

How does the use of dramatic irony play a big role in this chapter?

 

Chapter 10

1) The reason for the 'dot' to 'boy' shows the insignificance of the people within the concentration camp in the beginning of the book. When Bruno first discovers the concentration camp, the people are referred to as a group, and when he meets Shumel he gets a more one on one confrontation with him. This also shows the ignorance of the Germans and how they view the Jews as insignificant 'dots' as opposed to Bruno's view of them as people and him viewing Shumel as a boy
2) There is juxtaposition between the Germans and the Jews, and by having the same birthday it allows more exacting juxtaposition and allows a more 'true' contrast. Bruno and Shumel have the same birthday and they have two very different sides of the holocaust. It shows the difference in lifestyle of the two groups in the holocaust.
3) Bruno and Shmuel argue about which of their home towns is nicer to live in, in Bruno's case Berlin and Shmuel's case Poland. Bruno wants to stop the argument because he doesn't want to fight and argue with his new friend and instead changes the subject to exploration.
4) Bruno's last question is that he understands that they are different in the way they dress but where do they come from and why are they on the opposing sides of the fence. Shmuel thinks that Bruno is ignorant and not very intelligent because he can't comprehend what is going on and what his 'kind' is doing to him.

Chapter 9

1) Kotler is portrayed as being mean, disrespectful and arrogant because there is no-one better than him. He is also portrayed as being very balanced and stiff because he is a Nazi. He is portrayed this way because that was what Nazis were. They were disrespectful and thought that that they were the best
2) Herr List is trying to change Bruno from reading fairy tales to reading history and learning about where he came from from past generations
3) Bruno begins to notice that the people  who come inside and outside the house all where special uniforms that represent importance. He also notices that the people inside the camp all where striped pyjamas. Soon later Bruno starts to realise that their is indeed a difference between the soldiers and the people in the striped pyjamas. He discovers that the soldiers are in charge.
4) He begins to notice that the soldiers are in charge and that the people in the striped pyjamas are not. he also begins to notice that the people in the striped pyjamas are very nice and respectful while the soldiers are very rude and disrespectful. (This is called juxtaposition)

Chapter 7

How is the mother's defence of Herr Roller entirely ironic?

It is ironic how she is defending a man who had gotten serious injury which made him crazy from the great war when there are thousands of Jews getting serious injuries right next door.

What role does Kotler represent historically in the novel? (think beyond being a soldier)

Kotler represents how the Nazis treated everyone else. Kotler is shown yelling at the Jews and beating them if they did anything wrong only to represent what had happened during the Holocaust.

What character is Kotler juxtaposed with in this chapter? What effect does it have on understanding each of these characters?

Kotler is Juxtaposed with Pavel. The difference between them was that Kotler was mean, rude and overall had no respect for others while Pavel is represented as old, kind and very respectful. This just tells us how cruel the Nazis were to the Jews who had done nothing wrong. It also shows us more innocence that the Jews had during the Holocaust.

How would you compare the interaction Bruno has with Pavel to all the other interactions Bruno has had with adults?

Bruno knows nothing about Pavel so the conversation is very awkward because they have never spoken before. While with the other servants Bruno had self-confidence because he has spoken to them before and has been with them for a long time.

Why is juxtaposition a key technique employed in Holocaust texts? How has it been used in The Boy in the Striped PJ's?

Juxtaposition is a key technique because overall there were two sides, their were the Nazis and then there were the Jews. It was kind of like bad vs innocent during the holocaust and that is where all of the Juxtaposition has come from. It has come from the two sides during the holocaust and how they differ. it has been used in the book through the eyes of a young boy called Bruno and as the book progresses he notice the more and more difference between the two sides of the fence which we would call Juxtaposition.

Chapter 6

• On pg 60 Bruno reveals a radical shift in his perspective and understanding of Maria. What is this radical shift? What does this show is developing in Bruno?
• Bruno realises that the servants and maids actually had lives that they lived in before they came to work for his father. It also shows that Bruno is starting to develop respect for others even though they are lower class than him.

