Chapters 3 and 4 Gretel is Brunos older sister. Like many older siblings, Gretel is irritating to her younger brother.

She is three years older and likes to take charge of Bruno. She hogs the bathroom and makes fun of Bruno. Her friends also make fun of Brunos small size. Bruno hopes that he can grow larger by the time the family returns to Berlin. He is uncomfortable with being small for his age. Gretel and Bruno can agree that they are unhappy with the current living arrangements. Their father has told them that they will be staying there for the foreseeable future. Gretel explains that their new home is named Out-With and explains that whoever had Fathers position before him had not done a very good job and had been forced to leave. Bruno thinks that his family is there because someone said Out-With with people before them. Bruno is frustrated by not having a friend to play with him. He complains to his sister that he misses his three best friends Karl, Daniel and Martin. Bruno takes Gretel to the window in his room to show her the people in the camp. Besides a small, nicely tended garden directly below his window the scenery changes drastically as the two children look out the window. About twenty feet past the garden and the bench is a huge fence topped with bales of barbed wire extending as far as the eye can see. There are square buildings with smoke stacks and barren ground. There are only males living there, small boys, fathers, and grandfathers. Gretel wonders who the people are and why there are no women among them. Gretel thinks it must be the countryside that she has learned about in class. Bruno realizes that there are no animals, so this is probably not the country. The children continue to wonder what is happening behind the fence. They see some people standing very still before a soldier, some with bandages on their heads, some pushing wheelbarrows from one side of the camp to the other. They even see soldiers mistreating children, but are unaware of exactly what the soldiers are doing to the children. I connected chapters three and four to videos about how you can help prevent bullying, help those being bullied, and what to do when youre being bullied. In chapter three and four Bruno talks about how his sisters friends would pick on him, his sister and her friends were bullies and bystanders. They had the power to make him feel really sad and insecure about his height! His sister and her friends were bullies and bystanders! The Nazis treated the Jewish people so unbelievably horrible, so their life would be absolutely horrendous, just like bully, except not quite heartless and evil. When someone is being bullied you need to stand up with a group of people to show that you are more powerful than the bully, you cant just be a bystander, you cant support the bullying, and you need to tell a trusted adult or someone who can support you if you are the victim of bullying. Bruno and his sisters friends did none of the things you should do! The Jewish people in the concentration camps couldnt really tell anyone to help them; however other countries were able to help anyways. At first some countries were bystanders, however eventually they stood up together against Nazi Germany, and eventually stopped the horrible things they were doing, the countries took away the bullys power! Gretel and her friends had the power to make Bruno feel insecure about himself. Nazi Germany had the power to bully the Jewish people! Countries around the world had the power to be bystanders, and then they stood up and had the power to defeat Nazi Germany! http://www.stopbullying.gov/respond/be-more-than-a-bystand

Chapter 5 and 6 Bruno remembers the final morning in Berlin. The house no longer looked like their real house at all since Father had already moved his items and their items had been packed. Their mother had looked nervous and had been crying and had commented that they shouldnt have let the Fury come to dinner. An official car took the family to the train station. There were two trains, going in the same direction. Their train had plenty of empty seats while crowds waited to get on the other train next to them. Bruno had the opportunity to speak to her father about coming to Out-With. Bruno is able to talk to his father in his impressive office. Bruno shares with his father that he is very unhappy and would like to return to Berlin. His father remains firm, and tells Bruno that he should trust his elders because they know what is best for the family. Bruno thinks father must have done something wrong to have ended up at Out-With. Bruno greatly dislikes his new home. Actually he decides he hates it there. Bruno mentions the people on the other side of the fence. Brunos father told Bruno that they arent people at all and he tells Bruno not to worry about them and to go on with his own business! Maria the maid walks in Brunos room carrying the laundry. She is very careful to not make comments about being dissatisfied. Bruno believes that his father has made a horrible mistake by bringing them there. Maria does defend Brunos father. Brunos grandmother had helped Marias mother by giving her a job and a small pension and Brunos father had paid some hospital bills when her mother became ill. Maria says that Brunos father can be a man of great kindness, but she doesnt know why he is acting the way he is and why he is treating others like he does. Bruno doesnt have time for an explanation because Gretel barges in the room making demands of Maria to prepare a bath for her. Bruno thought of Maria has a member of his family. She had helped wash the cloths, shop and cook, take him to and from school and had been with the family since he was three. Maria didnt feel that Brunos father would have agreed. This is an interesting display of power. Gretel as a child is given power over Maria who is the adult. The tables are turned because Maria needs to keep her job. She allows herself to be bossed and belittled by a child. I connected chapters five and six to a website that is focused on dehumanization, because Bruno asked his father about the people on the other side of the fence and Brunos father replies to Brunos question by telling him that they arent people at all. Obviously the Jewish people are humans; however the Nazi party dehumanized them so their followers and other will believe that killing off the J ewish people is ok, because they are nothing more than a bug or a rodent. The Nazi party and others had the power to dehumanize the Jewish race, causing the majority of children and adults to believe that exterminating the Jewish people is ok. Brunos father had the power to strongly believe that Jewish people were nothing and they should suffer and die. Bruno had the power not to think that the people on the other side of the fence were nothing. http://www.lucifereffect.com/dehumanization.htm Chapters 7 and 8 Bruno decides that he would like to make a tire swing. He finds some rope in the basement and tries to find a tire. He asks Lieutenant Kolter for a tire. Meanwhile, his sister is flirting with Kolter.

