After both reading the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and watching the movie, students should be able to identify many similarities and differences. While reading, students can often let their imaginations create the characters and settings. When viewing a movie that has been based off of a book, the characters or settings may seem different than what the reader imagined them to be. When students both read and watch a production of the same story, it can be interesting to see their different reactions.
With that in mind, have students read the entire book. Then, show them the movie adaptation. Once they have read and watched, have them create a comparison chart like the one above.
BOOK |
FILM |
|---|---|
| Introduction | |
| Bruno enters his room and sees his maid, Maria, packing and is furious that she is touching his things. He yells and screams to his mother who explains that they must pack and move immediately. He wonders if he's done something bad and is being sent away. | Bruno's mother and father throw an extravagant party in their elegant Berlin home to celebrate Bruno's father's promotion. |
| Ignorance | |
| Bruno is constantly calling the concentration camp, Auschwitz, "Out-with", shows his innocence and ignorance to the atrocities happening all around him. | Bruno discusses how nice the living quarters must be in the "farm" because he saw a Nazi propaganda movie that his father had prepared for Hitler - little did he know that people were living like this. |
| What was Auschwitz? | |
| Bruno never fully understands that "Out-with" is a work camp full of prisoners, never mind a concentration camp that murders hundreds at a time. | Gretel tells Bruno that it is not a farm, it is a "work camp" for Jews. He then sees a propaganda movie that makes it look lovely for the prisoners, but then sees it from the inside, just before being brought into the gas chamber, and he realizes what it is really like. |
| Lack of Security | |
| When Bruno breaks into the camp, he only needs to lift the fence and crawl under. | The fence is electrified and Bruno needs to bring a shovel and dig his way in. |
| Whereabouts of Bruno | |
| Nobody ever knows what happened to Bruno. A soldier found his clothes but nobody could think what happened to him. Mother eventually returned to Berlin thinking that he might have found his way there. | When they find the shovel and Bruno's clothes, they take dogs to follow his scent. When Mother sees them and the smoke from the gas chamber, she begins screaming. Father hears her cries. They both realize that Bruno has been murdered in the gas chamber. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard comparing and contrasting the book and film. Be sure to highlight key changes or similarities.
Invite students to share opinions about which version—book or film—better tells the story. This approach sparks critical thinking and encourages respectful discussion of different perspectives in your classroom.
Designate students as discussion leaders, note-takers, or presenters to encourage participation and ensure everyone has a voice. Clear roles help keep conversations focused and productive.
Clearly explain rules for respectful listening and speaking. Use time limits so each side has a fair chance to present ideas and avoid off-topic tangents.
Prepare prompts like "How did the film change a key event from the book?" or "Which medium made you feel more connected to the characters?" to encourage evidence-based arguments and keep discussion meaningful.
Ask students to write a short reflection on what they learned from hearing others’ viewpoints and how their opinion may have changed. This deepens self-awareness and reinforces respectful discourse.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas book and movie differ in several key scenes, character portrayals, and details. For example, the book opens with Bruno's confusion and anger about moving, while the film begins with a party for his father’s promotion. The movie also clarifies details about Auschwitz and the characters' fates more explicitly than the book. These changes affect how students interpret the story's themes and emotional impact.
Students can create a comparison chart or storyboard highlighting similarities and differences between the book and film. They should note how events, character motivations, and settings are portrayed in each version. Illustrations or discussion can help deepen understanding of the story and the impact of adaptation choices.
Books and movies differ because films must condense complex narratives into shorter formats, making changes for pacing, visuals, or audience engagement. Filmmakers may also interpret characters or events differently, which can alter themes or details compared to the original book.
The best way is to have students read the book, watch the movie, and then use a chart or graphic organizer to document key similarities and differences. Guided questions and classroom discussion can further support analysis and critical thinking.
By comparing the book and movie, students can improve critical thinking, analyze how different media present stories, understand literary adaptation, and develop skills in observation, inference, and interpretation.