The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and an Autobiography

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is about a German boy whose father is a Nazzi military member. Bruno, an 8-year-old German, is moved from his home in Berlin to the countryside, which happens to only be about a mile from a concentration camp. The boy is very confused about what the kids and farmers are in the striped pajamas, especially the man that is at his house. After leaving his home through a window in a shed, Bruno comes to the outside of the camp and comes to meet the boy Shmuel, who is also eight but wears the pajamas. Shmuel is underfed, works hard, and is beaten. Shmuel is a Jew who was brought to a concentration camp where he is later killed with Bruno after a sneak-in. My autobiography is not based on Bruno, but the young boy Shmuel who lives a lifestyle I hope to never live.  

Shmuel’s perspective of my life

If Shmuel were able to live to my age, he would tell me it has been easy. Sure, I have had my share of hard times, but from Shmuel’s perspective, I have had the easiest life filled with tons of love, excitement, and adventure. Shmuel would ask me what it’s like ot have freedom, food on the table, a shower, everything. An 8-year-old should not live without freedom, should not be locked behind barbedwire fences, forced to work, and go without food. He should be playing with friends and enjoying his life. I would ask Shmuel how he did it, how he managed to just keep pushing another day because I would be drowning dealing with that life. Shmuel could look me in the eyes and tell me to never take anything for granted because I have. I have taken everything for granted. I have never had my freedom taken away from me as Shmuel had, and if I could tell Shmuel anything it would be that I am proud of him. I am proud of the strength he had as a young boy to have to put up with the unfortunate circumstances he faced. I could have never imagined that kind of lifestyle and would have much rather died than even try to live through that. 

Experiencing life

The biggest thing I have learned in life is the fact that you never know what goes on in other people’s lives, so don’t judge how they may be acting because it may be a response to their trauma. I have gone through a lot in my life, and many people have judged me way too early, either based on rumors or something that may have happened that I had no control over. My life has not been easy, even though many thought it may have been because I played everything off like I had a great life and never struggled with anything. The one thing I admired most about Shmuel was he was real with Bruno about his life, but Bruno was prejudice towards Shmuel based on videos and what he may have thought his life would be like. This really helps me to not base opinions off of others too soon, which will help me when I get into the teaching atmosphere. Everyone comes from a different background, a different way of life, and has different attitudes and lifestyles. This means there will be a lot of trying to work with each student individually and not base any quick opinions on them because their lives may not be the best. A teacher that can reach each student and build relationships is so deeply important, and I strive to be that teacher because I want my students to have a safe space that if they have really big issues, they can come to me. 

My views and where they came from

My life by no means has been easy, but it also hasn’t been terrible. I grew up watching a lot of fighting between my parents, my dad was hardly home, and then my mom hardly was. We’ve moved, my parents got sober, I’ve gotten to experience a lot of fun activities like concerts, but I’ve also had issues within my family that have divided me from them. People have been terrible to me because of my religious beliefs, have believed rumors spread about me, and I lack friends my age because of all this. I have lots of trauma, but nothing compared to Shmuel’s trauma. See, the Jews were the bad people that were going to ruin everything, and sometimes that is how I feel being a Christian and never feel respected, and Bruno even tells Shmuel, “‘We're not supposed to be friends, you and me. We're meant to be enemies. Did you know that?’” This is the world we are living in right now. If you don’t want a vaccine, wear a mask, and, best of all, be a lukewarm Christian, you don’t belong and you are the scum of the earth. If Bruno knew why Shmuel was on the other side of the fence wearing the striped pajamas, he may have seen things differently. Multiple times in the book Bruno questions why Shmuel is on the other side of the fence, can’t have fun, is super skinny and dirty, and wears pajamas. Bruno was blind to the activities of his father and had no clue about the life the Shmuel faced because of his father, if Bruno knew these things he would have had a completely different opinion of him. Remaining blind to prejudices is important so then you do not quickly base fal.