Chapters 11+12

What are the main themes of the novel so far?  

Innocence, cruelty, superiority - master race, .

 

What are the main techniques?

Juxtapostion, imagery, alliteration, similies, metaphors, steroetypes and most pronounced is irony.

Think of 5 important questions for each of these two chapters about how important motifs and themes play a role in each chapter.

 

What would chapter 12 be like if the theme superiority and master race wasn't there?

 

What makes Bruno want to keep coming back to see Shmuel?

 

What does it say about the theme, the stereotypical Nazi when Hitler's wife shows kindness to the children?

 

What does it say about Bruno's upbringing with such a strong innocene theme present when he's speaking to Shmuel?

 

If Hitler hadn't ordered them to move to out-with what do you think Bruno, as a person would of been like once he'd grown up?

 

Chapter 10: 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? He starts to humanize the Jews. He realises that They are not just dots, objects in the distance but real people with feelings.
(109) What effect does the boys both having the same birthday have? They get a kind of connection.
(113-4) What do Bruno and Shmuel 'argue' about? What does Bruno decide to stop the argument? They argue that the place where they are from is nicer than the others. Bruno says we will have to agree to disagree. This is ironic as if Germany had agreed to disagree WW2 wouldn't of happened and the holocaust wouldn't have happened.
(115) What does Bruno's last question reveal to Shmuel? What do you think Shmuel thinks of Bruno because of asking this question? The innocence of Bruno. He realises that Bruno has no clue to what his country is doing. He thinks Bruno is kind of like him in the way they are both victims and they didn't do anything wrong.

Boy in the striped PJ's Chapter 7

1. How is the mother's defence of Herr Roller entirely ironic? He is defending a man who  fought and killed people when there are innocent Jews being killed just behind her house.
2. What role does Kotler represent historically in the novel? (think beyond being a soldier) How happy, innocent men were forced to war and suffered from it for the rest of there lives.
3. What character is Kotler juxtaposed with in this chapter? What effect does it have on understanding each of these characters? Kotlers childhood was  normal and happy without war whereas Bruno's is in the middle of a war and he forced away and unable to have fun and lead a normal child's life.
4. How would you compare the interaction Bruno has with Pavel to all the other interactions Bruno has had with adults?  He treats him as more of an equal, with adults he is very polite but with Pavel he speaks like he would to someone his age.
5. Why is juxtaposition a key technique employed in Holocaust texts? How has it been used in The Boy in the Striped PJ's?  It is always used in holocaust texts because there are the strong, mighty germans and the weak Jews. The Germans are strong and have control over the Jews but also over Bruno.

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? He suddenly realised that she is a real person with a real life and history. He had grown up with servants and he's now realising that they are real people and he developing compassion for them.

• Compare how Bruno and Gretel treat Maria. Gretel orders maria around like her father but Bruno is much kinder and polite to her.
• (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? She tells him to do as his father tells him to and to be quiet and concentrate on his school work. She gives this advice because she is worried he might do something that could get him into a lot of trouble. I think it is good advice in a way as it keeps him safe but it is bad to just sit back and let the Nazis have their way and kill people.
• (65-6) What is Bruno's reaction to his new thoughts/feelings? Why do you think that he reacts this way? He feels akward and uncomfortable around Maria.

Holocaust Poetry #2

Homeland
Lois E. Olena

It was Christmas eve
and there was no room in the inn,
the Oswiecim inn,
so the Arrow Cross
took the children,
barefooted
and in their nighties,
out to the Danube
and filled their little bellies
not with bread
but bullets
flipping them
like tiddlywinks
into the congealing, icy river below.

It was the Red Danube
that night,
choking on the blood
of orphan Jews
whose little Blue faces
floated downstream
touring even all of Europe
until they washed up
on the shores of Eretz Yisrael (Jewish homeland)
and came back to life,
their little blue and white
bodies
raised high,
flapping in the wind.
How is imagery used in this poem? There is lots of adjectives and juxtapostion used to creaate vivid pictures in your mind. 
Discuss the effect of the simile in this poem. The similie tidlywinks makes you imagine the children as little insignificante things being flicked around for the fun of it.  
How is alliteration used in the poem? What is the effect? It draws your attention to the phrase for example 'but bullets' 
How does the author juxtapose the innocence of the children to the cruelty they experienced? The author uses words like little, nighties and bare footed to show the childrens innocence. And then words like blood, choked bullets juxtapose this. 
What is meant by 'touring all of Europe'? It happened all over Europe. 