Bruno dislikes the lieutenant even though he doesnt completely understand his feelings. Kolter orders Pavel to get the spare tire so that Bruno can make a swing. Kolter addresses Pavel with such harshness that Bruno is ashamed. When Bruno gets the tire he spends the afternoon constructing a swing. When he was finished the tire swing he was swinging very high when he lost his grip, the tire plunged to the ground and he gashed his knee. Pavel is able to help Bruno. Bruno is worried and believes he needs a doctor. Pavel shares that he is a doctor and that Bruno will be ok. Bruno is thankful for Pavels help. Bruno was very close to his grandparents. He thinks of his grandfather as almost the oldest man in the world! His grandmother was nine years younger with red hair and green eyes. She loved acting and singing and encouraged her son and grandchildren to pursue dancing, reciting poems, acting in plays, performing magic tricks and to enjoy the arts. Brunos last play didnt go well. It was Christmas, and Father had been promoted to Commandant. He wore his new uniform with a great number of decorations on it. Everyone had applauded Father when he entered the room, except for Grandmother. Grandmother knew that her son was becoming a puppet, standing in a uniform, not caring what it stood for and she vocalized her concerns. The grandfather and mother tried to intervene and show pride for Brunos father, but this only upset the grandmother even more. The reader can see the maternal power with the grandmothers verbalized opinion. Bruno and his sister had been sent up to their rooms. It is clear that the adults have power over the children. My text connection with the Christmas scene reminds me of the Sound of Music. The family performed for the country. The father in that musical was ordered to go into service for Germany. He was Austrian, and didnt want to be a Nazi. The Irish descent grandmother in this chapter clearly doesnt want her son to be a part of the leadership for the Nazi party. She makes it clear that she is unhappy with this decision. In the Sound of Music the family plans to leave the country to avoid having to follow the Nazis. However, in this book the father is proud of the raise to Commandant, and puts his family right in the ugly reality. The characters in the Sound of Music have the power to leave the country so the father can avoid being a Nazi. Brunos Grandmother had the power to tell her family how she feels about the situation and how she isnt pleased at all! Brunos father has the power to be a Nazi Commandant. The Nazis had the power to recruit many personnel to join the Nazi party! Chapters 9 and 10 Brunos memories of his home were fading as he begins to adjust to his life at Out-With. Life was remaining about the same. Gretel continued to be unfriendly and the soldiers continue to go in and out of his fathers office for meetings every day. The servants continue with their jobs, Lieutenant Kotler still acts if he owns the place and when his father is not there, he spends his time flirting with Gretel and Mother. Father decides that it is time for the children to continue their education. He hires a tutor named Herr Liszt. The tutor emphasizes history and geography. Even though Bruno would rather study the arts and literature, he thinks that he may find out more about what is happening around him. He likes to explore and he realizes that he can learn more by exploring his current surroundings. Bruno wants to learn more about the people in the striped pajamas. He compares the people with the men who come through the house and how they are clothed in fancy uniforms. Bruno wonders about the difference between the two groups and who decides which people should wear the striped pajamas and which should wear the uniforms. As far as he knows, none of the people in the striped pajamas have

ever been invited into the home. He can see from his window that there is a clear division of power between those in uniform and the pajama people. He knows that those in pajamas jump to attention or fall to the ground when they are addressed by those in uniform.Bruno walks along the fence for almost an hour before he sees Shmuel sitting in the dirt on the side with the pajama people. Bruno greets the boy and the boy cautiously says hello. The boys begin to talk and get to know one another. Bruno has never seen a skinnier or sadder boy in his life. Bruno doesnt want to seem rude so he doesnt ask why he looks so sad. He learns that there are other boys his age on the other side of the fence and wonders why Shmuel has boys to play with, but he does not. He plans to speak to his father about the matter. Bruno is glad to have found a friend. He was even born on his birthday! They discuss Germany and Poland and Schmuel