The Dot That Became a....

105) What does the progression of 'dot' to 'boy' tell us about the role of exploring and meeting the people in the camp? What does this represent about how other Germans view the Jews? This shows that the Germans don't care about the Jews and treat them like dots not people.
(109) What effect does the boys both having the same birthday have? He gets a more friendly connection between them and Bruno.  Having your birthday at the same time as someone else makes interacting and befriending each other
(113-4) What do Bruno and Shmuel 'argue' about?  What does Bruno decide to stop the argument?
(115) What does Bruno's last question reveal to Shmuel? What do you think Shmuel thinks of Bruno because of asking this question? He probably thinks that he is ignorant or doesnt understand his situation, and doesnt understand the gravity of his entrapment.

Chapter 9: Bruno Remembers That He Used to Enjoy Exploration

pg95-96) How is Lt Kotler portrayed? Why is he portrayed this way? (remember that 'how' is asking about literary techniques) Lt Kotler is potrayed as very in line, very disciplined and a hard German soldier. He is a stereotypical perfrect soldier that being, tall, muscular, blonde hair. He also shows arrogance, he thinks he is better that everybody. "Lt Kotler was wearing his shiny black boots" that say's that he thinks he is superior of others.
What is Herr Liszt going to 'change' for Bruno? (98)
(100) What connection does Bruno make between the people in the camp and the people that come and visit his house all the time? He notices that the jewish people are always wearing striped Pyjamas, Juxtaposition forces you to compare the Nazi Soldiers and the Jew's, "Who decided who wears PJ's and who wears the uniforms, and what really is the difference". This sentence asks a rhetorical question, which shows he is thinking more deeply about the people he see each day, he is growing up.
What some of the things that Bruno begins to take notice of regarding the relationship between the soldiers and the people in 'pyjamas'? They are treating them like prisoners and keeping them inside the camp.

Chapter 7: How Mother Took Credit for Something She Hadn't Done.

1. How is the mother's defensive of Herr Roller entirely ironic?When Bruno thinks about the only crazy person that he knows, he thinks of Herr Roller, the man who does crazy stuff like invite cats over for afternoon tea, Mother defends him and says that he has been through hardships and stuff happened to him during the war, it is ironic because she is defending him and saying we should take care of the people that can't take care of themselves, but her husband is doing almost the opposite and killing innocent people.
2. What role does Kotler represent historically in the novel? (think beyond being a soldier) I think how Kotler is speaking to the Jew, quite rudely, may have been the standard attitude towards the Jews at the time. 
3. What character is Kotler juxtaposed with in this chapter? What effect does it have on understanding each of these characters? Kotler is a Nazi soldier and Bruno is well mannered and questioning why he would be rude to the man. Pavel is also Juxtaposed with Kotler because it shows how Kotler is offensive and calling him a filthy Jew and Pavel is the victim of this.
4. How would you compare the interaction Bruno has with Pavel to all the other interactions Bruno has had with adults?
5. Why is juxtaposition a key technique employed in Holocaust texts? How has it been used in The Boy in the Striped PJ's?

Chapter 6- The Overpaid Maid

• On pg 60 Bruno reveals a radical shift in his perspective and understanding of Maria. What is this radical shift? What does this show is developing in Bruno? When Bruno can't get the opinions of any other members of the family or their thoughts of their new home, Bruno turns to Maria for how she thinks about this new house, she tells him about her life before working for their family and the troubles she went through, its when she told him this that he realised that Maria wasnt just some lifeless object that did whatever she wanted but had a life and feelings, that she too once had friends and family aswell as he did.
• Compare how Bruno and Gretel treat Maria. Excert from pg 63 --(below)

 /Bruno recognised footsteps pounding up the stairs towards them, quicker and quicker, and he crawled back on the bed, pressing himself against the wall, suddenly afraid of what was going to happen next. He held his breath, expecting trouble, but it was only Gretel, the Hopeless Case. She poked her head through the doorway and seemed surprised to find her brother and the family maid engaged in conversation.
"What's going on"? asked Gretel. 'Nothing' said Bruno defensively. 'What do you want? Get out.'
'Get out yourself,' she replied even though it was his room, and the turned to look at Maria, narrowing her eyes suspiciously as she did so. 'Run me bath, Maria, will you?' she asked. 'Why cant you run your own bath?' snapped Bruno. 'Because she's the maid,' said Gretel, staring at him. 'That's what she's here for.'
'Thats not what she's her for,' shouted Bruno, standing up and marching over to her. 'She's not here to do things for us all the time, you know. Especially things that we can do ourselves.' Gretel stared at him as if he had gone mad and then looked at Maria, who shook her head quickly.

This Excert clearly shows the difference in views of maria roles in the household between Bruno and Gretel.

