A Brave And Honest Boy, Oliver Twist

Title : A Brave And Honest Boy, Oliver Twist (short story)
Author: Charles Dickens
Link : http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/47609/

I found this short story and I think this is good that there is Oliver twist short story. I read this book but not the entire of the story and I found the two different classes in this book so I choose Marxism theory to support my research but maybe when I already read the entire story I will have another theory.

Research

Title : A Walk in a Workhouse
Author: Charles Dickens


I will try to analyze this short story with Marxism theory, but it is possible I can find another theory in this short story.

I have just read it in general, and I conclude that it is about people who live in low class society in Victorian era, so that i use this theory.

Research

ooops i did mistake on my post before,so sorry miss i though only post the title,so i post it again

WAS IT A DREAM?

by: Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893)

The following short story is reprinted from A Selection from the Writings of Guy de Maupassant. Guy de Maupassant. New York: The Review of Reviews Co., 1903.

this short story from Guy de Maupassant tell about the story of life which the author ask the question about his life either is dream or not,such love story for me but i will read and analyze again..

the theory i will use is Romanticism,describe how the author's imagine in this short story.But it is possible if i read it again i will find another theory instead Romanticism

Social Class on The Boy in the Striped Pajamas through Marxism Perspective

Thesis Statement : The difference social class between Shmuel and Bruno is a part of marxisme.

i will analyze this book with marxism perspective, because it is interesting to know what happen on that era, and how it would be like if we compared with today (modern era)

Introduction: Short Story “On Going to Sleep“

Written by John Philip Sousa

Why am I writing this, it because I interest to tell about this short story contains and all values that we can get from this story.

I will analyze by the old culture and habit that a person on this story have done. And an old tradition.

This story include in old fashioned American humor. It because we can find some ridiculous things happened.

Taken from :

http://www.oldfashionedamericanhumor.com/on-going-to-sleep.html

The Door in the Wall

The short story that I will analyze is The Door in the Wall by H.G. Wells. The matter that I will concern is symbol in this story. I choose symbol because this story contain many interesting symbol to reveal. The method that I will use to analyze the symbols are:
First, I will read the story then I will try to find theme. Then I will start to identify the symbol, which contain in the story. Afterward, I will try to reveal the symbol true meaning with trying to relate it with the story theme.
Binar Pravitasari
0403508030

The Story of The Garden Party

Name : Nurul Annisa

THE GARDEN PARTY
The story of the Garden Party is written by Khaterine Mansfiled around 1922 will be used the literary devices is modernist mode by a structure and narrative. In this story tells the luxury life between the poor and rich people that give us explain that become more independent. The theory of the Garden Party is modernist theory.

Mini Research

For this mini research I'd like to use one of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes short stories in "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes" (short stories compilation). I haven't decide which story I want to criticize, but I may be choose "A Scandal in Bohemia" or "A Case of Identity".

The critical theory I will use is either Cultural Studies or Marxist literary criticism. The theme that I want to emphasize is the social and cultural condition of United Kingdom --- London, England specifically --- in Victorian era.

Book Review: The Magic Faraway Tree

In spite of science, sports, religion, etc. literary works are also taking major role in giving lessons to children. Seeing Horace’s notion as the essence of literature, “utile et dulce”, which means to entertain and to teach, literary works for children are meant to be functioned on that way.
Children have their most original imaginations at their childhood. They would be learning things, following things and doing things like what they have found in their surroundings, yet, they would be enjoying such things they are playing at. Like, for an example, children would be very happy when they found something in the garden, like, a ladybug or a butterfly. They would feel satisfied and try to recognize more of the things they have discover, while, in other side teenagers would see it rather boring or couldn’t take the part of its fun.
However, even if we know that children are likely to play, norms and values have to be set by those who are have enough ages. In similar words, it is the responsibility of the older ones to teach children directly so that children would understand good things to be followed, or things are all cruel to be done..
That is what can be taken from Enid Blyton’s “The Magic Faraway Tree”. Learning things and playing at the same time. The story goes on with five children with their adventurous trip to fantastic lands of with their friends who live in enchanted woods. We might find similar characteristics of the plot in L. Frank Baum’s “Wizard of Oz”, but, what makes it difference Blyton elaborates every children interest like, sweats, riding vehicles, role play, etc. instead of that, the emotion of the story are optimistic even the characters got into troubles.
Reading Blyton’s would help children discovering the warmness of friendship, responsibility in answering mistakes, manners and respect and helping others. These are things would be easily learnt by children when they are reading the book. Moreover, certainly children couldn’t help the fun in reading this when they start to thought of the fantasy lands like, land of magic, land of presents and more. Blyton also put the main lesson correctly which is, the role of parents who mentioned to be the one who can allow them to do or not and, yet reasonable whenever giving disallowance to the children. She, Blyton, also gave an example of cruelness and rudeness represented in various characters in the story.
Blyton was a British children author. Most of her works are involving fantasy world. She had been written 600 titles of her books and her works are popular in Britain and Australia. Blyton’s works decreased and declined when she suffered Alzheimer disease at the last few years of her life.
After reading this book, I don’t think the book would be enjoyable for teenager. As what had been elaborated earlier, inside the book would not be something that could trigger teenagers excitement like, magical wars, monstrous creatures or else. But, it would be fun for teenagers who still have their childish imagination and taste and, above all that, this book are particularly designed for young children. pull the a straight line from the latter, Blyton’s “The Magic Faraway Tree” would be a good choice to entertain and to teach children using literary work.

Book Review: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a novel which is written by John Boyne had been the trending book for the book lovers in its first publication in 2006. It is about Bruno, the naive boy who experiences a boredom after he comes with his family to move from Berlin to the new home called Out-With. He is not permitted to go out from the house by his parent. Even, actually he never knows the real reason why he and his family have to move from Berlin and go to the place which has no exploring and friend to talk to and play with. It makes a curiosity appears in his little heart.

