Boy in the Striped Pajamas Response

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was a movie that deeply affected me. I think that it gives a very concrete image to the Holocaust that people don't always have when they view the numbers and statistics. It's good to put visuals to such a horrific event. I think that it is interesting how the movie works as a text of witness. You have this kid that is naive to the fact that his father is murdering Jews not far away from his house. It's interesting how the author/director uses Bruno to view the holocaust from an innocent lense. I think this view of the holocaust is very intertwined with the theme. One of the things that the movie might be trying to say in terms of a theme is that innocence can hurt people close to you or that people can get hurt if you shield them from the truth. For example, Bruno is hid from the truth of how they are killing Jews and because of this, he is hurt in a very literal sense. Another theme may be that the things you try to hide from people can end up hurting you the most. This applies to a lot of things in life and I think it could be something that the director is trying to convey. For example, Bruno is shielded from the fact that his father is murdering Jews and so he doesn't resist in exploring and developing a friendship with Shmuel. This friendship leads to Bruno going over to the camp and dying. Obviously, another message that the director is trying to convey is that the Holocaust was a terrible time in history in which horrific crimes were committed towards Jews. I think that this is the common message or theme that the Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Night, and Maus texts share.