• Compare how Bruno and Gretel treat Maria.
• Bruno treats Maria as a friend and he talks to her every so often and asks for her opinion. He treats Maria the same respect that anyone had. He is also very kind to her and every so often he may raise his voice at her. On the other hand though Gretel treats Maria as her slave by yelling at her and asking her to run a bath for her. She isn't very nice to her and she doesn't respect her one bit. 
• (pg 65) What is Maria's advice to Bruno about 'keeping safe'? Why do you think that she gives this advice? Do you think that it is good or bad advice?
• She says that Bruno should not express his feeling about the house any more. She advises him to not say what he thinks out loud. She gives this advice because she respects Bruno's father and all that he has done for her. She also doesn't want to see Bruno getting into any more trouble. this is very good advice because it was about time that Bruno should be learning some more manners in order to keep out of trouble. 
• (65-6) What is Bruno's reaction to his new thoughts/feelings? Why do you think that he reacts this way?
• Bruno starts to realise how rude he was actually being. He argued and cried but still he did not get his way. He now realised that it was time to accept where he was and instead of hating life he should enjoy it. I think he reacts this way when he is guilty for saying such horrible things to Maria, his Father and his Mother.

Holocaust Poetry #2

Homeland
Lois E. Olena

It was Christmas eve
and there was no room in the inn,
the Oswiecim inn,
so the Arrow Cross
took the children,
barefooted
and in their nighties,
out to the Danube
and filled their little bellies
not with bread
but bullets
flipping them
like tiddlywinks
into the congealing, icy river below.

It was the Red Danube
that night,
choking on the blood
of orphan Jews
whose little Blue faces
floated downstream
touring even all of Europe
until they washed up
on the shores of Eretz Yisrael (Jewish homeland)
and came back to life,
their little blue and white
bodies
raised high,
flapping in the wind.
How is imagery used in this poem?
 
Discuss the effect of the simile in this poem.
How is alliteration used in the poem? What is the effect?
How does the author juxtapose the innocence of the children to the cruelty they experienced?
What is meant by 'touring all of Europe'?

1) The imagery is used greatly throughout the poem. In the quote 'filled their little bellies not with bread but bullets' you can just see in your mind the way the Jews were treated by the Nazis and you can tell that they were not treated in a good way. This was how imagery was used in the poem.

2) The simile used in the poem is 'like tiddlywinks into congealing, icy river below'. The effect of the simile just makes the children more innocent and it is telling us that they did nothing wrong to deserve the pain and blood which was spilt.

3) 'Bread but Bullets' is the alliteration and it helps convey imagery and can stress timing. The use of alliteration helps make a line more memorable and gives the effect the poet intended, sad,loud, happy, evil, etc.

4) The author uses juxtaposition when they say ‘choking on the blood of orphan Jews’. You can see the pain that the Jews experienced when they say choking on the blood because straight away you think of pain and suffering. While on the other hand when it says orphan Jews you feel this sense of innocence as they were orphans and did nothing wrong to deserve such cruelty.

5) It means that they were taken all over Europe to get to their concentration camps where they were held and treated badly.

Chapter 5

1- We only learn about the father in chapter 5 because Bruno is hardly ever allowed to see him. His father has been known only to been in his study which is known to Bruno as the 'out of bounds' area. Also at the start the father doesn't really do much as we were only learning about Bruno.
2- Well when the mother says this line she says it in and angry tone. She believes that they are only leaving because of the Fury when they came to dinner. For some reason we get the idea that when the fury came to dinner everything change. We also notice that the fury are the 'bad guys' in the story by the way the mother speaks which also tells us that the fury can do some harm.
3- Bruno's father speaks to him as if he were a soldier. He respects the way Bruno feels about moving but there is nothing he can do about it. He also gets very annoyed with Bruno when Bruno continues to ask him obvious questions and every time Bruno leaves his father he is told to say the words 'Heil Hitler' even though Bruno thinks that it means 'well goodbye for now' when we know it really doesn't.
4- Bruno thinks that the whole world is a mystery and a game. Bruno believes the world should all be the same as what it was in Berlin with large houses and shops. However when Bruno leaves Berlin he soon finds out that he is wrong. He also thinks that the world was made for exploring. On the other hand though brunt's Father treats the world as if it were a world war. Bruno's father thinks that Germany is the greatest country on earth and should be the most powerful. he also treats the world as if it were his soldiers with balance and discipline.
5) Bruno's father rationalise every concern Bruno's has by saying 'I want to go home' is no problem because 'home is where the family is' and that his family is all here so there is nothing to worry about. However this is does not make sense to Bruno because he wants to go back to Berlin and he feels his father is ignoring what he is saying.
6) Bruno's father says to make the best out of the situation because that is what his father told him to do and that he always listened to him. This is ironic because he is telling Bruno to so the right things but he works for the Nazis and is killing people for a living.
7) I think that he does care about Bruno but has his priorities wrong, work first, family second. This is because he did not take into consideration the feelings his family and focused more on impressing Hitler.
8) I don't think that he does understand the saying 'Heil Hitler' because the reader knows what it means and he explains his meaning of the phase. This is an example of dramatic irony because the reader knows more than the character.
9) The use of juxtaposition is used in Bruno's description of boarding the train because he is put in a very spacious carriage with only a few people whilst the 'low class' are squeezed into a closed in space. This shows the difference between the big area of Bruno's house and the confined space of the concentration camp.
10) Bruno thinks that he is out of line by saying anything to the Jews although by him thinking of saying the Jews means that he is a compassionate person. However this does represent the greater German population because it shows that they are either too arrogant to help others or too scared to help others.

