18 As a fable, this is a powerful tale, and if you can read it as such all well
and good, but as a vehicle for explaining the defining tragedy of the 20th century to young people it falls embarrassingly short.
B. Approach of the study
A certain approach is employed in analyzing a literary work to find out some theories to discuss the study. It gave the writer background knowledge and
helped to develop the analysis based on the problems. In this study the writer used the psychological approach in the analysis to discuss the issue stated in the
problem formulated. According to Rohrberger and Woods 12 the psychological approach tries
to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns from the knowledge of psychology. Since the presence of friendship, which is the main topic in this study,
is related to psychological aspects of human beings, the psychological approach is suitably employed in this study. This is to explain human motivation, personality,
behavior or emotion. Since friendship deals with emotion and motivation the use of psychological approach is suitable in discussing the problem formulation.
C. Method of the study
This paper used library research as the method of the study. The primary source was John Boynes Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The secondary sources were
books, e-books, or websites, which provided the theories that, were needed in analyzing the novel.
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19 There were some steps to be done in this study. The first was reading the
whole story to gain good understanding of the contents of the story. This study used one of the intrinsic elements to develop the analysis further.
The second was finding some theories or any sources that supported the analysis to identify the elements of the novel to be discussed. The source
contained the supporting issues were collected and those became references to limit and develop analysis of this study.
The third step was identifying the elements of the story to be discussed. The element was the character. The writer focused the analysis on the character of
the novel by making use of theory of character and characterization. The writer employed the bigger portion of psychological approach to analyze the third
question in the problem formulation. In answering the first and second problems, the writer gathered information from the novel; from the author’s description. In
answering the third question, the writer focused on the motivation of Bruno and Shmuel which serve as a basis for his action in building friendship.
Fourth, the writer searched for books about psychology especially on motivation. Read those books since in understanding human actions, thoughts and
feelings psychological sides will give a clear and better understanding. Furthermore, every action conducted as a result of motivation from a person either
the motivation comes from inside or outside the person. The books on personalities gave explanation to analyze character and books on motivation were
employed to observe the reason why certain action is conducted.
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20
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
This chapter discusses the analysis of John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
. It is divided into three sections. The first is the description of Bruno’s characters, one of the major characters. The second section is the description of
Shmuel’s characters, the major character in the novel. The third section discusses the motivation of Bruno and Shmuel in building friendship.
A. The Description of Bruno
Characters are the persons who are life-like, portrayed in a story and interpretable by the reader from their speeches, dialogues, and actions Abrams
20. Henkle 1997 describes characters in two types. They are major character and minor secondary character. The major characters are characters observe
most often in the novel and whose appearances are frequent p.87. Bruno is one of the major characters in the novel. He becomes the centre who plays the
important role of the story. Besides, Bruno is also considered as a round character. E.M Forster 1985 in Aspect of The Novel states that round character
is more complex in temperament and motivation. Thus, an author will describe the character like real people who can give unpredictable actions.
According to Murphy 1971, the characteristics of each individual of the story can be seen through personal description, other character, character as seen
by another, speech, past life, conversation of others reaction, direct comment,
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21 thought, mannerism p.20. The description of Bruno can be seen from his
personal description, his speech and his reactions.
1. Physical Characteristics
John Boyne describes Bruno‟s physical appearance by telling the personal description of Bruno. In this novel, Bruno is portrayed as a nine year old boy. He
is a nice boy. He is small. He is not as tall as any other boys in his class. This was true and a particular sore point for Bruno. It was a source of
constant disappointment to him that he wants‟ as tall as any of the other boys in his class. In fact he only came up to their shoulders. Whenever he
walked along the streets with Karl, Daniel and Martin, people sometimes mistook him for the younger brother of one of them when in fact he was
the second oldest p.22. He has a short body, very short for a nine year old boy. He is not like other
boys of his age. It can be seen when he is talking with his father and sitting face to face with his father, but he cannot reach the armchair. When he sits, his feet are
not quite touching the floor p. 46.
2. Personality Characteristics a. Adventurous
Murphy states that character can be seen through his past life, conversation of others and character as seen by another. It gives the writer some clues to shape
the person‟s character. We often jugde a person by his past life, conversation of others and character as seen by another. Bruno‟s past life shows that Bruno is an
adventurer. It can be seen also through his conversation of others and character as seen by another.
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22
Bruno likes school life much. He can meet his friends there, read some books about exploration, and go back to their house together. However, since he
moves to Auschwitz he cannot do his exploration anymore. They call the teacher to come to their house.