Bruno decides that he has to have an exploring. So he tries to go out from the house secretly. He meets Shmuel, the boy in the striped pajamas he sees everyday in the distance from his room in Out-With. Both of them become friends. They share each other. Their friendship must be finished when Bruno decides to wear the same clothes with Shmuel and help Shmuel to find father. Not father they meet, but they have to be gathered and gassed in a special room.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is its title. By our logic, maybe we can guess that it is a children book. But, if we pay attention well to the short summary above, can we clear our head and guess one more time what it is actually? It is the world history which happened around 1942. John Boyne has been success to present the history, write it into a novel, bring it to the readers, and let them guess what he has already written actually. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has two reader targets: the first one is children and the second one is adult.

The first reader target is children. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas can be called as a children book because Boyne tries to show the real character of children. Bruno, in this novel is described as a child who is naive. Like the other eight years old boys, he always wants to know something he does not understand. Start with his curiosity about the real reason of moving to the Out-With, his way when he talks to the maid like he just imitates the way his Father spoke, and his boredom because there is no one to talk to and play with.

The way how Boyne uses Bruno as the main character in this novel shows the real character of children. Boyne really pays attention to the character of children and put it into his novel. It makes the children readers will feel the same with Bruno when they experience what Bruno experiences. The children readers think that what Bruno has done is true according to the situation around the Out-With. There is no an interesting exploring, so they will do the same like Bruno-trying something new. The children readers will be influenced by the plot of Bruno’s exploring. They will imagine how very interesting Bruno can go out from the house and make an exploring. This is one of the beauties of childhood. And it is also the first reason The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas called a children book.

Then, Boyne also tries to show the essences of friendship between Bruno and Shmuel. It is a very valuable friendship. Friendship which is done secretly behind Bruno’s parent has trained Bruno and Shmuel become very loyal. They share anything, like their own stories, foods, and much more. It creates three essences of friendship between them: mutual giving, mutual forgiving, and mutual willing to help each other. It is a good way to train them how to be the best friend for everyone.

Boyne’s way has made his novel become very valuable. In this way, children are the first target. The children readers will be influenced for the twice. They will know how to make a friend indirectly, and also know about the beauty of friendship. In the real life, it is very difficult to have a friend. Then when they already have, they will not make their friends be abandoned. It is a good way to train them how to be the best friend for everyone. Boyne has done it well. He tries to make many kinds of examples of valuable friendship between Bruno and Shmuel without let the children readers understand the real complicated conflict behind this. And the target is very clear.

Then, talking about the second target is more interesting. It is adult. They are only the book lovers who want to try to read the book without judge it by its cover. Like what is already mentioned above, the novel’s title is trying to bring us to the children life. But actually, it is not. It is good word choices for the title Boyne did. He is good in lying the reader about relation between the title and the content it self. It trains the reader to let them think about what the meaning of the title is, and what the story will be told. Then, from the title it self, why The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is called as an adult book starts to be seen slowly.

After that, Boyne has been success in using Bruno’s character for the twice. He is almost perfect when he tries to bring the readers into the Bruno’s adventure which actually leads us to the real conflict. Bruno with his naivete is boring with his new life in the Out-With. He starts to make his own exploring. Walking lonely has been done by him. His curiosity about the situation and condition around the Out-With sends him into the real adventure. Meeting with Shmuel is the amazing thing in his new life. They talk and share each other.

If we really pay attention to the conversation between Bruno and Shmuel, actually we are brought to the world history around 1942. It is about Nazi and its military internee. Bruno represents to the Nazi, and Shmuel represents to the Jew. Out side of their friendship, Nazi and Jew are enemies actually. This thing can answer the question why Bruno’s parent always tries to hide the real reason from him about their moving to the Out-With.

Besides that, during the conversation between Bruno and Shmuel happens, it shows the adult readers about the clue what Boyne has written in his novel. Bruno and Shmuel talk about their birthday, they have the same. They also talk about the place where they come from. In this part, they have difficulties in understanding the name of the places. The conversation continues until both of them show a symbol from each place. The interesting thing is that Shmuel knows who Bruno actually is. But Bruno never knows Shmuel deeper. His surroundings in the house avoid him to know.

This is one challenge from Boyne to the adult readers in guessing the Shmuel’s thought. Shmuel just says to Bruno that his place is not good. But he never tells the reason. Boyne wants the reader to guess it by their own way. This author let the reader’s thought growing up. If Bruno’s parent and Shmuel tell Bruno about the real condition, it is probably make Bruno does not want to make a friend with Shmuel. And there is not will be an amazing exploring between Bruno and Shmuel.

Boyne’s way in bringing the readers to the real conflict through the exploring and conversation between Bruno and Shmuel leads the reader to catch the message Boyne gives. It is also proven when finally both Bruno and Shmuel wear the same cloth in finding Shmuel’s father. What the Nazi had done to the Jew is seen clearly finally at the end of the novel. And it is what actually Boyne wants to show to the readers. Boyne uses the children’s perspective and character in leading the reader to the real message. Unlike what Boyne had done to the children readers, for the adult readers Boyne wants to make their thoughts growing up and catch the message be autonomous.

Finally, from the whole review, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas can be called as a novel which has two faces. When it is as a children novel, it tells the truth about the miracle of friendship. Then, when it is as an adult novel, it really trains the reader to have full concentration in getting the main spectacular point of the novel. It is not surprising that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is published in 42 languages and also has sold more than 5 millions copies. And Boyne has done it really well.

Sources:

http://www.johnboyne.com/about/

Wikipedia, the free ensiklopedia

Boyne, John.2006.The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. New York: David Fickling Books.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Review

John Boyne is an Irish novelist who was born on April 30th, 1971 in Dublin, Ireland. He has published eight novels, six for adults, and two for younger readers. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is his first novel for children which is published in 2006. This novel has been given awards such as Irish Book Award: People's Choice Award Book of the Year, Irish Book Award: Children's Book of the Year, and CBI Bisto Children's Book of the Year. The book’s cover is simple enough; it is just covered by the striped cover, just like the pattern of pajamas. And the colors are light blue and dark blue which mean the colors of pajamas that the boy in this novel wears. This is a fable –a story to teach a moral lesson. It tells about a naïve boy who finds something precious when he does exploring.

