Ability to work unsupervised selection criteria examples

TheBoyinTheStripedPyjamas-EssayPrompt:JohnBoyneinvolvesthereaderin‘TheBoyintheStripedPyjamas’throughfeelingsofpathosforthecharactersinvolved.Discussthisstatementusingthreecharacters.“Whatexactlywasthedifference?Hewonderedtohimself.Andwhodecidedwhichpeopleworestripedpyjamasandwhichpeopleworetheuniforms?”.9-year-oldBruno,theprotagonistofthenovel,showsanumberofsentimentsinthenovel,andwasunafraidtoshowcasehisrawthoughts.Throughoutthenovel,anantithesisbetweentheemotionsofcharactersandtheongoingscenarioofthenovelisdepictedinfrontofthereaders.Theauthorhasdeftlyshowcasedtheapathyinthenovelbyevokingsentimentsthroughtheinnocenceofchildren.Thisisparticularlyseenthroughtheexpe-riencesofBruno,ShmuelandMaria.TheauthorcreateanantithesisbetweenthegruesomecontextandBruno’sinnocence,whichstimu-latesfeelingsofgriefandsorrowinthereader.Theprotagonist,Bruno,isthesonofaNazisoldier,butisanaïvechildwhodoesn’tseemtoevenbeabletopronounce“theFührer”and“Auschwitz”.Becauseofhispure,unaffectedworldview,hethinksofJewsasequals,ratherthaninferior.InChapter10,hemeetsShmuel,andthinksthat“hehadneverseenaskinnierorsadderboyinhislifebutdecidedthathehadbettertalktohim”.HisfirstthoughtstowardsShmuelhaveahintofpitybe-hindthem,whichalsoinfluencethethoughtsofthereaders.Byusingwordslike“skinnier”and“sadder”,theauthorusespathosinBruno’sthoughtstostirfeelingsofpityinsidethereader.Inthe20thchapter,BoyneshowsthetouchingbondbetweenBrunoandShmuelastheyobliviouslyenterthemostdreadfulexperienceoftheirlivesbysayingthat“BrunofoundthathewasstillholdingShmuel’shandinhisownandnothingintheworldwouldhavepersuadedhimtoletitgo”.Thean-tithesisbetweenthegruesomeeventandtheirheartwarmingmomentfurtherevokesfeelingsofgrief.BoynehasusedShmuelasthevictiminthenovel.HeusesShmuel’stragicexperiencestoevokepity.Shmuelis“theboyinthestripedpyjamas”,aprisonerkeptattheconcentrationcamp.Hehasbeenthroughtortureinhislife,andtheauthordepictsthelifeofayoungJewthroughhiseyes.InChapter13,Shmuelsaysthat“Therearen’tanygoodsoldiers”,speakingfromhisexperiences.Throughthis,JohnBoynetriestoimplicitlytellthereadersaboutthehorrorsofShmuel’slifebe-foreandduringhistimeatAuschwitz.Chapter18providesamoredetailedoverviewofShmuel’sthoughts,“Shmuelbithislipandsaidnothing.HehadseenBruno’sfatheronanynumberofocca-sionsandcouldn’tunderstandhowsuchamancouldhaveasonwhowassofriendlyandkind”.Inthisexcerpt,weseeShmuel’ssorrowashedrawsacomparisonbetweenBruno’sfather,theun-flinchingsoldier,andBruno,theunflinchinglykind-hearted.TheauthorusesShmuel’semotionstocompelthereadertothinkfromthepointofviewoftheonewhoenduressomuchpain.Maria’scharacterhasbeenusedtostiremotionaldilemmainthenovel.Hercharactershowcasestheconflictofthesilentones.MariaisthehouseservantinBruno’shouse,andhaskindlybeenre-cruitedbyBruno’sfatherfromayoungage.InChapter6,shetellsBruno,“Wemustalljustkeepourselvessafeuntilthisisallover.That’swhatIintendtodoanyway.Whatmorecanwedothanthatafterall?It’snotuptoustochangethings”.MariahasseenlittleempathyforJews,andbe-lievesthatifthereisnosuchthingisempathy,thenthereisnopointinvoicingoutherfeelingsforchange.Maria’sconflictbetweenbeingoutspokenandbeingsilentisportrayedthroughoutthenovel.BoyneusesMaria’semotionaldilemmatointriguethereader,andurgesthemtounderstandMaria’sconflictedview.
Alloftheseexamplesfurtheriteratetheauthor’susageofpathosinthenovel.BoynehasskilfullychosentotellthetakethroughtheeyesofBruno,theinnocent,Shmuel,thevictimandMaria,thesilent.Theiremotionsareusedtoweavethenoveltogether,andinducegrief,pityandsadnessinthereader.