Bruno likes reading some adventures and exploring books. He does not like reading science and history books. Sometimes he is asked to read science and
history books by his teacher Herr Liszt, but he refuses it. “... and he was old enough to know that Out-With did not belong to them, despite all the land there.
„Not very much,‟ he admitted finally. „Although i know quite a bit about the Middle Ages. I like stories about knights and adventures and exploring p.97.”
That is one good thing that Bruno can get something from the lesson given by Herr Liszt. Herr Liszt has taught them about the history lesson related to his
hobby and his dream to become an explorer or an adventurer. That is the history of Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci.
There was one good thing that Herr Liszt had taught him about their history lessons: men like Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci;
men with such adventurous stories and interesting lives that it only confirmed in Bruno‟s mind that he wanted to be like them when he grew
up p.101.
Knowing that Bruno likes something about exploration and adventures, his mother buys him some books about exploration and adventures. He reads enough
books about explorers to know all about exploration p.104. As Murphy said that we can gget a clue of the character through his or her
conversation of others. Through his point of view, the writer gets some clues that
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23 Bruno likes exploring when he converses and chats to Shmuel and Pavel his
family servant. It is different time when Bruno has a conversation to Shmuel and Pavel. The topic is the same, asks about the future, about his passion to be an
explorer when he grows up. “.... I‟m going to be an explorer when I grow up,” said Bruno, nodding his head quickly. “At the moment I can‟t do very much more
than read about explorers, but at least that means that when I‟m one myself, i won‟t make the mistakes they did p.113.”
From the conversation, the writer points that Bruno is adventurous. He has strong willing to be an adventurer like he says to Pavel that he wants to be an
explorer or an adventurer grows from the time when he is still a small boy p.83. Knowing about a new place, Bruno has a good idea. He plans to go there
to play and go exploring. No one knows about his idea. Here Bruno tries to go exploring. It can be found through his thought. Out of it, he has an idea and plans
to go to a place doing some explorations. He had walked slowly but once he left the room he went more quickly
towards the stairs and then ran down them at a great pace, suddenly feeling that if he didn‟t get out of the house soon he was going to faint away. And
within a few second he was outside and he started to run up and down the driveway, eager to do something active, anything that would tire him out
p.66.
Starting his exploration, Bruno leaves the house. He goes round the back and looks up towards his own bedroom window which, from down here, does not
look quite so high anymore. He thinks of the risk if he goes there and jumps out of it, it can probably hurt him p.100.
Another point of Bruno‟s thought shows that Bruno is adventurous can be
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24 seen when he runs out from his house, wants to go outside to explore the place
behind his house. Here, he tries not to think about what his father and mother‟s prohibition which forbids him to walk anywhere near the fence or the camp and
moat, particularly that exploration is banned at Out-With pp.101-102.
The more he goes the more he is far from his house. When he looks back the house he is living in becomes smaller and smaller until it disappears from
sight altogether. He does not see anyone there. There is no one living or walking around. Suddenly, he thinks that his exploration is going to be unsuccessful
p.103. After walking for the best part of an hour and starting to feel a little
hungry, he thought that may be that he was enough exploration for one day and it would be a good idea to turn back. However, just at that moment a
small dot appeared in the distance and he narrowed his eyes try to see what it was p.104.
Sitting alone in his room, Bruno thinks about all activities he likes to do when he was in Berlin and that the entire things he likes, but since they move to
Out-With he cannot do it anymore. Yet, there is one thing that he is able to do on his own that he has done all the time in Berlin and that is explored p.98.
He turns to remember his past life in Berlin, when he enjoys the exploration. Out of Bruno‟s past life, the writer learns and gets a clue which
shows that Bruno is adventurous. He always remember his past life in Berlin. He says: “....When I was a child,” Bruno said to himself, “I used to enjoy exploring.
And that was in Berlin, where I knew everywhere and could find anything I wanted with a blindfold on. I‟ve never really done any exploring here. Perhaps it‟s
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25 time to start p.98.”
Being an adventurer is Bruno‟s dream since he is a small boy. he does not note his father‟s and mother‟s prohibition which is not allowed him to go outside.
But, because of his willing and passion being an adventurer he does not think that he is in danger when he decides to runs out from Out-With.
b. Admireble
Bruno greatly admires his father. It can be found through his thought. Murphy 1972 states that we can see the characters of person through what the
person is thinking about. It gives the writer a clue about the person‟s character p.20. Through what Bruno is thinking about, the writer points that Bruno greatly
admires his father. He is very proud of being his father‟s son. He is often jealous with his sister Gretel. He thinks that his father loves her more than he loves
Bruno. He always kisses her before they go to sleep. “You mean Father.”
