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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

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The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
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, …show more content…

Another main role that is identified throughout the novel is race. Boyne bases his novel around World War II when Germans discriminated Jews and therefore treated them with no respect and killed them. We can see this when Father makes a statement if Jewish people are actually human at all. ‘Those people... well, they’re not people at all, Bruno’ (Page 53). This statement made by Father is marginalising the Jewish race and segregate them from any other human being. Another example of racism throughout the novel is when Boyne juxtaposes Pavel and Kotler. Pavel come across as kind hearted when he comforts Bruno after he falls off of his swing whereas Kotler is seen as mean and brutal. ‘What happened next was both unexpected and extremely unpleasant’ (Page148). This is a passage taken from the novel telling us that Kotler had killed Pavel brutally after he had accidently spilled wine on Kotler’s pants, even though they didn’t specifically say this, the reader is able to assume that this even occurred. When Kotler beats Pavel to death readers are upset and shocked that someone could be that cruel because someone had had an accident.
Literary devices are used predominantly throughout Boyne’s novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The use of puns and foreshadowing are just two of the literary devices Boyne uses to inspire action amongst the readers. Bruno’s sister, Gretel is referred to as the ‘Hopeless Case’ throughout the novel, this is not only

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