• (pg 65) What is Maria's advice to Bruno about 'keeping safe'? Why do you think that she gives this advice? Do you think that it is good or bad advice? Maria tells Bruno not to speak to about moving to the new house otherwise Father could turn on Maria or Bruno and they could be punished.
• (65-6) What is Bruno's reaction to his new thoughts/feelings? Why do you think that he reacts this way? He shouts at Gretel about how she treats Maria and her dependance on her, like she is their slave, he was like Gretel before, but now when he realises about Maria that she has feelings and is a normal human being and doesnt want to do things like him, he defends her.

Boy in the Striped PJ's Chapter 5- Out of Bounds at All Times No Exceptions

1. What does it say that we only actually meet the father in the book in Chapter 5 even though he is the one causing much of the action in the book?
2. the mother says: ‘We should have never let the Fury come to dinner. Some people and their determination to get ahead.’ What theme does this introduce regarding the role of ambition and causing harm? This shows that the Nazis are focused purely on the recreation and greatness of Germany, they are ignorant of what they destroy in the proscess.
3. How does Bruno's father speak to him? Give an example to support your answer. Brunos father was speaking to him as if he was a child and that  he cannot make proper descisions, he is continuously making bruno feel isolated from the rest of the family, like he is the only one who does not like the house.
4. How would you compare the way Bruno speaks about the world to his father's? Do they both comment about what is going on around them the same? Bruno is recognizing how horrible and boring the place is while father is saying how sometimes people just need to do things they dont want to do, and that his job is very important to Nazi Germany and the Fury.
5. How does the father rationalise every concern that Bruno has?  He says he was once a sall boy who was just like him.
6. What is ironic about what the father says when he comes around the desk and talks to Bruno about his childhood? He discusses how he was once a young boy and had to do things that he didnt want to do, but his father said that it will make it better for everybody so he would just do it.
7. Do you think that the father really cares about Bruno? He does, otherwise father would not even bother explaining to bruno why they were there, Bruno is also spoken to better than the soldiers and he is delighted to see him when bruno meets him in his office. Why/why not?
8. Do you think that Bruno understands what he is saying when he says 'Heil Hitler!'? No, Bruno does not understand what is going on or why father moved to this new place, he is ignorant of all the death that is occuring just miles away and his focused only on his comfort and how he feels. He just thinks it is another way of saying goodbye.
9. How is juxtaposition used in Bruno's description of their boarding the train to Auschwitz?
10. What is Bruno's reason for not saying anything to the Jews on the crowded train? How is this a representation of the greater German population?

Response to a Poem

We played, we laughed
we were loved.
We were ripped from the arms of our
parents and thrown into the fire.
We were nothing more than children.
We had a future. We were going to be lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers. We had dreams, then we had no hope. We were taken away in the dead of night like cattle in cars, no air to breathe smothering, crying, starving, dying. Separated from the world to be no more. From the ashes, hear our plea. This atrocity to mankind can not happen again. Remember us,
for we were the children whose dreams and lives were stolen away.

Response- 

You played, you laughed
you were loved.
You were ripped from the arms of your
parents and thrown into the fire.
You were just innocent children.
You had a future. You were going to be lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers. You had dreams, then you had no hope. You were stolen away in the dead of night like cattle in cars , no air to breathe smothering, crying, starving, dying.  You were separated from the world to be no more. From the ashes, we hear your plea. This atrocity to mankind will never happen again. We Remember you,
for you were the children whose dreams and lives were stolen away.

Holocaust Poetry

Holocaust
by Barbara Sonek

We played, we laughed
we were loved.
We were ripped from the arms of our
parents and thrown into the fire.
We were nothing more than children.
We had a future. We were going to be lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers. We had dreams, then we had no hope. We were taken away in the dead of night like cattle in cars, no air to breathe smothering, crying, starving, dying. Separated from the world to be no more. From the ashes, hear our plea. This atrocity to mankind can not happen again. Remember us, for we were the children whose dreams and lives were stolen away.

1. What is your initial reaction to this poem? My initial reaction is that she is speaking on behalf of the children who were included in the extermination of the Jews, though she says that we were taken and thrown into the fire which means that she is speaking on behalf of the jews. This poem does make the audience sympathetic or cause them to have pity.
2. How does the author use 'we' in this poem? She uses 'we' to represent that she is speaking on behalf of the children who were taken, she may have written this poem if she survived the holocaust or she could have written this poem as memorial for those who were part of the holocaust.
3. What are the verbs used in the first sentence? We played, we laughed, we were loved.
4. What are the verbs used in the second sentence? How do they contrast with those used in the first sentence?  We were ripped from our parent arms and thrown into the fire. The second sentence is basically the opposite of the first sentence, in the first sentence she is saying how they were happy and loved by their parents, and then they were taken and put in concentration camps.
5. What effect does the listing of 'lawyers, rabbis, wives, teachers, mothers'? What is it meant to signify? That the children who were taken had futures and they were bright futures, many children were looking forward to adulthood and saw themselves in many years, happy and surrounded by family but they were taken away by the Nazi Germans and now that future seemed bitterly unlikely. They were surrounded by death and despair.
6. What simile is used in the poem and what effect does it have? We were taken away in the  dead of night like cattle in cars, the use of this simile gives the effect that they were treated like animals.
7. How has the poet represented herself in the last sentence? She represents herself as many children who were killed and calls out to the audience to remember them for they were the ones, who lives and dreams were stolen away.
8. If you could communicate to this person, a victim of the Holocaust, what would you want to say? What do you feel that you must do in your life as a response to this poem? 

