Themes, symbols, and motifs come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify a specific theme from the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and support their choices with details from the text. The novel deals with some of the more horrible aspects of war, and, in particular, The Holocaust. As a result, the novel is rich with important themes, from innocence and friendship, to boundaries and obedience.
As a classroom activity, students can track the rich thematic writing that Boyne uses throughout the book. In the example storyboard above, the creator has focused on Boyne's use of the following themes: innocence, boundaries, friendship, and conformity.
Bruno often shows his innocence and naivete when it comes to the atrocities around him. He doesn't seem to understand what is going on. He certainly doesn't understand that his father is in charge of the horrible treatment of the prisoners.
In addition to the physical boundaries, which the prisoners experience with the fences, there are also boundaries such as not speaking to non-prisoners and not taking food from them. After Bruno gives Shmuel chicken slices, Shmuel is accused of stealing them.
“He looked down and did something quite out of character for him: he took hold of Shmuel's tiny hand in his and squeezed it tightly. "You're my best friend, Shmuel," he said. "My best friend for life.”
Despite the fact that Pavel (the once doctor, turned house servant) cleans Bruno's wounded knee, Mother says that she did it so that Pavel won't be punished by the soldier for touching a non-prisoner.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Begin by establishing ground rules for respectful dialogue and emotional safety. This ensures students feel secure when sharing their thoughts and feelings about difficult topics.
Design questions that encourage critical thinking and connect the novel’s themes to students’ own experiences. This deepens engagement and personal relevance.
Ask students to support their ideas with specific examples from the story. This reinforces careful reading and textual analysis skills.
Listen actively and address emotional responses as they arise. This helps students process challenging content in a supportive environment.
Invite students to reflect on the discussion in writing or through art. This gives them a safe outlet to process and express their learning.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas explores themes such as innocence, friendship, boundaries, and conformity/obedience. These themes are shown through the experiences of Bruno and Shmuel during the Holocaust.
Use activities like storyboarding to help students identify and illustrate key themes. Encourage them to find examples from the text and write short descriptions explaining each theme's significance.
Innocence highlights how children like Bruno do not fully understand the horrors of war or the Holocaust. This contrast emphasizes the tragedy and impact of prejudice and violence on young lives.
Boundaries are symbolized by the fence separating Bruno and Shmuel, representing both physical and emotional divides created by war and prejudice.
Assign students to create storyboards or visual representations of motifs and symbols, such as the striped pajamas and the fence, and discuss their meanings within the story.