“Of course,” said Gretel, who always spoke of father as he could never do any wrong and never got angry and always came in to kiss goodnight
before she went to sleep which, if Bruno was to be really fair and not just sad about moving houses, he would have admitted father did for him too
p.25. Bruno feels sad when his father ignores him when he tried to talk to him.
He knows very much that he is very busy with his job. That is just one thing which Bruno wants very much. He wants his father to care for him like what he
does to Gretel, his daughter p.44. Bruno always thinks about his father‟s job and he always wants to be like his
father. Through what Bruno is thinking about, it can be seen that he admires his
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26 father. He always wants to be like him. He wants his father to care for him too. He
wants his father to know that he greatly admires him no matter what people say. Even he tells to Shmuel that he wants to be like his father when he grows up. He
wants to be a soldier. He says to Shmuel when they are talking about their future p.138.
When his friend says that soldiers are not good, they are cruel. However, Bruno did not say so. He explains to Shmuel that his father is different. He is not
the same as other soldiers in Auschwitz. “There aren‟t any good soldiers,” said Shmuel.
“Of course there are,” said Bruno. “Who?”
“Well, Father, for one,” said Bruno. “That‟s why he has such an impressive uniform and why everyone calls him Commandant and does whatever he
says. The Fury has big things in mind for him because he‟s such a good soldier.” p.139
Bruno does not care what people say or think about his father. In his mind father is a good man. He is a good soldier, that is why he can become a
commandant. One thing which makes Bruno greatly admires his father is his father is a good soldier who loves his family so much.
c. Imaginative
Bruno is an imaginer. He likes to imagine about something new. It can be seen through his thought of something he saw. According to Murphy 20,
thought is what the person thinks about to give a clue to the reader about the person‟s character.
When Bruno misses his friends; Karl, Daniel and Martin, he tries to bring
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27 them in his memories and start to imagine that they are together. Do all activities
they like; play at home, have three best friends for life, slide down banisters, try to stand on his tiptoes to see right across Berlin, but suddenly he realizes that he is
stuck in a nasty house with three whispering maids and a waiter who was both unhappy and angry, where no one looked as if they could ever be careful again
p.15. Bruno imagines, it can be nice when his family can gather in a place he saw.
Then, there is a garden beneath Bruno‟s window, full of flowers where Gretel can imagine sitting in the sunshine and reading books. He starts his imagination.
It started off nicely enough. There was a garden beneath Bruno‟s window. Quite large one too, and full of flowers which grew neat orderly section in
soil that looked as if it was tended very carefully by someone who knew that growing flowers in a place like this was something good that they could do,
like putting a tiny candle of light in the corner of a huge castle on a misty moor on a dark winter‟s night.
Past the flowers there was a very pleasant pavement with a wooden bench on it, where Gretel could imagine sitting in the sunshine and reading a book.
There was a plaque attached to the top of the bench but she couldn‟t read the inscription from this distance. The seat was turned to face the house-which,
usually, would be strange thing to do but on this occasion she could understand why p.31.
Daydreaming, is an activity which Bruno always does when he feels lonely and bored. He imagines if he can go to explore a new place he saw when he is in
Gretel‟s room. He sees there is a very beautiful place. There is a fence on the other side of the garden and a huge wire fence that ran along the length of the house.
The fence is very high and there is not any grass after the fence. Instead, the ground is made of a sand-like substance. Bruno and Gretel are still amazed of
everything outside. Even, Gretel cannot find any words to express her surprise.
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28 Bruno thinks and imagines if he has a place like what he saw that must be good
and he will be the king of everything.
“You see?” said Bruno from the corner of the room, feeling quietly pleased with himself because whatever it was out there- and whoever they were he
had seen it first and he could see it whenever he wanted because they were outside his bedroom window and not hers and therefore they belonged to him
and he was the king of everything they surveyed and she was his lowly subject p.32.
Bruno likes to imagine about something. Through his thought what he is thinking about, he always brings something in his imagination.
d. Curious
Although Bruno is a boy and his age is still nine years old, it does not mean that he is the same like other boys in his age. Bruno is different, he is smart and
critical. Murphy states that character can be seen through his thought, conversation of others or the personal description. We can also jugde the
characteristics by seeing his or her though and the conversation of others. Bruno‟s thought and the way he converses of others shows that Bruno is curious. He asks
his father why they have to move to Out-with, their new home in Auschwitz. His father tries to explain that they must go because they are family. Bruno complains
because he thinks that his grandfather and grandmother are also their family, but they do not move to Out-With.
