Blog #3 - The boy in the Stripped pyjama p94-133

Weeks after weeks, Schmuel and Bruno spend more and more time together and become best friends, Bruno would walk everyday along the fence with some food to go see his friend. However, his older sister, Gretel becomes suspicious and he lies to her saying he is walking outside to go play with his imaginary friend. this lie works and Gretel makes fun of him for not being mature, which does not bother Bruno who knows the truth. Sometimes, when Bruno comes to see Schmuel, he would notice black eyes and bruises on his face, which made him think Schmuel was getting bullied. 

One day, when everyone in the house was running everywhere to prepare bruno's father's birthday, Bruno got the order to go in the kitchen to not disturb the conversation between mother and lieutenant Kotler. It's with a big surprise that Bruno saw Schmuel in his kitchen when he walked in. Schmuel explained that lieutenant Kotler told him to come here to polish the glasses. Bruno decided to take care of his new guest and offered him some chicken, Schmuel hesitated but ended up taking the chicken. Unfortunately, its at this moment that lieutenant walked in the kitchen and saw Schmuel eating this piece of chicken. He yelled at him, and Schmuel promised he didn't steal, and that it was from his friend Bruno. Bruno, scared of lieutenant , denied everything  and said he didn't know Schmuel. 

After many days of going to the fence and not seeing anyone, Schmuel finally came back to visit Bruno. Bruno saw all the bruises on the kid's face and apologized for everything. Schmuel put his hand under the fence, where Bruno usually passes the food, and for the first time in one year, the two boys touched each other. After that Bruno decides to go see his sister and ask her why they aren't allowed to play with the people from the other side of the fence, she explains to him that they are Jewish and that they can not be mixed with them because everyone hates them. Bruno does not really understand, but he doesn't insist. Later, Bruno has to shave his head because he got lice, which make him look like "a fatter version of Schmuel". 

Finally, Bruno is really worried because his family told him he was moving back to Berlin with Gretel and mother, but he wants to say goodbye to Schmuel. However, Schmuel haven't showed up in many days at the fence. when he finally shows up, he seems even sadder than usual, he explains that he has been looking for his dad for days and cant find him. Bruno decides, since he has a shaved head just like Schmuel, to come back tomorrow, for his last day before moving back, to go on an exploration with Schmuel

the next day, Bruno arrives at the fence, Schmuel gives him a pair of stripped pajamas he took from the camp, and Bruno goes under the fence. they are now standing next to each other. They start walking through the camp, full of mud, to search for Schmuel's dad, when suddenly, some soldiers start screaming and telling everyone to walk together. Bruno and Schmuel are both scared, they have to walk in big rooms with hundred of mans. It is crowded and they want to get out. Finally, everything becomes silent, people are calming down. Lastly, the showers goes on, gas is being delivered. Bruno and Schmuel will die together in the camp of Auschwitz. 

This book is very difficult to red because the reader gets attached to the kids and to their friendship. Throughout the book, we discover the camp through Bruno's eyes. The part where Bruno does not defend Schmuel in front of the officer is very interesting because it gives the reader different emotions: At first there is this feeling of betray and the reader does not understand Bruno, but then, the author describes with details the face of the lieutenant, his expression, his anger, and those descriptions help fro the understating of Bruno's choice to not defend Schmuel. Overall, this book is a lesson, a life-lesson. this friendship, so pure, so human, in such a cruel period of history, restores faith in humanity. the important conclusion of this book is that no one is born racist, xenophobic, .. nobody is born knowing the notion of discrimination, one is not born naughty, one becomes it. this conclusion is illustrated by the main character Bruno, who even while being raised in a Nazi family, becomes friends with a Jewish child, without discriminating or judging him.