The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Reading Guide & Discussion Questions

Book Club Discussion Questions

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For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, A Brief History of Auschwitz and our BookBrowse Review of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Discuss the relationship between Bruno and Gretel. Why does Bruno seem younger than nine? In a traditional fable, characters are usually one-sided. How might Bruno and Gretel be considered one-dimensional?
   


2. At age 12, Gretel is the proper age for membership in the League of Young Girls, a branch of Hitler’s Youth Organization. Why do you think she is not a member, especially since her father is a high-ranking officer in Hitler's army?
   


3. What is it about the house at Out-With that makes Bruno feel “cold and unsafe”? How is this feeling perpetuated as he encounters people like Pavel, Maria, Lt. Kotler, and Shmuel?
   

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of David Fickling Books. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.