John Boyne is using the third person in this novel. The use of language in this book is not too heavy, other than that this novel is aimed to the young readers. But because the story is told by the perspective of a child who is aged 9 years old, so the reader must understand what he tells. For example, Out-With and the Fury, because of naivety and his mis-pronunciation, ultimately the reader must understand the meaning of his words. Boyne also said that this novel is a novel of misunderstandings and misperceptions.

The plot of this story starts with exposition. It is introduced when Bruno, a nine 9 years old young man, comes home from school; he sees Maria, his house maid, packs his wardrobe. He is confused about that, and then he asks what she has done with his stuffs. Suddenly Mother comes and answers Bruno’s question that is intended to Maria, Mother says that they will move somewhere soon because Father has obtained a new job which is very important to him, and actually Bruno does not know what kind of job. From this part, the narrator has introduced the characters and the situation.

The rising action is the event that makes tension. It occurs when Bruno actually cannot stand living in Out-With, and he really wants to go back to his old house in Berlin. He always argues with Father and Mother about that. And he suddenly remembers that he has not done exploring the Out-With yet, then he does it by himself. Finally, he meets a little boy, named Shmuel, who has the same age like Bruno. But there is something that differentiates them because they share their story each other with wire fence that border them. But that is not a problem for Bruno because he is happy enough when he can find a friend in Out-With finally.

After Bruno makes friend with Shmuel for a month, Shmuel says that his Papa has lost. Then, Bruno offers to help him, as well as exploring what happens actually in that fence. One way to get into the fence is Bruno must wear the same clothes like Shmuel and the other men wear. He does it before he is back to Berlin, and this is his last adventure too. Actually, this is climax, which is the greatest conflict of this story because after Bruno enters the camp, the soldiers forces the people who wear clothes like pajamas, including Bruno, go into a room, which is a gas chamber.

The falling action of this story is when the narrator says that Bruno and Shmuel are in the gas chamber with the last touching conversation at that moment. The narrator tells that Bruno does not what happens after he chats with Shmuel; he just says that Bruno hears a loud gasp from all the people who are with him in the room. Suddenly the room goes dark, and Bruno still holds Shmuel’s hand. From that words which the narrator says, we can conclude that Bruno, Shmuel, and the other men in that room are dead.

In this story, the resolution is when Bruno’s family does not know where he is. And it just reveals after many years when his father do exploring just like Bruno usually does previously. Once again, the narrator does not explain clearly that Bruno is really dead.

There are some characters in Boyne’s novel. Bruno is the main character in this novel; he is a naive boy because maybe he is just 9 years old, so he still does not know what happens to him and the environment surrounding him. He never knows his father's job; even when he and his friends while in Berlin talk about their fathers’ job, Bruno is the only one who cannot give an answer, all he can say is that his father is a man to watch, and Father thinks that The Fury has a big role in his mind. And he adds that his father has a very fantastic uniform too. Bruno says like that because when he asks his mother, she just says that Father’s job is a very important job that needs a very special man to do it. So far, he only knows that his father is a commandant because every soldier who comes to his house always calls his father commandant.

He has flat character because from the first of the story until the end, he is still naive. In his mind, there are just playing and exploring. He does not know how dangerous out there. Even at the end of the story, he does not know what the soldiers will do to him, and he also does not know who Father really is.

The other main character is Shmuel, a young Polish Jew who is found by Bruno when he explores outside his house in Out-With. Shmuel has the same age like Bruno. And when they share their story each other, Bruno shocks because they have the same birth date; that is on April 15th, 1934. Bruno thinks that they are like twins, but they are physically different, Bruno is bigger than Shmuel.

Even though Bruno and Shmuel have the same age, but Shmuel thought is more mature than Bruno. Shmuel can understand the situation around him because he and his family are taken from his hometown in Poland and treated inhumanly by the soldiers. And even though he knows that Bruno is the son of the Commandant who has imprisoned the Jews in the concentration camp, he still wants to be a good friend for Bruno. A few days after they are often met, Bruno find Shmuel was wiping a glass in his kitchen, Bruno is happy, but when he knows that Lieutenant Kotler does not like if Bruno is close to Shmuel, so Bruno does not admit that they do not know each other. Even so, Shmuel remain friendly and kind to Bruno. He does not grudge and anger against Bruno because he understands what Bruno feels.

Bruno is accompanied by his mother, his father, and Gretel. Mother is a faithful wife. She is a wife who is obedient to her husband because he was faithful to accompany her husband when assigned to another place. Even though she seems not too indifferent with her children, but actually she is a loving mother. Father is an assertive man because he is a commandant. Even though he is assertive, he still good to his family. Gretel is Bruno’s sister. She is 3 years older than Bruno. Bruno always calls her a Hopeless Case. She is a sister who is very annoying for Bruno because she is always bothers him. But, in fact she loves him very much because at end of the story, she cries when Bruno missing.

The setting of this story sets when the World War II in progress in approximately 1939 until the end of the World War II in 1945. Actually, World War II was a global military conflict. But in this novel, it happened in Germany when the Nazis controlled the country. Nazis believed that the supreme power was from Aryan and claimed that Germans represent the most pure Aryan nation. Besides that, Nazi also claimed that Jews were the greatest threat to the German race and Aryan nation, and Hitler believed that the Jews were a nation who caused the fall of Germany in World War I, and he also wanted to revenge to them by executing Jews in various ways, including sent them to the concentration camp to be drudged and gassed.

First, the setting sets in Bruno’s house in Berlin. The house in Berlin stands in a quiet street and beside the road, and then there are several big houses like his own. The situation is very pleasant if see the houses that are similar to his house with the other children, his playmate or his enemy, who live in it. This house is an enormous house, and there are nooks and crannies that he has not finished exploring yet. It has 5 floors if basement and a small room at the top floor are counted. There are also several shops, stalls, and any numbers of cafes.

After his father gets a new position that is given by the Fury, Bruno and his family move to the new house which is called Out-With, the house for their foreseeable future. Bruno wonders why that place is named like that, and the mother explains that it means the place that they live now. Even though Mother has explained about what Out-With means, but he is still curious about it because his house in Berlin does not have a name, and it is only called number 4. Finally, he asks Gretel, and she expects that the Out-With is "Out with the people who lived here before them". She adds that someone did not do a very good job and someone said out with him and let’s get a man in who can do it right. And that man is Father. He hates to live at his new house because it is opposite of his old house.

