Book Review

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

By John Boyne

 

It is very difficult to comprehend the torment and suffering that the Germans had to go through. Bruno, a young boy who lives inGermany with his family, begins to explore around his house and is led to a concentration camp where he meets Shmuel, a boy on the other side of the camp fence. Bruno’s friendship with his Jewish friend is forbidden, and ends up with unexpected consequences. John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas intrigued me with its emotional twist and brutal ending.

 

To start with, there are many very important themes in the novel, one of them being the innocence of children. Bruno and Shmuel are both similar because there is a lot they are unaware of. Bruno does not realize that his father is a Nazi commandant of the concentration camp that lies directly behind their home in Auschwitz. Shmuel does not realize how severe and dangerous his circumstances are and also does not comprehend that when his father disappears, he was sent to the gas chambers. The innocence of childhood plays a very important role in this story.

 

Indeed, the main character is Bruno. I believe the author does make him seem real because I felt like I was similar to Bruno when I was a little boy. I liked Bruno’s character, and I think that is why I really enjoyed reading this book. Bruno loved to explore new things and loves to play outside with his friends. In my opinion, Bruno is like any other kid who loves to explore new things, and he is a friendly boy.

 

Considering the setting takes place inGermany and their home lies right beside a concentration camp in Auschwitz, this brings about many conflicts. If they wouldn’t have lived so close to the camp, Bruno would not have managed to explore his way to his death. He also would not have met Shmuel who unknowingly lured him into the camp. The setting of this novel gives an overall depressing feeling and remembrance of the awful times that the Germans went through.

 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is an excellent book that showed me how the innocent Germans were so mistreated. I definitely recommend this book for people of all ages to read. It will keep you on the edge of your seat with its intensity.

Current Connection 2

Current Connection

In the descriptive essay “How Does Football Success Affect Males Performances?” Brad Wolverton explains how a winning high school football team is more likely to party and be involved with alcohol which “significantly reduces the grades of male students.”

According to Wolverton, “forty-seven percent of males reported increased partying when the team won.” It is very common for high school students to celebrate after a great football victory. However, football games can lead to excessive partying, not only after a game, but throughout the week, which can ultimately effect your education in high school.

Another important point that Wolverton brings up in his article is that on game days, males tend to not focus and this overall “decreases their study time.” Their lack of focus on game days can also affect other students in their class because they are being distracted. Girls, however, are more focused in their classes and ready to learn.

Wolverton explains that male students are more likely to “study less and party more.” Drinking alcohol could be yet another factor that has to do with why males are not doing as well in high school as females. It can give them an attitude of “not caring about anything but partying and football,” which is decreasing their study time and GPAs.

I am a male student at Batesville High School, and football has been a huge part of all three of my high school years. I would definitely agree with Wolverton that after winning a football game the first thing you want to do is go party with your team. On game days, I am very distracted and cannot focus on my school work all day. I also agree that football and partying can become the main focus, which will decrease your study time.

There have been some very successful males that have been a great high school, maybe even college football player; you just can not let partying come before your education.    

Works Cited

Wolverton, Brad. “How Does Football Success Affect Males Performances?” 2 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

Current Connection

Current Connection

In the descriptive article entitled “Does Football Affect Boys’ Education?” Gregg Easterbrook claims that while boys are devoting so much of their time to football, girls are doing well in high school, which is ultimately “decreasing their chance of college admission.”

According to Easterbrook, the reason boys are not succeeding as well as girls is simply because “the gender that plays football is falling behind…and the gender that does not play football is excelling.” Athletics, especially football, do tend to play a major role in high school boys life. However, some boys get caught up in the idea that their future education will rely on their football intelligence, but that might not always be the case.

There is another point that Easterbrook brings up about how playing football can cause brain injuries and “suffering two or more concussions during high school days is associated with neurological problems later in life.” This could also be a factor that overall negatively affects boys education. Their brains are at risk of being damaged, whereas girls, who don’t play a contact sport, are not getting that brain damage.

Easterbrook explains that there is a “rising popularity of football” and not as much emphasis on education. Parents and coaches, sometimes even teachers, usually only pay attention to their male student’s athletic abilities instead of encouraging and congratulating them for their school work. This teaches guys that football is the most important thing; however, their education should be the first priority.

I am a senior in high school, and all through high school I played football. It was always my first priority and now that football is over, I wish I would have focused more in school. I spent so much time and dedication to football, and I believe if I would have spent that same amount of time and dedication to school, I would be much more successful and prepared for college.

There have been many successful men that have also played high school football, just remember to make education the first priority!

Work Cited

Easterbrook, Gregg. “Does Football Affect Boys’ Education?” 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 19 Jan. 2014.