Chapter 12

Once again in this chapter 12 we can see Bruno’s innocence and inexperienced from the real world. I also realized how the author John Boyne is always writing from the perspective of Bruno, so all the reasoning and thinking is from the head of a 9 year old kid, that’s why the language used is not complicated but it is set on the World War II way of talking. The boys start sharing past experiences, for example Shmuel mentions how his mom had put a star in each member of the family clothing; to what Bruno responds his Father wears one to with bright red with a black and white design on it. But what the boys don’t understand about this symbols, is that during the Holocaust Hitler had imposed a rule about every Jewish had to wear a star as an armband, and the symbol from Father uniform was the red, white and black Nazi symbol.  Then Shmuel says sadly, how he wasn’t allowed to live in his house anymore, and Bruno excited shouts how he also had to move to Out-With against his will. Bruno couldn’t understand the sadness in Shmuels face, because in his mind everything he said had pretty much happened the same to Bruno. Finally he asks if there are other kids in the other side of the fence, to what the skinny boys answers that there are hundred; and Bruno with an amazed face answers that he was jealous that he could play all day with them. Once again there was his innocence playing against him, because no one who has any knowledge about what a concentration camp is, would never want to be there.