In around his house, there is a concentration camp to imprison the Jews. Actually, this is the true Out-With. There are a few shacks as a settlement of the Jews, and there is also a gas chamber to kill them. I can imagine that this place is really horrible, and full of sorrow. Even though the writer does not explain it clearly, but the readers will be able to imagine certainly the situation that happens there.

Actually since the beginning, Bruno has mis-pronunciation in utter Auschwitz as Out-With. Auschwitz is a concentration camp which is as a place to imprison the Jews. It is located in Poland. This is the place where the Bruno and Shmuel meet each other. Beside Out-With, he is also wrong to pronounce der führer as the Fury. Der führer means the leader in German. And at that time, the leader in Germany is Adolf Hitler.

This story actually teaches us that we should not treat others badly, because karma exists. For example, in this story, Father as a Nazi Commandant treat people as inhumanely, and finally he rewarded with Bruno’s death in which he kills the people who are innocent. Other than that, we should not select to make friends because friendship is not seen from the physical or economic class, but from the sincerity.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a controversial novel written by L. Frank Baum in 1900, presenting a fiction story of four characters trying to find their identities and get their wishes in the land of great wizard Oz. This novel is controversial because it contains dual meanings. Children can interpret it as a precious story of friendship with moral values, but at the same time, people, especially the novel observers, found political issues of Washington D.C in the era of 19th century inside it.


Baum himself first promoted his works by sending Father Goose, a collection of nonsense poetry, to one of book publisher companies in America in 1899. This book was accepted and it became the best-selling children’s book of the year. Getting the success, Baum then tried to publish a children novel titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to the same company having published his first work. And surprisingly, it became the most wanted novel for over two years and Baum’s name was rapidly recognized after that.


Seeing his experience as an expert children’s book writer, I do not have any doubt of Baum’s success in putting silently a political satire beyond the four main characters, Dorothy, Tinwoodman, Cowardly Lion, and Scarecrow. It could be considered as an achievement for it is not an easy job to create unique figures for children to represent important figures or persons in a real life. So, it is like combining two contradictory purposes in one beautiful case.


Baum started the story by telling a life of a little girl named Dorothy. She is a cheerful and tough girl. She is never bored or angry although her uncle and aunt in Kansas, the only family she has, never smile and rarely talk. She thanks God for having Toto and she is happy to play with it.


The conflict starts when Dorothy, together with her house and dogs, are brought accidentally by a cyclone to the land of the Munchkins and greeted by a good witch there. She is told by the witch to go to the Emerald City by following the yellow brick road and meet the great Oz if she wants to go back to her home. People in that land believe that Oz can solve any problems and grant any wishes for he is the greatest witch ever. Since then, she starts the journey, meets her three new unique friends, and leads them all to go to the Land of Oz.


Through Dorothy, we can see Baum’s way of conveying the deep role of the main character. He put a complicated situation for common children to her, but he made her able to face it all. Even a simple Dorothy is designed as a leader of the three persons in doing a challenging journey.


Dorothy’s patience, bravery, and wisdom are the most dominant elements readers can learn. This little girl motivates all people, especially children, to keep struggling for bad and good things and also smiling even in a complicated situation. She indirectly also encourages all people to dedicate themselves to the others and help each other for good. ‘Little thing can bring big thing’.


The other three characters whom Dorothy meets are also designed to have their own problems. Scarecrow is the first character having a problem of confidence and intelligence. He thinks he is a fool for he has no brain and does nothing but to scare the crows in the field. Tinwoodman is the second character having a problem of confidence and feelings. He thinks he is a heartless person for all he does is only chopping the trees off. And the last character having a problem of confidence and courage is Cowardly Lion. He thinks he is a coward and only able to roar. All of them finally join Dorothy to the Emerald City to ask for their wishes.


There are two repetitions the writer clearly made related to those three supporting characters. The first is the problem of confidence and the second is the things they want to achieve badly, brain, heart, and courage.


The repetition of the problem of confidence brings the readers to get an important message of being confident. It does sound simple, but from the story we can see that being not confident can be an obstacle for a person to make progress. Actually, the repetition is not really needed to state a single purpose, but because this novel is written for children, it can help them understand and remember the message easily.


Then, the repetition of the wishes is more like a clue for readers to figure out symbols or hidden meanings beyond Tinwoodman, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion. To affirm the possibility, there is an interpretation of Professor Quentin Taylor of Rogers State University stating that the characters in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz contain a symbol of Populist movement of 1890s against the economic policy at the time.


Populism itself is defined by the Cambridge dictionary as political ideas and activities that are intended to represent ordinary people's needs and wishes . If I relate it to the four main characters in this novel, there is a connection between the theory of Populism and its movement with them.


First, the four main characters are ordinary people, which mean they could be the representatives of Populists. Dorothy does not come from a wealthy family for it is explained in the novel that her house is small and her uncle and aunt only works as farmers. Scarecrow and Tinwoodman could not also be considered as elites for they work so hard inelegantly in the field and forest.


Second, all the characters have the wishes like the Populists had for real. ‘Brain’, ‘Heart’, and ‘Courage’ are the main symbols emphasized here. For example, ‘Brain’ is like an indirect complaint of Scarecrow or agricultural workers that they actually have brains to think for their own progress. Almost the same with ‘Brain’, ‘Courage’ is also like a proof of the Cowardly Lion or the important figure of Populist that he is actually able to bring his people to a better economic condition.