Boy in the striped PJ's chapter 5

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? It makes you want to know more about the father because you don't know much about him yet he has been the controller of everything in the book so far, moving house, he's close to the fury. His actions have fueled Bruno's complications.
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? How does Bruno's father speak to him? Give an example to support your answer. Lust for power and how it hurts the people close to you. "This is my work, important work." "I want to go home, said Bruno. He could feel tears welling up behind his eyes"
3. 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 doesn't see the greater meaning behind things. He speaks of the world as if it is simple and if somethings not right then you can easily change it. "But when can we go back to Berlin?" 
4. How does the father rationalise every concern that Bruno has? He tries to change the meaning of things. "I want to go home" and his father replies with "Home is where the family is" so there for Berlin is no longer Bruno's home.
5. What is ironic about what the father says when he comes around the desk and talks to Bruno about his childhood? It ironic because he tells Bruno to do the right thing when he is killing innocent Jews.
6. Do you think that the father really cares about Bruno? Why/why not? He does care but is so caught up with Hitlers plans for him that he has forgotten how to care.
7. Do you think that Bruno understands what he is saying when he says 'Heil Hitler!'? No he has no idea he thinks it's a greeting.
8. How is juxtaposition used in Bruno's description of their boarding the train to Auschwitz? The germans get empty luxury carriages whereas the jews on the other side of the platform are over flowing and are the complete opposite of luxury.

Boy in the Striped PJ's Chapter 4

• (pg 31) How does the author continue to use juxtaposition in regards to the two housing situations? (the Jews and Bruno's family) The house has a garden full of life like a candle in a dark castle. The Jews home is more like the dark castle, it is barren with no greenery.
• What is it about the children that makes it difficult to understand exactly what they see through the window and just how bad it is? The children don't understand what it is and as it is in their perspective, we don't get the full story.
• Summarise how Gretel describes what she sees. She sees a nice, large, colourful garden followed by a horrible fence with a field containing none of the positive elements from the garden. Instead of greenery there is just sand.
• What does Gretel attempt to do when she sees the Concentration Camp? How does she attempt to understand what she sees? She attempts to say something but she can't find any words. She comes to the conclusion that it is the country side and that this must have be what it is like as they live in a city and have never known the country.
• Is her attempt successful? Does she convince Bruno that she understands? What does she eventually give in to? What does she say/or not say? (pg 32) No because she is trying to understand it herself. She eventually agrees that it isn't the country side and it's not something nice. She says it's not their holiday home.
• What can't the children do when they see the Concentration Camp that the adults seem to be able to do? Which group can understand what they see? Why do you think that this is the case? They can't look away and ignore it. 
• How does the author use understatement through the children's description of the Concentration Camp? Through the children's description.

Holocaust Imagery - Hitler at a Nazi Rally

This is an image of a political rally in 1934, a staple of the Nazi regime. In your own blog post answer the questions below and include the image.

1. How are vectors used in this image? What effect does it have? The flags are vector lines are leading up to Hitler. Hitler is the focal point as everything is pointing to Hitler and makes him more important then anyone else in the photo. The vector lines of the soldiers going off to the end of the photo gives a sense of endless power that Hitler has.
2. Describe the composition of the image and what is tells us about the Nazis and Hitler. Hitler is right in the center and everything is symmetrical. It shows a sense of order and precision.
3. How is symmetry used? What effect does it have? Everything is in line and Hitler is set in the middle with equal amounts of people on either sides of him
4. What effect does this picture being in black and white have? The difference in colour of Hitler and his soldiers and the white public show the contrast of power and hierarchy between the public and the soldiers. It shows the public looking up to the soldiers for salvation.
5. Discuss the use of line in this image. What effect does it have? Everything is very straight and precise. The precision is to show how powerful and adds to their master race beliefs. The lines are intimidating because there are so many people  leading up to the one man, Hitler.

Bruno's Voice, introduction of characters, and victims

• Describe Bruno's voice. Give examples to support.

He speaks very formally and politely. He already has a sense of innocence. 

‘Mother,’ he insisted. ‘What’s going on? Are we moving?