Holocaust Imagery - Hitler at a Nazi Rally

How are vectors used in this image? What effect does it have?      

The vectors are used to show the balance of the Nazis and never the ending amount of soldiers to the sides of Hitler                                                   
Describe the composition of the image and what is tells us about the Nazis and Hitler?

The focal point in this picture is Hitler and on either side of him stands his soldiers. Even though there are more Nazis than Hitler he still seems the most powerful. Also by the way the soldiers are facing you can tell that Hitler is obviously the most powerful.
How is symmetry used? What effect does it have?

Symmetry is used on either side of Hitler. This has a huge effect as the balance between each side represents the power of which the Nazis had. The Symmetry makes the soldiers and Hitler look indestructible
What effect does this picture being in black and white have?

The use of black and white makes the photograph look old, terrifying, powerful and for some reason it symbolizes that they were dark times and that power was held within these soldiers and Hitler. Without the colour all the happiness is drained from the picture. It makes the photo more serious.The white of the people represents innocence whilst the black of the Soldiers and Hitler represents evil.
Discuss the use of line in this image. What effect does it have?

The use of lines in the image make the soldiers look balanced and powerful. They also make the picture more dark and more horrible

Chapter 4

1- The author uses juxtaposition when he compares the wonderful garden outside of their house to the concentration camp
2- The thing that makes it difficult for Gretel and Bruno to understand what is outside the house is that they are confused. Gretel and Bruno don't actually know where they are and they come up with the craziest ideas because of there wide imagination because they are kids
3- She thinks that they are on the country side and the people they see are farmers
4- When she saw the concentration camp she narrowed her eyes and forced her brain to understand. But the thing was that even her brain didn't know what she was looking at. then she tried to prove her point but it didn't really work
5- Her attempt is unsuccessful and she doesn't convince Bruno one bit. She eventually gives in saying that it is not the country side and she decides that she doesn't want to go because of the clothes that the Jews wear and the condition they live in
6- The difference between what the children think and the adults think is that the adults know and understand what's going on while the children have no clue on anything that is happening beneath their eyes. The one thing that the children know is that they should stay clear of what ever was out their. This is the case because of what the Jews are wearing and what they are doing. Also the big fence around the camp suggests a no-go zone and should be stayed clear of
7- The children see it as a place where people live and enjoy themselves when it is actually a huge concentration camp where people are mistreated

Reponse

Holocaust

by Barbara Sonek

We played, we laughed
we were loved.
We were ripped from the arms of our
parents and thrown into the fire.
We were nothing more than children.
We had a future. We were going to be lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers. We had dreams, then we had no hope. We were taken away in the dead of night like cattle in cars, no air to breathe smothering, crying, starving, dying. Separated from the world to be no more. From the ashes, hear our plea. This atrocity to mankind can not happen again. Remember us, 
for we were the children whose dreams and lives were stolen away.


My Response


We watched

We cried

And we felt your pain

We were made to accept this terrible fate

We watched as blood was spilt

And we couldn't do anything to help

As your dreams were taken away

Death was upon you like untimely frost 

But the loss that you have experienced has made our lives even better. For we can be teachers, lawyers and parents, and we can follow our dreams into the foreseeable future and for that we thank you

From the Ashes hear our sorrow

For We are the children of the modern day and we will remember you

Chapter 3

1- They don't really like each other
2- The house is described as 'horrible' as it only had two storeys. On the second storey there are only three bedrooms and one toilet
3- The significance of this quote is that Bruno is just telling us more of how he hated the house and if he jumped around it might even collapse because it was so old

