Bruno is a heroic figure in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
The way Bruno views people leaves an impression. Bruno treats people as ends in of themselves, and not as a means to an end. In this regard, Bruno is authentic. While he might make mistakes, such as thinking that Pavel could not be a doctor or letting Shmuel take abuse from Kotler, Bruno makes amends. He does not mistreat people deliberately. This makes him different from others in the novel. Bruno's father looks at Auschwitz as enhancing his career, while Gretel sees the embrace of Nazism as a vehicle for popularity. Bruno's mother fails to speak out when she knows better, while Kotler is the prototypical Nazi when it comes to abusing people. Bruno is heroic in the honorable way he treats people, something rare in the Holocaust time period.
Bruno is heroic in how he stands by his word to Shmuel. Once again, it was rare for people to be this decent during the Holocaust. When Bruno promises Shmuel that they will go on an "adventure," he sees to it that they do. Eve though Bruno is scared about what he finds on the other side of the fence, he does not back away from his promise of being there for his friend. Finally, as he and Shmuel walk into the gas chamber, into terrifying reality, he affirms their friendship. Bruno's heroism can be seen in his loyalty towards Shmuel.
Finally, I would say that Bruno is heroic because he is an example of how people should behave even in the worst of situations. During the Holocaust, there was so much cruelty that not taking action or being apathetic could be seen as a virtue. Given how badly people behaved, not doing anything was better than perpetrating evil. However, Bruno is a reminder that in the worst of times, human beings must act in the best of their nature. Relativism does not apply to human decency. Bruno embodies the very best during the very worst, and this impression makes him heroic.
No comments:
Post a Comment