Boy in the Striped PJ's-Chapter 2

• Using quotes, how is the new house described?  "When he first saw their new house Bruno's eyes opened wide, his mouth made the shape of an O and his arms stretched out at his sides once again, Everything about is seemed the opposite of their house in Berlin". (pg 11 chp2)

"The new house however stood all on its own in an empty desolate place and there were no other houses to be seen. When Bruno sees the new house he seems disappointed with the new house because he will have no friends to play with because they are in an empty deserted area.

• How does it compare to the house in Berlin? The house in Berlin is described as a beautiful home in a suburban area, surrounded by neighbours and friends, isolation is rare in a populated area, whereas in the new house it is empty and completely separated from the rest of the world, it is remote.  How is this an example of juxtaposition? Juxtaposition is when 2 things, whether they are people, objects, areas are compared and this is between two homes.
  
  
• How is Bruno's reaction and discussion of the new house taken by the other characters? Bruno believes that he is only staying at the house for a few weeks or months at most "We should probably get up early in the morning if were going to make it back to Berlin by tea". (Bruno pg 14 chp 2)   "Were here, we've arrived and this is our home for the foreseeable future", "Bruno didnt understand what she meant by foreseeable future meant and told her so". "It means that this is where we live now Bruno", said Mother. "And that's and end to it." What is ironic about the way people treat Bruno's comments regarding the new house?

• Do you feel empathetic towards Bruno's new home? Why/why not? It would be bad being isolated from the rest of the world for a very long period of time and for that I pity him, but he is going through far less than the people wll be subjected to his father and that is why they moved.

Auschwitz 65 years later

This is an image of Auschwitz taken 65 years after the closing of the camp. Take a moment to look at this photo and consider that approximately 1 million people were killed at this camp (that would be 1 out of every four people living in Sydney).

Key Visual Techniques

There are some powerful visual techniques being used in this photo. Take 5 minutes to point out at least 5 aspects of the photo which stand out to you and how they relate to the great anguish that was experienced at this site (create a post on your blog with the photo - don't try to copy and paste photo it won't work).

• Consider the use of vectors, line, contrast, composition, colour, and perspective (there are more techniques) The visuals effects of this photo show the Horrible past that this camp had, the lines and construction show perfection, strength and order which were major factors of Nazi Germany.

How can the visual elements in the photo evoke empathy and reverence from a viewer? The use of the barbed wire shows that it was used to keep people trapped and imprisoned from the rest of the world.

It also looks like it would be a very difficult place to escape, such as the high watch towers and high fences, also when this photo was taken presumably in winter, it was snowing which also represents that it was a very cold sad place filled with death, there are no vibrant colours which shows that is is very black and white and no happiness could possibly exist.

• How is Auschwitz represented in this photo?  Auschwitz is represented as what it is, a death camp and this photo shows how horrible this place must have been, the barbed wire, high fences, watch towers and the fence clearly shows the separation of the jews from the rest of the world.

• Find another photo of Auschwitz that you feel has an important representation of this place that caused so much pain and destruction. Analyse the use of visual techniques which make it particularly engaging. How does it represent this location?

Boy in the Striped PJ's- Chapter 1

• Describe Bruno's voice. Give examples to support.  Brunos form of speech is polite but can be demanding as said in the first few paragraphs. When the family maid was searching his room and packing it all into his bags, he said "What are you doing" as politely as he could but when he has to ask again when she ignores him he appears more demanding and short tempered.

  What characters are introduced? Bruno, Maria, Mother, Lars

 Describe each and give examples to support

Main Characters

Bruno- Bruno is shown to be slightly rude, short tempered, ignorant, demanding but can be polite..
Maria- Maria is described as shy and always keeps her head down around the family.
Mother- Mother is shown as patient and understanding of Bruno, throughout the chapter 
Gretel- Brunos sister, said to be a hopeless case and was nothing but trouble for bruno.
Father- Father, is said to have a very important job because there are many men in fantastic uniforms
and women with type writers and every one was very polite to his father.

Lesser Characters
Karl
Daniel
Martin
Cook
 Lars

• Who are presented as victims in this chapter and what are the victims of? Do you think that it is fair to consider them victims? Bruno and Gretel can be considered victims because they have to move from their beloved homes. Lars and Maria dont look particuarly happy working for the family either.
  
• Irony is an important element of the story. How is it used here in the first chapter? Give examples to support your answer.

• How is the setting presented in this chapter?  The setting is at a beatiful house beside other houses. The majority of the chapter is in the kitchen as they talk about why they are moving, this convesation lets the audience know a litte more about the family and there situation.