4- He thinks that it is horrible and is wishing that the foreseeable future would come quicker than he expected. All he wanted to was go back home

5- It compares as the exact opposite of their old home

6- She is arrogant, gets what she wants and they both are very secretive 

7- No he doesn't. You can see this when he looks at the concentration camp and believes that the Jews inside are just any other people. This is called dramatic irony

8- She also doesn't know where they are. She thinks that they are on the country side when they really are not
9- 'Out-with' represents the motif of Bruno's and makes the innocence of a child during the holocaust because 'Out-with' is actually the concentration camp. This is very dark irony because he does not understand what is happening when we know that many people are being killed
10- When Gretel and Bruno see the people who are outside they become very confused. They become anxious and want to know more. They don't know if they should be scared or happy which makes them even more confused.  

Chapter 1

Describe Bruno's voice. Give examples to support.
Bruno is a very polite young boy who sticks to his rules and occasionally says something out of line 


What characters are introduced? Describe each and give examples to support.
There is Bruno who is a young and polite boy, there is Maria who is the maid, there is Grettle who is described as a helpless case, there is Mother who is a very polite but secret woman, there is Lars the butler, the Father who is known to be polite but has an unknown job which makes Bruno suspicious and finally there are the Grandparents

Who are presented as victims in this chapter and what are the victims of? Do you think that it is fair to consider them victims?

Bruno and the mother are represented in this chapter as the victims in this chapter they are the victims of the allies bombs and shells I believe that it is fair to consider them as victims as Bruno is just a young boy and him and his mother have not done any harm to anyone. Also a lot of books and movie's are very one sided about the holocuast because not all Germans believed that killing Jews and doing the terrible thing that happened the right thing to be doing.
Irony is an important element of the story. How is it used here in the first chapter? Give examples to support your answer.

Irony is used in the first chapter as the Bruno and mother are the victims but the father is a Nazi high person and causing so much pain and anguish. but we are meant to feel sorry for someone that is very well of financially. 

How is the setting presented in this chapter?

The setting in this chapter is of a wealthy family with a high ranking German official as the father and living in a large expensive house in the wealthy part of Berlin during the war time.

Poem

What is your initial reaction to this poem?

I feel guilt for the children who were taken by the Germans

How does the author use 'we' in this poem?

The author uses we in the children's perspective

What are the verbs used in the first sentence?

Played, Laughed and Loved

What are the verbs used in the second sentence? How do they contrast with those used in the first sentence?

The verb in the second sentenced was ripped referring to the pain that had happened to the children while the first sentenced represented their lives before the holocaust and how they were joyful.

What effect does the listing of 'lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers'? What is it meant to signify?

This represents the range of people who were taken

What simile is used in the poem and what effect does it have?

The simile is 'like cattle in cars' and it represents how the Jews were treated

How has the poet represented herself in the last sentence?

She represents herself as one of the children pleading for help

If you could communicate to this person, a victim of the Holocaust, what would you want to say? What do you feel that you must do in your life as a response to this poem?

I would want to say that I personally feel the same as they did when I heard about the holocaust and I would try and remove the memory from the victims head. I think that in  my life I should just remember that even if I don't get what I want I can always be grateful that I wasn't a victim of the holocaust and indeed I will remember the children whose dreams and lives were stolen away.

Chapter 2

Using quotes, how is the new house described?
The new house is described as 'the exact opposite of their old house'. The new house is in an isolated location and is only 3 stories (1 for the servants) as opposed to his old house with 5 floors for his family.
How does it compare to the house in Berlin? How is this an example of juxtaposition?
The house is a lot smaller and in Bruno's eyes is worse because he has no view, nobody to play with and also has no houses around it. This is an example of juxtaposition because they are completely opposite but show what rich families lived in during the war and the type of housing in Berlin during war time.
How is Bruno's reaction and discussion of the new house taken by the other characters? What is ironic about the way people treat Bruno's comments regarding the new house?
Bruno's reaction is taken negatively by the other characters which is ironic because they also hate the house but tell him to 'make the best of a bad situation' 
Do you feel empathetic towards Bruno's new home? Why/why not?
I do feel empathy for Bruno and his new house because he is a small boy and he does not understand the situation at hand and the fact that he got so much joy out of the old house makes his case sadder and make him see more like a victim and innocent.

