Boy in Striped PJ's - Chapter 1

Bruno's Voice, introduction of characters, and victims

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

Bruno's voice is that of a small boy . He is innocent as he has no idea about his father's job. He is given the impression that he is to be going away for only a few weeks. An example of his innocence is when he says 'Who's going to take care of it while we're gone?'

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

Bruno: young innocent, no care in the world besides moving house.

His mother: kind and loving.

His father: powerful and mysterious, rude, cruel.

His sister (Gretel): cruel to Bruno and has little love showing for him.

His three friends(Martin, Daniel and Karl): not much is told about them, they are assumed to be good friends of Bruno.

His house maid (Maria): unimportant, blend into the background, not treated with respect.

The butler: doesn't speak unless spoken to, not treated with respect.

• 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?

Bruno and his sister. No it is not fair to consider them as victims because all that's happened to them is that they have to move house while other's are dying.

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

Irony in the first chapter is created by Bruno thinking that the family is just going away for a couple of weeks, and that he has no idea about the job which his father completes. 

• How is the setting presented in this chapter?

It's a nice house, which is really big. There are places in the house that he is forbidden to go into. He loves his grand-parents. His favourite thing in his house is a banister.