tells Bruno that they are in Poland now. My text connection is to James Carroll who had a private tutor to teach Latin, history, geography and math. His family had a great deal of wealth and influence in Maryland during the early years of the state. My resource is Christopher Rohr, educated Historian. Bruno and Gretel had a tutor and his family owned a huge and luxurious home and James Carroll experienced having a tutor and living in a large and wealthy home too! Bruno, Gretel, and James Carrolls parents had the power to hire a tutor to teach their children. Bruno and Gretels tutor had the power to mainly focus his lessons on History and Geography. Chapters 11 and 12 This chapter is a flashback to an evening in Berlin when the Fuhrer came to Brunos house and everything changed. Bruno finds the Fuhrer rude and loud. He learns that the Fuhrer is the leader of the country. Bruno has trouble pronouncing his name and refers to him as the Fury. Due to the lack of manners and disrespect shown to all, especially Eva the girlfriend, Bruno thinks of the Fury as a horrible man. Hilter displays his power over others by dictating, yelling, demeaning, and belittling people into submission.Bruno and Shmuel share their experiences of moving. In his young mind Bruno sees the move as similar to his own. The boys compare the decline of life when Shmuel had to wear the star on his arm and Brunos father started wearing the swastika. Bruno is delighted to know someone who has been uprooted from their beloved home. He has no comprehension of how horrible the train ride was for so many people herded together and how hard it was for so many to live in Out-With. Shmuels mother had been taken from the family when they arrived. Shmuel shares that his father and brother were put in little huts since they arrived. Bruno doesnt really understand the situation and feels that the same has happened to him. He is actually jealous of the fact that Shmuel must have hundreds of other boys to play with each day. Shmuel asks Bruno for some food and Bruno promises to bring him some. My text connection is a story called the Sneetches by Dr. Seus. In the story the Sneetches with a star on their bellies were better than those without a star upon thars. The message is that no Sneetch is better than another. The Sneetches learned after spending lots of money it didnt matter if you had a star on our belly or not. Does it matter if you have the Jewish Star of David or the swastika? Sadly during WW II it meant a world of difference. The Sneetches had the power to realize that it doesnt matter if you have a star on your belly or not, no one is better than another. Unfortunately the

Nazis didnt have the power to realize that they really were not and more superior than Jewish people, people with disabilities, homosexuals, and gypsies we are all equal as human beings, no matter the race, religion, rich or poor we are equal. Chapters 13 and 14 After his lessons, Bruno takes the long walks along the fence and spends time with his new friend Shmuel. Bruno is confused by what Pavel had told him about being a doctor. Why does he chop the vegetables and serve the family meals if he was a doctor? Maria reluctantly shares with him that he was a doctor in another life. She warns Bruno not to share this information with anyone else. Bruno asks Shmuel if he knows Pavel. He does not. Also, he asks Shmuel what he would like to do when he grew up. Shmuel would like to be a zookeeper. Bruno shares that he would like to be a soldier like his dad. Schmuel shares that it is awful to live in the camp and the soldiers arent interested in people getting better or in helping people. Both boys can agree that they dont like the horrible Lieutenant Kotler. When Lieutenant Kolter came over for dinner, Bruno is disappointed, because he doesnt like him at all! Gretel is very happy though, because she has a huge crush on Lieutenant Kolter. Bruno visits Shmuel every day at the fence. Bruno is eager to cross over the fence to meet new friends. Shmuel tries to explain in general terms that it is not a very nice place. Bruno complains about his living conditions, not understanding the situation that Shmuel has to endure. One day it had rained heavily so Bruno did not go to the fence. He started sharing about Shmuel with his sister. He realizes that he shouldnt tell her that he has a real friend so he tells her that he is a made up friend, and they both talk about their life before moving. His sister, as usual, makes fun of him and tells him that others will think he is crazy if they find out about the imaginary friend. In this website it talks about how you can know if someone has a crush on you or not. Gretel tries to act cute and flirty with Lieutenant Kolter. Gretel tries to act more mature by criticizing Bruno, which really irritates Bruno. Gretel has the power to act flirtatiously. Bruno has the power to be irritated with his sister and dislike Lieutenant Kolter. Lieutenant Kolter, Brunos mother, and Brunos father had the power to what seemed to be oblivious to Gretels behavior. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_can_you_tell_if_a_girl_or_a_guy_likes_you Chapters 15 and 16 Kotler brings Shmuel in Brunos house to clean the glasses. His fingers are so tiny, almost like dead twigs. Bruno is surprised to see his friend. As he eats a snack of chicken from the fridge he realizes that he should share some with Shmuel. Shmuel resists the food at first, but then takes it only to have Kotler storm into the kitchen and accuse him of stealing. Shmuel told Kotler that Bruno was his friend. Bruno denies his friendship because he is afraid to be punished. Later, Kotler punishes Shmuel by punching him in the face until he has a black eye. Almost a year passes and Brunos grandmother dies. The family returns to Berlin for her services. Everyone is very sad, especially Father. He didnt make up with his mother before she dies. Bruno begins to except that Out-With is his home. The conditions are somewhat better. Lieutenant Kotler has been transferred away. Bruno is thankful for his friend Shmuel. He is unable to understand why things are the way they are, he decides to consult Gretel

about the situation. Gretel is unable to explain why the people on the other side of the fence, called Jews, must be kept separate. Gretel and Bruno both get lice, Gretel must wash her hair with bad smelling shampoo and Bruno must have his head shaved. On this website it explains how to efficiently get rid of lice, because Bruno and Gretel have to endure the pain of having lice. The lice have power at first, causing Bruno to have his head shaved and Gretel has to use gross smelling shampoo. However the lice end up losing their power, because Gretel and Bruno get rid of the lice. http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Lice Chapter 17 and 18 Mothers unhappiness becomes increasingly noticeable. Mother has no one to talk to and is extremely lonely. Bruno understands because without Shmuel, he feels lonely. He is unsure whether his mother, sister and him will move back to Berlin or not, and he is not sure about the possibility, he knows that he doesnt have a choice, it will be made for him. He is not happy at Out-With, but he does look forward to his afternoon conversations with Shmuel. His mother doesnt have such a friend and finds herself taking many afternoon naps and drinking Sherries. Gretel stays in her bedroom. Bruno almost shares too much when he shares about the hundreds of children on the other side of the fence. His father wants to know how much Bruno knows about what goes on over there. Bruno is careful in his responses and carefully explains that he sees things from his window. Several days pass and Shmuel does not show up at the usual meeting place. Bruno is worried that he will not see him again before saying good-bye, because he is moving back to Berlin in a few days. Finally, on the third day, Shmuel shows up near the fence, looking even more unhappy than usual. He cannot find his father. His father went off for work detail and then he never returned. Bruno volunteers to ask his father about what happened to Shmuels father. Both boys agree that it wouldnt be a good idea to ask Brunos father. Shmuel is surprised that Bruno can be so kind with such a mean father. Bruno promises to help Shmuel look for his father the next day so they can finally play together and create one last memory before Bruno has to move back to Berlin. They decide that if Shmuel can find an extra pair of striped pajamas then he would come under the fence and visit and no one would know any difference. My multi-media piece is a website about saying goodbye to your friend who is moving. Bruno is moving in a few days when Shmuel finally shows up at the fence again. Shmuel cant find his father and Bruno wants to play with Shmuel before he moves back to Berlin. The website says, Just because your friend is moving doesnt mean you wont still be close. Giving your friend a heartfelt send-off is a great way to show youre still invested in the friendship. Bruno and Shmuel both planned to hang out together before they parted their ways, because they still wanted to be best friends. Bruno had the power to make plans to find Shmuels father. Shmuel had the power to get a pair of striped pajamas. The Nazi soldiers had the power to kill Shmuels father. Brunos mothers unhappiness had the power to cause her, Bruno, and Gretel to move in a matter of days. http://www.wikihow.com/Say-Goodbye-to-Your-Best-Friend-That-Is-Moving