Basically, it is back to the readers themselves to choose whether to interpret the novel as a political satire or moral lesson, although many have said that it is truly an allegory. But overall, this novel has successfully presented both meanings perfectly without offending or judging the representatives of the figures in the real life too much. So, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is good for children to read and valuable as a historical document.


source :
http://www.usagold.com/gildedopinion/oz.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populism

Friendship in the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

John Boyne is an author from Dublin; he was born on 30 April 1971. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and studied Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. John Boyne is the author of eight novels, as well as a number of short stories which have been published in various anthologies and broadcast on radio and television. His novels are published in 42 languages. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is one of his novels that sold more than 5 million copies.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas that a novel created by John Boyne. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a novel that the stories tell about Bruno a boy that moves to Auschwitz because his father got a promotion as a commandant from the Fhurer, but theis stories I thought is more to tell about friendship Bruno and Shmuel. The novels plot is during the World War II. It when the Germany “NAZI” were reign over the German and they kidnapped the people of Jews that they are really – really hate. And in this novel is tell us especially me that I get from the novel is about a friendship that happened to those children Bruno and Shmuel. Which is they are had a different one and each other, especially on the background, Bruno is a son of a commandant of a “NAZI” soldier but Shmuel is a Jewish. Although they both had a different background they still had good relationship as a best friend that capable to do anything like sacrifices each other without any doubt.

The first friendship that the firstly when Bruno move to Auschwitz. It the first time Bruno meets Shmuel and become a friend. In this chapter we can look how they can intimate each other with a short conversation, and become the most conflict in this novel that make the novel great.

The second and the third are sharing and sacrifices that they do each other. That I mean with sharing each other is Bruno and Shmuel always can share anything like food and fun together. And also sacrifice each other like when Shmuel hungry or probably he is starving, Bruno try to brought some food from the house without knowing from his family and the people in that house. The other sacrifice that they both doing is when Shmuel looking for his father they looking for together, with Bruno agreed that he want to help to looking for Shmuel father and changing his cloth to a stripped pajamas, until they get in into a gas chamber that they don’t know because the rain and crowded people, they still try to help each other with holding hand one and other.

The character in this Novel they are Bruno as a main character and a major character, Shmuel as a second main character, his mom, dad, and sister Gretel and also a soldiers as a figurant in this story to make the plot more life. In this line I want to try to analyze about Bruno as a main character and as the most major character in the Novel. Bruno is an 8 years old boy growing up during World War II in Berlin with his loving family. His characteristic is looks like a usually boy in his age active, want to know something new, etc. but because His father is a high-ranking SS officer who after visited by the Fuhrer and his lover to his country, he is promoted to be a Commandant, and to Bruno's dismay the family has to move away to a place to Auschwitz. When Bruno gets there he feels a surge of homelessness after leaving behind his family, grandparents, and his three best friends for life. He is unhappy with his new home. Bruno is lonely and has no one to talk to or play with and the house is so small that there is no exploring to be done. In this story Bruno character is an important, because he is a main character that makes a conflict and the story keep going in the plot, with Shmuel they make the story more interest with the relationship and friendship that they show to us.

From the character that I see in this story about Bruno is, he is a pity child that causes moving home and separated with his friend and the people that he love in his old house. And he got a little happier after meet Shmuel even though they are have a deferent background they still can be friend, a best friend.

The last is the plot, the plot in this Novel is during a World War II when the Germany “NAZI” taking over the country. In that time the NAZI kidnapped all of the Jewish and make them to force to work without paying but they will be killed by the soldier if they can’t be useful anymore.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is teaching us many morality and value, like how the soldiers do to the Jewish at the time and also we can get a lesson from Bruno and Shmuel friendship and sacrifices. In this book I get we shouldn’t differences anything even the background of someone else.

Book Review The Boy in The Striped Pajamas

Habsari Banoewati

Book Review The Boy in The Striped Pajamas


John Boyne is the author of The Boy in The Striped Pajamas. He was born 30 April 1971 in Dublin. He is an Irish novelist who was studied in University of Anglia to fluent his writing. This is a fable book for children and published on 5 January 2006. He is the author of eight books and this book is the most well-known because has sold more than 5 millions copies worldwide, number one New York Times best seller, and a movie adaptation. The color of this novel are light blue and dark blue, it is the color of the striped pajamas so this is really matching.

The author had this idea of the story when he saw the two boys who talked each other and the limited by the fence. He knew that they are not belonging to it so after that he started to write about two boys. The theme of this book is lonely boys who really naïve because of the loneliness that makes them think this life is a game but the truth is reality. The author used third person to tell the story. It is for show the views of children about what happen in life. He used the main character views to see what happen around him. From that children’s eyes, the reader would know how naïve they are from the experiences that they going through.

The plot of this story starts from the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and at the end is resolution. The exposition of the story starts from when the narrator introduces the main character, Bruno, and other characters that close with him such as Maria, mother, Gretel, and father. It is also tell the background of the story that they are family who lived in Berlin and want to move to Out-With because of the father’s job. From this situation, it shows that too bad Bruno would lose his happiness and there’s no fun in new house.

The rising action of this story shows the conflict between Bruno and his father and because of that, Bruno decided to make exploration by him self and meet Shmuel. The first meeting of these two little boys is really cute with how they introduce their self and tell about what the experience they had have. The author makes like this for the reader to smile when they read it and how nice really nice this young boy.

This climax can makes the reader felt tense that they will have trouble in there and Bruno who is not the part of the Jew is involved too. During Bruno and Shmuel finding papa, it makes wondering that Bruno can go back to his home and be normal again before the reader know the final of the story.

The falling action of this story is the narrator reveals the death of these two boys. This is really a tragedy because at the first the narrator brings the reader to the happy friendship but at the end, the story makes the reader felt very sad about their death that this is not suppose to happen with them. The resolution of this story is making the reader first know the situation of the two boys than Bruno’s family and all the soldiers and it makes more sad because they don’t have any idea where the boy gone.

The setting of this novel is historical setting. It is set in Germany when the country ruled by the Nazi from the early 1930s until the end of the World War II, 1945. Nazi is a German fascist party, led by Adolf Hitler. They promise the people of German to become powerful again after their defeat in face World War I. The desire to form a master race that would rule the world and fight any influence from any peoples who are not part of “pure” descent, such as Jews. These people were sent to the concentration camp to be in slave and finally executed.