“Come, come,” said Father, wanting to have none of that. “Let‟s have none of that,” he said. “A home is not a building or a street or a city or something so
artificial as bricks and mortar. A home is where one‟s family is, isn‟t it right?” “Yes, but__”
“And our family is here, Bruno. At Out-With. Ergo, this must be our home.” Bruno didn‟t understand what ergo meant, but he didn‟t need to because he
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29 had clever answer for Father. “But Grandfather and Grandmother are in
Berlin,” he said. “And they are our family too. So this can‟t be our home p.47.”
Another point of view states that Bruno is curious can be seen through the conversation of others when he talks to Gretel his sister about the Out-With.
Bruno considers Out-With as something horrible. He does not think that Out-With s the name of their new house. Then he asks about his curiousity of Out-With to
Gretel. “Well, yes,‟ said Gretel, acknowledging that. “It‟s horrible right now. But
once the house is smartened up a bit probably won‟t seem so bad. I heard Father say whoever lived here at Out-With before us lost their job very
quickly and didn‟t have time to make the place nice for us.” “Out-With?” asked Bruno. “What‟s an Out With?”
“It‟s not an Out-With, Bruno,” said Gretel with a sigh. “It‟s just Out-With.” “Well, what‟s Out-With then?” he repeated. “Out-With what?”
“That‟s the name of the house,” explained Gretel. “Out-With pp.24-25.” The Out-With is still horrible for Bruno, because it is so quiet and unpleasant.
No one can explain to him why they have to move there, except the reason that his father has a very important job so they have to move there. No one can satisfy him
with their answer. For the last time he tries to ask his family maid Maria, whether she likes or not living in the new home.
Bruno guesses Maria does not like and is unhappy living there, the same thing with Bruno. Maria seems to considered her response carefully, selects the right
words, prepares to say them, and then thinks better and discards them altogether. When Maria tries to answer with a new question, Bruno replies with a slight
laugh. He really hates living in Out-With. There is nothing to do, there is no one to talk to, nobody to play with. He is asking Maria again and again pp.57-58.
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30
“So you don‟t like it here then?” asked Bruno. “You think it‟s as bad as I do?” Maria frowned. “It‟s not important,” she said.
“What isn‟t?” “What I think.”
“Well, of course it‟s important,” said Bruno irritably, as if she was just being deliberately difficult.
“You‟re the part of the family, aren‟t you?” “I‟m not sure whether your father would agree with that,” said Maria,
allowing herself a smile because she was touched by what he had just said p.58.
Maria tries to convince Bruno not to worry. There is nothing different living in Berlin or living in Out-With. She likes both of them. Yet, it still makes Bruno
curious. It seems to Bruno that Maria is really going to tell him what she is thinking about. He is still asking Maria about it. Then Maria tries to convince
Bruno that everything what his father does is actually for the best and he has a certain reason why they have to move to Out-With. He does not really satisfy with
Maria‟s answer. He is still curous and thinking that his father makes a terrible mistake has brought them living in Out-With pp.58-59.
Maria is patient. That is why Bruno loves her much. In her confusion answering Bruno‟s question, she is still patient. Then she tries to explain why she
can ignore or reject what Bruno‟s father says. She also shares about her past when her mother also worked for his father‟s family, grandfather and grandmother. She
also says and explains how kind his father is. That is not Bruno if he does not want to know everything. He is still action his question.
“He has a lot so kindness in his soul, truly he does, which makes me wonder...” She drifted of as she watched them and her voice cracked suddenly
and sounded as if she might cry. “Wonder what?” asked Bruno.
“Wonder what he... how he can...” “How he can what?” insisted Bruno.
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31 The noise of a door slamming came from down-stairs and reverberated
through the house so loudly-like gunshot-that Bruno jumped and Maria let out a small scream... p.62.
One evening, his father announced to everybody in their house that Thursday night there will be an important guest coming in their house and everybody have
to cancel all plans if they have any. The Fury is name of the very important guest that will come. Father said that he wants to discuss something. Bruno does not
know well who he is and how important he is. He just wonders that this person is really important for his family. It can be seen while Father is announcing that The
Fury will come and everybody has to cancel their plans, mother just opens her eyes wide and her mouth makes the shape of an O. Than as usual, Bruno asks
about The Fury to his father. Although, he does not know well about the pronounciation, but he still keeps in his question and he is still curious about it.