Chapters 19 and 20 It rained heavily on the morning that the boys planned their adventure. Bruno worries that he wont see his friend before leaving for Berlin. As the weather improves in the afternoon, Bruno makes his way down to the normal meeting place. When he arrives, Shmuel is waiting for him with the striped pajamas. Bruno puts the stinky pajamas on and squeezed underneath the fence. Bruno thought he would see happy families playing games together. However, what he saw was nothing what he thought he would see. The people were horribly sad and the soldiers in their uniforms laughed and shouted at them. Bruno is very uncomfortable and tells Shmuel that he should go back home. Shmuel reminds him that he was going to help him find his father. Not wanting to break his promise, they continue to look for Shmuels father. After an hour and a half, they find nothing. My text connection was found in the book, Healing Activities for Children in Grief. This is a powerful quote, children are so often the forgotten mourners and I believe strongly that they can experience hope and healing when they have the opportunity to grieve in the supporting presence of others who share the same pain. Gay McWhorter Bruno and Shmuel grieve from many loses. They try to provide hope to one another and support one another through their trials and sadness. Shmuel and Bruno had the power to try and comfort one another. Shmuel had the power to get a pair of pajamas for Bruno. Bruno has the power to crawl under the fence and help Shmuel find his father. When the skies begin to cloud over again, Bruno apologies for not being able to find his father. The two boys begin to head back to the fence when there is a loud whistle and soldiers surround the area. The boys get in line and they follow the crowd as they are told to do. Bruno is covered in mud, it is raining again. They are herded into the gas chamber, unknown to the boys. Bruno believes that he is there to get out of the rain and all will be fine. The two hold hands and go as ordered to stand in the dark. Hand in hand the boys die together. Nothing was ever heard of Bruno after that. Soldiers did search and found clothes and a pair of boots that Bruno left outside of the fence. Brunos father went to the fence, but he could not understand what had happened. Mother stayed for several months at Out-With hoping that she would receive news of Bruno. Finally, she thinks maybe he was able to go home to Berlin. Gretel and Mother go back to Berlin, and find that he is not there. Gretel cries often and realizes that she misses her brother. Father stayed at Out-With for another year. He became greatly disliked by the soldiers. He went to bed every night thinking of Bruno. He went back to the place in the fence and realized that a small boy Brunos size could have crawled under the fence. He began to map out what may have happened to Bruno. He lost all of his strength and sat in grief where Bruno had sat for a year as he realized Brunos likely fate. Several months later, soldiers came and removed Brunos father from Out-With. He was so disgraced and devastated that he really didnt care what happened to him at that point. This website discusses how to help families when they lose a child. The article states, Many grieving parents question whether life will hold any meaning for them and wonder how they will survive the pain of their loss. Parents describe the feeling as having a hole in their heart that will never heal, and may blame themselves and ask, If only I had. Or they may be angry with their spouse, the physician, God, or the government. Parents feel alone and isolated in their grief, as friends and relatives

are often at a loss as to what to say. But it is important to talk to people who understand the loss. This may be family, friends, clergy, therapists, or a support group. I feel that if Brunos family wouldve comforted each other more than they wouldnt have been so depressed. As Brunos sister, Gretel was very sad and missed Bruno, she stayed in her room most of the time, therefore causing me to think that she probably felt alone and isolated in her grief along with her two parents. Brunos family had the power to be extremely depressed and not overcome their sadness. The Nazis had enough power to get the Jewish men into a line to march to their death. The Nazi soldiers had the power to put many men and boys, including Shmuel and Bruno into a gas chamber and kill them. Bruno and Shmuel had the power to hold each others hand and show their love and friendship towards each other until they were finally gone from this world. The Nazis had the power to cause many people to grieve over deaths and change history forever! http://www.aamft.org/imis15/Content/Consumer_Updates/Grieving_the_Loss_of_A_Child.aspx