There are three setting in this novel which are greatly affect the characters such as Bruno’s Berlin house, Out-With house, and the camp behind the fence. First Bruno’s Berlin house which makes him and family felt comfortable because there are 5 floors, very clean house and usually Bruno’s best friends like to play in it. Second is house in Out-With house which is Bruno very hate it because he has no friend at there and more dirty that makes him got lice in the hair. The real name of Out-With is Auschwitz, it is in Poland and place when the camp took place. The camp behind the fence is very terrible place because there were so many men in stripped pajamas and boys also, they look so thin and not healthy. This place is the place how Bruno and Shmuel met and what they have done such as talk each other and have adventure.

Bruno is the main character in this novel. The author makes his character static because from the first until the end of the story he is still very naïve because first, he just know that his father is a good soldier but the truth is he is a commandant who have rule in Out-With or camp of Jew so he is not a good guy. Second, he likes do what he like such as make an adventure to find Shmuel’s papa that he should wear stripped pajamas. From that moment he doesn’t know what will happen to him or what kind of trouble that he possible gets. It is for the reader to feel pity to him because he is very innocent and because he is from rich family, who sometimes get spoiled so he doesn’t know the reality, only know about game of adventure that he likes to do. This round character because from the beginning until the end of the story the narrator tells about Bruno that makes the reader know all about him.

Shmuel is Bruno’s new best friend in Out-With. He is static character too just like Bruno who still naïve because he doesn’t know that Out-With is a camp for Jew because all the Germans hate them. All he knows his family and he forced to get into the camp and have so many hard times such as become one of those slaves and wear striped pajamas. He also doesn’t know that papa is already dead because all he knows is his father is gone and Bruno should help him to find papa. This is Flat character because the author makes it start from chapter 10, not from the beginning.

This story has moral lessons that the reader should understand because it could happen in real life. Become naïve is not a good thing that we could fall into dangerous things. We have to realize that reality is not always nice and so we should avoid those bad things. We should listen to our parent about bad things that we must avoid it. Besides naïve is not good, according this story, naïve could makes a good friendship between two characters who from different class that there’s no difference between them. The friendship that they did, we can know that there’s no difference because all people are same and we should be friend with anyone as long as they nice to us. So we should be more careful in this life and we should have so many friends from any classes, culture, and many more.

The Old Man and The Sea

The novella of The Old Man and The Sea, it is written by Ernest Hemingway. This fiction novel was published in 1952 by one of United States journalist Ernest Hemingway. He is a novelist, short story writer and a journalist. He was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, in a suburb of Chicago, and died at the age of 61 on July 2, 1961. Hemingway was the first son and second child of six children born in the family of Clarence Edmonds ("Doctor Ed") and Grace Hall Hemingway. Hemingway's father was a doctor. Hemingway is come from a quite wealthy family from the side of his grandmother. His love life is like up and down, from a nurse to the catholic woman, to the best maid, and last with the war correspondence. He pour his story life into various short story.

The Old Man and The Sea is the 7th titles from Hemingway's novellas. It was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. It is being created when Hemingway was in Italy in somewhere fishermen village. There is one old fisherman than amaze him. That is the time when he got the idea to write the novel of The Old Man and The Sea. The characters are Santiago the old Cuban fisherman, Manolin the young boy, Marlin the big fish, and the sea. The characters themselves are complementary content of this novel. Where Santiago the fisherman who is very persistent wanted to capture Merlin a big fish in the Gulf Stream. Manolin itself is the character of a boy who had been Santiago's student. He admires Santiago's personality. Meanwhile the sea is the most powerful character because most of the story occurs in the sea. Most of the setting of this story is the sea, then the beach and the Santiago's shack. The plot of this story is the narrative structure. Where the story is divided into five sections. These parts are: exposition (of the situation), rising action (through conflict), climax (or turning point), falling action, and resolution.

The story itself bringing inspiration about life. This novel brings the story of how the life of a fisherman at sea. These stories were really showed persistence of a fisherman in fishing. How difficult to maintain our balance in catching the fish and bring it to the beach. I personally liked this novel because it taught me to always try, and never give up, because there will always a chance for humans to prove that he or she is able to achieve their goals in life.

First in this novel Hemingway introduced us with Santiago and Manolin, and describing the life style of Santiago. On how people always look down on Santiago and mocking him. Santiago, an old man who haven't catch any of fish in 84 days. Later on, it continue to the time on the 85th day when Santiago decide to sail more further to the sea to catch Merlin, this part is the rising action. The time when Santiago found Merlin and struggle as hard as he can be, to catch and brought the fish to the beach. Poor Santiago, the climax occurs when the sharks smells the blood from Merlin’s body in the water, and they starting to banging the skiff, and eating Merlin’s flesh. In this moment Santiago have to fight against the mad sea, and fight for his life againts the sharks. Soon after the sharks went away (falling action) Santiago keep on his way back home with only left the head of Merlin on his skiff. The resolution ended when he arrive at his shack and Manoli amaze with what he had done, bringing the Merlin down to the beach.

What a persistent and strong spirit of Santiago in catching Merlin. From my point of view the author's perceptive about this story is moralist. “Many poets have strong ethical or religious convictions, but the moralist critic usually has a broader interest. Literature has a humanizing or civilizing mission, and the critic values work which furthers that end : promotes tolerance, social justice, sensitivity to individual wishes and talents, etc” (http://www.textetc.com/criticism.html).

From the very start until the end of the story, it tells about man's courage and high spirit. The characters, setting, and the plot also beautifully mixture in this simple short story, that can be delivered easily to the common people. This makes me think and understand the meaning of the moral message conveyed by Hemingway from my own perspective. The moral to never give up of anything in this life, nothing is impossible, so that we also can learn great moral from this story. All I can say that Hemingway has been succeed create this novel as a great dish for me, with the details of sea journey, with his experience in the fishermen village, all those pieces are combine into a nice short novella.

First Scribner trade paperback edition 2003.