Here, Gretel, his sister tries to disdain and insult him pp.115-116. “Who‟s the Fury?” asked Bruno.
“You‟re pronouncing it wrong,” said Father, pronouncing it correctly for him. “The Fury,” said Bruno again, trying to get it right but failing again.
“No,” said Father, “the___Oh, never mind” “Well who is he anyway?” asked Bruno again.
Father stared at him, astonished. “You know perfectly well who the fury is,” he said.
“I don‟t,” said Bruno. “He runs the country, idiot, said Gretel, showing off as sisters tend to do. It
was things like this that made her such a Hopeless Case. “Don‟t you ever read newspaper?” p.116.
Bruno is very different with some other boys in his age. Bruno is very critical and smart. When his father or mother gives him advice or asks him to do
something he does not like, he tries to refuse or answer it and asks what is the reason he must do what his father and mother ask to him. He will keep on his
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32 question. It happens also when he finds something strange like the camp behind
his house. He will find out and anwer his curiosity.
e. Stubborn
Bruno is also stubborn. He always thinks that his answer is the best answer. It can be found in his speech. According to Murphy 1972 in his book
Understanding Unseen, speech the third method is the way to know the characteristics of the characters in the novel. Whenever a person speaks,
whenever he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, it gives the writer clue to his characters.
Maria is the one whom Bruno believes much. He likes to share everything to her, about his hobby to explore the nature, his three best friends Karl, Daniel and
Martin, and also about his father‟s job. Once he asks Maria about his father‟s job. Maria tells Bruno that Father has very important job, a job that needs a very
special man to do it. A very special job which makes them have to move away from Berlin. Here, Bruno, for the first time complains about his father‟s job.
“That‟s not for me to say, Master Bruno,” said Maria. “Your mother has explained to you about your father‟s job and ___”
“Oh, I‟m tired of hearing about Father‟s job,” said Bruno interrupting her. “That‟s all we ever hear about, if you ask me. Father‟s job this and Father‟s
job that. Well, if Father‟s job means that we have to move away from our house and the sliding banister and my three best friend for life, then i think
Father should think twice about his job, don‟t you?” p.17
Not only about his father‟s job that he asks and complains about, but also Lieutenant Kotler, one of his father‟s soldiers. Bruno does not like him because he
is so serious and unpleasant. Maria tells him is not a big different from his father,
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33 he is as serious as his father. Maria says that Lieutenant Kotler has same character
with his his father, so serious. However, Bruno does not think as Maria thinks. In Bruno‟s mind, they are very different. His father is supposed to be serious because
he is a father, a breadwinner. His father is serious because it should be like that. It is because his father is a commandant but Lieutenant Kotler is not. Then, he
should not be so serious like father does pp.18-19. For Bruno, living in Out-With is a big mistake his father has done. He
remembers when he got punished when he did a mistake. He thinks that the rules that are always applied to children never seems to apply to grownups at all.
“I don‟t see why not,” said Bruno; he was a little ashamed of himself for having said it, but the last thing he was going to do was sit back and
receive a telling off when no one seemed to care about his opinion anyway. “Because your father is a good man,” said Maria. “a very good man. He
takes care of all of us.” “Bringing us all the way out here, to the middle of nowhere, you mean? Is
that taking care of us?” p.59 Another speech of Bruno which states that he is stubborn can be found
when he talks to Pavel family servant. At that time Bruno is helped by Pavel when he falls from the swing he makes. He got injured in his leg. He wants to go
to the hospital because he thinks that it is very dangerous if he does not go to hospital soon. Pavel tries to convince him that he will be alright after Pavel treats
him. Bruno does not know and believe that Pavel is a doctor before he moves to Auschwitz. This is the conversation of Bruno and Pavel. It can be seen how Bruno
keeps his argument that Pavel is not a doctor: “.....It could be worse than it seems.” “It‟s not,” said Pavel, who barely seemed to be listening to what Bruno
was saying, the carrots were taking up so much of his attention.“Well, how do you
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34 know?” asked Bruno quickly, growing irritable now despite the fact that this was
the same man who had come out to pick him up off the ground and brought him in and take care of him. “You‟re not a doctor.”....He sighed and seemed to consider it
for quiet a long time before saying, “Yes I am.”
A. The Description of Shmuel