Visual Techniques

Colour- The colours of the picture represents that it was dark times when the Jews were at the concentration camp.
Eye Level- Makes the fence look as if it goes on forever
Lines- The order of the lines in the picture represent the control that the Germans had over the Jews in the concentration camp
The Sun- The Sun represents that there was light on the other side of the fence
Lines- The lines all point to the Guard Tower representing the control and security that the Germans had over the Jews
The Fence- The fence looks as if it goes on forever representing how many Jews were actually held in the concentration camp
The Trees- The trees in the distance on the other side of the fence represent that there was freedom on the outside of the camp
The Balance- The picture is so balanced because of the way the Germans acted during the Holocaust
The Building- You can see how the windows are a shade of black and the dull looking door represents the encasement the Germans had on the Jews
The Whole Camp- The whole picture of the camp makes the camp look like it could be secure for hundreds of years. the Germans definitely had no intention of releasing the Jews.
Auschwitz overall looks like a dark place




This is another photo of Auschwitz. You can definitely see that Auschwitz is represented as a dead and non-living place. With dead trees and grass the viewer can really feel the pain that the Jews has when they were located within the barricades.

Lines- The lines represent that dead trees and grass go on forever
The Dead Stuff- The dead trees and grass represent how the Jews lived so horribly
The colour- The black and Gray colour represented how the Jews lived in dark and horrible conditions

Donald Duck

How are the Germans (and Japanese) portrayed in the opening sequence? How is irony created?
The German soldiers (and Japanese) are portrayed in a humorous way. The irony is the song that they are singing throughout the clip compared to what they look like

How is propaganda and the effect of propaganda portrayed with the introduction of Donald Duck?

Everything is hailing throughout the video. The clip is Ubiquitousness and pervasive  

How is irony continued into the breakfast scene? 

Its ironic how the bread is like wood, and has the aroma of bacon and eggs because it fits within all the Jewish people within the concentration camps as opposed to the Guards who are mostly big and tall (well feed)


How is Nazi Germany portrayed in the opening shot at 3:30? 

It looks like hell. The colours red and black make Germany look very dark

What is ironic about the song lyrics regarding work and what is happening in the scene?

It says that they will never be like slaves even though Donald Duck is working as a slave

What does the conveyor belt portray regarding the lifestyle of Germans? 

All about military and all about Hitler

Why do you think that there aren't actually any people that force Donald to work? 

Because the bayonets provide the forcefulness side as well as a speaker

What is ironic about the vacation? 

Its not really a vacation and he has to work

In the dream sequence, how are the Germans portrayed? Why? Fat, skinny and lazy, and they all like Hitler

They are portrayed as weapons which represents they are murderers

What do the pajamas when we see Donald in his bed tell us?That he's an American and everyone wears 

He is an American Citizen

What is the Statue of Liberty used to convey? 

It makes him free

How is Hilter portrayed at the end of the film? What is it about his face that is important?

He portrayed as important figure and angry, serious person as seen through the way his face is straight.

Why is this a representation of propaganda? Why is it actually ironic considering the way the Nazi's are portrayed?

It is ironic because the Nazis are seen as serious and stern and this makes mockery of Hitler and by making his facial features small it makes light of his position.

Who are the villains, victims, and heroes?

Villains: The Germans 
Victims: Donald Duck 
Hero: The Americans

How are they portrayed?

The Germans are made fun of, the victim as a comedic character and the Hero as mighty and superior.  

Random Questions

(4:20) How are camera angles used when Joshua says 'Thank you' (not in German)? Which angles are used to view each of the characters? What does each of these angle signify?


High angle shot of Joshua, then low angle shot on the guard. This signifies the power difference between Joshua and the Guard. Joshua being very weak and the Guard very strong
(4:45) What shot distance and angle is used to show Guido's concern for Joshua when the German waiter leaves the room? Describe the composition)

Eye Level, Medium shot. This shows his facial expression and body language. The shot almost asks the question what is the hero going to do next?


(4:46) How is shot of Guido contrasted to the shot of the German waiter walking away to tell someone what has just happened? Describe the composition and compare it to the previous shot of a concerned Guido.

The difference is the posture. The Germans are to act more stiff and ridged. The Germans have use of symmetry and they are basically to act organised, perfect and balanced. While Guido was just disfigured


(5:02-05) How is the shot of the German's contrasted to that of Guido teaching the children to say 'Thank You'?



Guido is more slouched and more levelled with the German kids. While the Germans are shown as serious, ridged, stiff and balanced