ISBN-13 : 978-0-684-80122-3

ISBN-10 : 0-684-80122-1

The Opposite of Fate Review

Binar Pravitasari
0403508030
Amy Tan is an Asian American writer. She had born on February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California, United State. She had born into Chinese immigrant family. Her father is John Tan, an electrical engineer and Baptist minister and her mother is Daisy Du. Tan is middle children and the only daughter among Daisy and John Tan’s three children.
After her father and her big brother pass away in same year, Tan’s mother brings Tan and her little brother, John.jr move to Switzerland. Amy finished her senior high school in Switzerland. After graduating from her senior high school, Amy Tan taking English and Linguistic major in Berkeley University and get her Bachelors Degrees and she get her Master Degrees from San Jose University. Amy Tan is specialized in fiction story, however in this book, she not writes such of fiction story like usual.
The Opposite of Fate seems like Amy Tan autobiography instead of fiction novel, which Tan usually write. It tells about Tan experience in her life. She talks about her personal life, her family and her friends. Tan also revealed her feeling during she write her first book, which become one of the best seller in the world, “The Joy Luck Club”. In this book, Tan trying to share her joy and sorrow in her life.
On this book, Tan use first person point of view. He used “I” and “me” as narrator. Maybe as Tan’s expect, her choice to use first person point of view make the reader more understand her feeling. With her first narrator point of view choices, Tan success to grasp her reader and bring them into her story. It is very helpful to lead the reader into deeper understanding so that the reader can really understand about Tan feeling.
On this book, she also writes her thinking about literary work. In one of title in this book Amy Tan describe her disappointment about literary works judging. According her, many literary criticisms in America has marginal point of view to judge some works. She show her disagreement about them who pretending know much about the contains of works more than the author itself.
In summary, The Opposite of Fate is Tan work which different from others work that she ever wrote. This book tell about Tan experience which will be the main based of her works. This book very helpful to more comprehend Tan works because in this book Tan also reveal why she make a story and what her true intention.

Truth Behind ‘Boy in the Striped Pajamas’

