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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of background of the study, problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and definition of terms. Background
of the study gives the explanation about the topic of this study. Objectives of the study states the purpose of the writer in writing this thesis. Problem formulation
describes the problems that will be analyzed. Benefits of the study gives the explanation of who may get benefits from the study. Definiton of terms gives some
explanations about several terms that are related to the study to avoid misunderstanding about it.
1.1 Background of the Study
History records that a war is always the most horrible incident in human’s life because war destroys everything. One of the greatest wars in history was World
War II. Many countries in the world participated in this war. It happened because of the competition and hatred between some countries. This war caused great
destructions more than any other wars because the participating countries used modern military technology to fight their enemies.
It was in this war that the mass killing of certain races, especially Jews, was planned and executed by the Nazi German led by Adolf Hitler. It began with the
Nazis’ discriminations to the Jews and other minor ethnics, forcing them to live in poor conditions. The mass murder of the Jews, called the Holocaust, were carried
out by killing Jewish people in gas chambers, mass shooting, or medical experiments Sosnowski, 70-79.
After the Nazis began to invade the neighbouring countries, they continued to execute the Holocaust program towards Jewish people in the countries. As a
result, the invaded countries suffered under Nazi rules, in which Jewish citizens were forced to be slaves and the weak people were killed in the Holocaust program.
Many Jewish people leave their homelands in search for safety. The Nazis were so obsessed with the killing of the Jews that it disgusted the people of Germany itself.
Many people began to help their Jewish neighbours, hiding them in underground shelters and taking care of them. The children were the poorest victims of the war.
They suffered physically and mentally Sosnowski, 70-118. In that time, many children were taught to hate their Jewish friends. As a result, friendship among
them was rare. However, children in such conditions still found ways of maintaining friendship. Friendship never stopped even in the time of war. Instead, it
brought an understanding towards people to never let a war happens again. The memorial of World War II must be maintained in order to make people aware and
respect to their countries’ peace. Literature plays important roles related to the documentation of history, like
what happened during World War II. According to Hudson 10, literature is an important record of what people have seen, what they have experienced, what they
have thought and felt in life. This aspect of literature may have permanent interests for readers. Therefore, reading literature allows us to understand the history of
certain time. The works of literature become documents of history. Related to the
history of World War II, the works of literature cause great influence as they portray the events occured in that era. One of the literary works written in the
setting of World War II era is John Boyne’s the Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The story tells about the life of Bruno, a nine-year-old boy whose father is a
high-ranking military officer of Nazi. Bruno’s life changes when the Fury its actual meaning is the Fuhrer, which is the name given to Hitler as a dictator of
Germany, mispronounced intentionally by Bruno decides to have a meeting with Bruno’s father. In that occasion, Bruno’s father is promoted to be in charge of a
death camp in a place Bruno calls Out-With Auschwitz, a death camp located in Poland, resulting in the move of the family to their new house built near the death
camp. Trying to adapt to the new environments, Bruno finds himself trapped in the solitude of his new home and the weirdness of his new ‘neighbours’ there. Drawn
by his curiosity, Bruno explores and arrives at the extermination camp, where he meets with Shmuel, a Jewish boy imprisoned there along with many Jews from
Poland. Bruno, despite all disciminations and accusations blamed to the Jews, decides to be a friend with Shmuel. It lasts for almost a year through their great
efforts to hide their friendship from everyone. When Shmuel’s father suddenly disappears, Bruno promises to help searching him by crawling through the barbed
wire and wearing the striped pyjama brought by Shmuel. The two boys are accidentally trapped in the midst of a death procession and die in the gas chamber.
The topic of friendship in the novel the Boy in the Striped Pajamas is worth to discuss as it reflects the actual condition in Europe in the Second World War era.
The Nazis, who considered themselves as a super race, began to enslave lesser
races such as Jews or Slavs, invading their countries and murdering their people. The friendship between the two boys, which must be kept in secret, is interesting to
read as it enables the readers to understand the history behind the hatred existing in Europe at that time. The topic of friendship, which is written in a unique way as
seen in the characters and the settings of the story, enables people to realize that every person has the same rights, regardless their nations, races, or social status.
1.2 Problem Formulation
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