• What characters are introduced? Describe each and give examples to support.

Bruno. He is a polite boy who is introduced as the main character. At the start of the book he seems very Innocent.  ‘Mother,’ he insisted. ‘What’s going on? Are we moving?


Maria. She is the maid who is packing Bruno's bag. 'he was 
surprised to find Maria, the family’s maid – who always kept 
her head bowed and never looked up from the carpet – standing 
in his bedroom, pulling all his belongings out of the wardrobe 
and packing them in four large wooden crates, even the things 
he’d hidden at the back that belonged to him and were nobody’s 
else’s business.'


Bruno's mum is a tall women with long red hair. She is frustrated at the fact they have to move.  'She sighed and threw her hands in the air in frustration before marching back to the staircase' She is the parenting one. She tells Bruno to be polite. 'his mother had 
always told him that he was to treat Maria respectfully and not just imitate the way Father spoke to her.'


Bruno's dad. You don't hear much about him. His dad seems to be the strict one as Bruno's mum tells him to speak to Maria respectively unlike the way his father does. ‘You take your hands off my things.’ Bruno speaks this way to Maria instead of being polite, and you can see part of his father's method for speaking to the maid show


Lars the butler. Lars being there packing Bruno's mother


Gretel Bruno's sister

• 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?

The victim is Bruno. He is a victim as he is forced to move houses and start a new life. He has no say in the matter. His mother is also a victim for the same reason. Yes it is fair to consider them a victim as they have no power and no say in anything.

• Irony is an important element of the story. How is it used here in the first chapter? Give examples to support your answer.

Bruno calls Hitler the Fury. This is ironic as Fury is a better name than for Hitler than the Führer.

The whole chapter is layered with dramatic irony as we know more about what is happening than Bruno does. 

• How is the setting presented in this chapter?

The setting of this chapter is in Bruno's house. Everyone is uptight over leaving and through Bruno we feel his frustration and confusion as he doesn't know what is happening but there is some dramatic irony in this. We have some idea that his father is very high up in Hitlers circle and that they are moving near some thing important to Hitler's plan.

1. How are the Germans (and Japanese) portrayed in the opening sequence? How is irony created? They are fat, over fed. The irony is that they don't look like a master race.
2. How is propaganda and the effect of propaganda portrayed with the introduction of Donald Duck? There are lots of Nazi symbols and pictures of Hitler.
3. How is irony continued into the breakfast scene? Even the Nazis have poor food.
4. How is Naxi Germany portrayed in the opening shot at 3:30? Nazi Germany is portrayed as a very dark place.
5. What is ironic about the song lyrics regarding work and what is happening in the scene? They are singing about how good life is but the work is just as bad as the concentration camps.
6. What does the conveyor belt portray regarding the lifestyle of Germans? Its faster than the Germans can cope with.
7. Why do you think that there aren't actually any people that force Donald to work? We only see the ends of bayonets and a speaker. It gives you a feeling that there are more people than it looks. Like all Germans are like this.
8. What is ironic about the vacation? Its not a break and he is forced to exercise.
9. In the dream sequence, how are the Germans portrayed? Why? They are portrayed as missiles and machines. The only thing they do is fight.
10. What do the pajamas when we see Donald in his bed tell us? He is back in america..
11. What is the Statue of Liberty used to convey? It contrasts the Germans as it welcomes other races into the country. 
12. How is Hilter portrayed at the end of the film? What is it about his face that is important? He looks really angry and nothing about him represents a master race.

Why is this a representation of propaganda? Why is it actually ironic considering the way the Nazi's are portrayed? Its a very exaggerated representation of what all Germans are. Its ironic because America is mocking the Germans and in doing so saying they are better. 

Who are the villains, victims, and heroes? The villains are the Germans. The victim is Donald Duck, and the Heroes are the Americans.

How are the portrayed? The Germans are portrayed as everything but the master race.

What can you conclude about how these characters are portrayed knowing that this was produced in 1943 USA? (write a short essay including a discussion of the director's use of film techniques.)

camera angles

key words/focus:
camera angle (low, high, eye-level), vectors, lighting, composition

(4:20) How are camera angles used when Joshua says 'Thank you' (not in German)? Which angles are used to view each of the characters? What does each of these angle signify?


There is a low shot when Joshua says thank you and the German waiter looks down on him. The low shot makes the waiter look more dominating.

(4:45) What shot distance and angle is used to show Guido's concern for Joshua when the German waiter leaves the room? Describe the composition)
There is a close up shot showing his emotions portrayed on his face. 

(4:46) How is shot of Guido contrasted to the shot of the German waiter walking away to tell someone what has just happened? Describe the composition and compare it to the previous shot of a concerned Guido.


He is not geometrical unlike the German. When the German walks down the hall every things is straight, precise and geometrical.

(5:02-05) How is the shot of the German's contrasted to that of Guido teaching the children to say 'Thank You'?
There is a low angle of the Germans and then a high angle of Guido bending down, getting to the kids level, showing the separation between him and the kids and the Germans 

1. Describe what is happening in this scene. -The Germans are describing the rules of being in the camp. Guido translates and tells them the rules for his made up game as he did not understand German.
2. Who are the heroes and villains in this scene? Why are they heroes and villains? -The hero in the scene is Guido, The villains in the scene are the Germans. The Germans are the villains as they are keeping the Jews in prison camps and forcing them to do labor and then killing. Guido is the hero as he is saving his son by resisting the Germans and not showing weakness in front of Joshua.
3. For the hero/es and villain/s, describe techniques used in this shot which highlight their opposing role and how they connect with the audience. - There is a height difference between the Germans and Guido. When you see the Jews, they are standing around in a bunch. The Germans are standing straight with straight symmetrical windows on either side of them. When Guido stands next to the German He is much smaller than him and seem weak next.

Holocaust Unit Key Question and 'Life is Beautiful'

Key Question:

How are victims, villains and heroes of tragedy and trauma valued and given a voice?

We need to apply this key question to Life is Beautiful:

1. What is a tragedy?

A tragedy is a genre which has great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.

2.  How is Life is Beautiful a tragedy?

Life is beautiful is a tragedy because it is about a happy family who get forced apart to do slave work and just before they are free the father dies while trying to save his son and wife.

3.Could it also be a comedy?

Yes it could be considered a comedy as Gueido puts humor into the story with jokes, funny behavior and telling his son that it is all a game that they are competing in against the Germans and other Jews.

4.What is a villain? What is a hero? What is a victim? Give examples of each both from real life and from fiction.

A villain in this case is a a person who causes panic, disaster, damage and despair to the protagonists in the story. He does evil things with the purpose of hurting someone or something.
e.g Terrorists 
A hero is a person who shows great courage and is admired by his brave deeds.
e.g Bill gates, war heroes.
A victim is someone who suffers from someone else without having any control over the situation.
e.g holocaust victims,


5. Who are the villains, victims and heroes?.
Guido is the hero in the story, The villains are the Nazis. The victims are the Jews and Joshua, Dora.


6. What value do each of these characters play in the movie? What role do they play in the plot? What role do they play in connecting the movie to history? What role do they play in evoking a reaction from the audience? (List the important characters in the movie and label them as either villains or heroes. Then, in dot points, list the important role they play in regards to plot, history, and to the audience.)




The Nazis are the antagonists, Guido is the protagonist. The victims are part of the complication.


The Nazis and Jews in the story are based on the history of the holocaust. The Nazis are cold hearted and only care for themselves. The Jews are innocent.


Guido mocks the Germans and has a quirky sense of humor.
The Nazis are very cold and they have no mercy or compassion
The victims draw empathy from the audience. At the start of the movie the Jews are having a good life and then it gets ripped away from them.

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 barb wire fence and the long building makes the camp long endlessly long. It makes you feel that is was hopeless for the Jews to escape. The contrast of the snow and the dark buildings is very bland. The wire fence looks very dark and menacing. In the distance you can see the watch tower and with the fence looming over you it gives you the Jews perspective, It makes you feel small and powerless. There is an absence of life.
• How can the visual elements in the photo evoke empathy and reverence from a viewer? The barb wire fence makes you feel empathy for the Jews and the buildings look very cold and uncomfortable.
• How is Auschwitz represented in this photo? Very cold and dark.
• 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?

This gas chamber is a representation of how Auschwitz caused so much pain and destruction. The chamber is very cold and dark. The low ceiling gives a sense of claustrophobia. The walls are vector lines and make the chamber seem much longer and darker.