Boy in the striped pajamas is the book from John Boyne which tells the story about a boy from SS commander named Bruno who is made his journey to new house and meet new friend from other parties, both of them came and lived from different background. John Boyne is a man who born on 30 April 1971 in Dublin and he was an Irish novelist, and he was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and studied Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, where he was awarded the Curtis Brown prize, prize for the best novelist in the university. In this chance I will review against this book from my point of view which tell detailed meaning and values from the content, also I will explain it more detail some elements in this book such as theme,plot,character,conflict,and setting.
The theme of this book is about a father of Bruno who never really care about his children, he only care about his job as a commander of SS special forces under The fuehrer Hitler command, his arrogance lead him to his son death and friendship between Bruno and Shmuel.The story itself takes a place at world war II on Germany when the Jews took by German army to work at a camp as slaves. The theme I took as I try to looked from Bruno’s father point of view which he decide to move from old town to new town in Berlin, he choose to bring all his families without known that he made a wrong decision which only bring misery to his families by his son death and his wife alongside with Gretel the daughter who wants to go back to old town. What I means, it should not happen if the father choose to keep his families in old town and he is moved to new town in Berlin not for vacation but for his duty to Fuhrer, Hitler so it is wise to keep the families away as ‘Valkrie’ story that colonel Staufenberg sent his families away from him to keep in safe.
The decision he choose made him arrogant and more important in new town, he didn’t really care with his families, as a father he must know the consequences moved his family to new town, especially his son Bruno loved to explore new areas. With this reasons, he should pay more attention to his families rather than his duty for fuhrer, and with his indifference behaviour with his families lead him to biggest regret when his boy Bruno explore the other ‘world’ behind the fence and died in vain as he died by a gas from SS soldier, and again it should not happen if his father known well about Bruno and his behaviours
Theme of friendship as innocence of kids between Bruno and Shmuel made a bound without known each background and the situation around, Bruno’s mind only want to play and explore new areas by meet friends and Shmuel also though same things even his life more terrible than Bruno, but friendship never looked the background or the social class. Friendship between Bruno and Shmuel keep remained strong even when the death came to them in the chamber, both of them keep holding on each other until they died. Also the author try to made a point that people from different parties, groups or races can be joined together as a friend, families or teams, this I can saw on friendship between Bruno and Shmuel which both of them comes represent NAZI and Jews with their symbols that hold in their hands, The author brave enough for me as the history told that NAZI and Jews hard to work together as a teams.
However I might told that The title ‘boy in the stripped pajamas’ was a symbol of prisoner and a symbol of friendship as a stripped pajamas means a colour of the shirt and the pant, the colour pattern of pajamas usually in different colours, but in other means it is not only a pajamas,but I can identified it as prisoner clothes and this meaning also supported by the fact that the clothes was used by Shmuel a Jews kid and others prisoner even the author didn’t mention about prisoner clothes, he only mention a person with stripped pajamas and he might try to told the reader from the point of view of Bruno with his innocence as a ten years old child. And also symbol of friendship as Bruno try to used the same clothes that Shmuel wearied to enter the other sides of the fence to met the other friends is possible and want to know the Shmuel village, he used it without known the consequence, he just want to made his friendship bound between him and Shmuel more stronger than ever.
Before I moved on to others elements will explain about the plot in this novel. Plot as my knowledge consist into several phase, there are resolution, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution in the end. First is resolution or the beginning of the plot, in this novel the author began by introduced Bruno and his families also the processed before they moved on to new place, ‘out with’. Then is rising action which is a part on the plot where the situation and the tension on it became more higher than before, rise for a reason and in this novel the phase began when Bruno started to explored the areas outside his house as he tried to found new friend to get away his boredom in a new place situation, ‘out with’.
Third phase is climax which the situation or the tension gets on the peak, the highest level of the plot in a novel. And this was shown when Bruno and Shmuel made the bound of friendship without known the consequences, both of them ignored the fact that they are came from different background and races. After climax, there is falling action phase which shown by the swiftly decreased after being on the peak at the climax phased, the plot began to neared the end and it shown on the part when Bruno for his friendship with Shmuel, decided to went over to other part of the fence with his innocence that he believed found a new friends over there and play games with them, looked like irony. And the last phase is resolution which the final phase of the plot where the question ‘what happened then?’ answered in this final phase, this was shown on the part when Bruno and Shmuel died without both of them known that was a consequence of their friendship, and left misery for families of Bruno, his father felt regret and both mother with Gretel went back to Berlin with pain as they both miss Bruno presence.
There is no plot or story without characters on it and in this novel I found many characters and I will just mention some characters that influenced most on the whole story and my knowledge on characters is not only about their characteristic but also about some elements like dynamic, static, round, and flat. First is Bruno, a son of SS commander who had a sister named Gretel and a mother, Bruno is a ten years old child with his innocence and his hobby was explore new areas, his innocence as a kid lead him to his death but Bruno also had strong sense about friendship, he never want to part away from his friend and if he had a friend he will do anything for keep his friendship’s bound forever if possible. Bruno considered his sister as ‘hopeless case’ as he always mocked by his sister and her friends, also his sister rarely to had conversation.
Bruno was a main character on this novel besides his father and Shmuel, Bruno’s character on this novel was round and dynamic as for the first time in new town he whined to come back to old town but when he met new friend, Shmuel, he made decision to stay in new town, Berlin to keep his friendship bound. And as the story on this novel can saw Bruno’s innocence as kid when he talk with some old people like his mother, father, Gretel and Lieutenant Kottler.Bruno influence whole story as the story began from his life before until his death, and if we look more, we can felt sad emotion as his innocence lead him to his death and what he only think is about friendship. From Bruno character I believe the author try to remind parents all over the world to watched their children very well, especially when their children still young enough to learn about the situation around or face the world.
Next is Shmuel,a Jews boy who had been prisoner on Jews camp, his presence on the middle of the story influence and change Bruno mind to went back to old town, but also his presence lead Bruno to his death.Shmuel and Bruno had same in common on age and same time when both of them borne to the world, what made them different is only the fate that both of them borne on different background and class social, also on the different parties as Shmuel represent Jews and Bruno represent NAZI, but it not hold their friendship,Shmuel from beginning afraid to be friend with Bruno began to forget about it as Bruno insisted to became a friend of Shmuel.
Shmuel on some conversation explained the situation in his village to Bruno, but he can’t believe it and insist Shmuel to take him to the village to play and meet new friends without know the real situation, and unfortunately he come not in the good situation, but he come for his death.Shmuel even had terrible fate than Bruno but he still a kid with his innocence and Shmuel character is round and static as he from beginning doesn’t want to be friend of Bruno but he forget it and he changed his mind again when he was yelled by lieutenant Kottler on Bruno’s house, but he change it only for a while as the day after it he took Bruno to his village. From Shmuel presence I saw that the author try to describe to the reader the cruelty of German armies and SS to the Jews on that time, also from Bruno and Shmuel presence I saw Marxist theory about class social, and the author try to denied it with indirectly statement from the novel that class social not limit the value of friendship, they can be friend even from different background and class social.
Next is Bruno’s father whose his name not mention in this novel, Bruno’s father is a man of honour and full of dignity, he sworn to protect his country and NAZI with his life, he showed it with his dedication to his duty and his loyalty to the fuhrer,Hitler.And with these characters he had, his relation with his families was in question as he focus on the duty without known well about his families which lead Bruno to his death and his wife alongside with Gretel moved back to old town. Bruno’s father was strong person with big influence since he was a commander of SS a special forces under fuehrer command, his soldier love him also with his right hand lieutenant Kottler.Bruno’s father character is flat and static which from beginning of the story he never changed his mind and plan to move to new town, from Bruno’s father presence, the author try to describe a figure of a strong person as he was a commander of SS,but even the strong person can do a mistake and had biggest regret.
The conflict in this novel located on some part of the story, as the conflict between Bruno and Gretel, Bruno and his parents, Kottler with Jews people. The conflict on this novel more directly to the races and argumentation as I can said that is identity conflict between Jews and Nazi took example on conflict between lieutenant Kottler and Jews people like Shmuel and Pavel,i can saw the power of NAZI influence his character when both Shmuel and Pavel followed his order, they followed his order because they both feared and slaves on that time, the only slaves on that time are Jews people so lieutenant Kottler threat them like an animal even Shmuel still a boy, he doesn’t care as they both are Jews people.
And the conflict between Bruno and his families only for the matter of different opinion, made an argumentation on it and Bruno can accept it even for the first time he not took it very well, but as a time passed he met new friend,Shmuel he can forget about his old town.however,from conflict in these novel I can saw values about humanity and situation on that time by looks from Bruno and saw how he talk with his families and express what he felt directly to his parents and sister as his innocence influenced him also and questioning the humanity on that time.
Setting on this novel took a place on old Germany on world war II situation, and in the situation where Germany kill or captured Jews people to brought to Jews camp and became slaves, The situation took two places on Berlin and new town named ‘Out With’ with difference between these two places, if in Berlin the place describe as beautiful town and peaceful then vice versa in new town.
In new town I can imagined this place like a hell like Alcatraz prison, When the situation describe with sharp fence around to kept the prisoner inside and a building with a chimney that expel the black smoke, then the prisoner in the camp work every day as they are slave and describe the cruelty of NAZI on that camp. Also I can saw the fence as a symbol that separated between the camp and Jews village, on the Jews village looks almost same like in the camp, this village occupied by German armies and kill Jews people like they killed an animal. And Bruno’s new and old house looked different as old house showed more elegant and decorated enough than in a new house looked more terrible with bad sense of decoration and colour as in some part of this novel mention that new house was dark, new house looked more like barrack for soldiers.
These are elements on the ‘boy in the stripped pajamas’,above all me in some points agree with the author and not in the others point,i agree with the point in how NAZI treated Jews on that time, moral values behind friendship, and relation between Bruno and his families. And I disagree with the point that the author really judge NAZI and German armies with their cruelty, perhaps the history mention that too but the fact is not like that, NAZI not do like people known as holocaust or genocide, is only engineering work from Jews to get attention from the world, NAZI the fact just rid Jews from their land. And the author for me try to told the reader about a history and moral values about friendship,humanity,and families relationship through Shmuel and Bruno, and the author with his own language really do well to sent his message to the readers.
In summary the whole story told about friendship,humanity,and families relationship through Bruno and Shmuel lives on world war II situation, so from this book review I mention I want to told the reader what moral values inside this novel and we can saw it on conflict and some conversation, then the people itself like Bruno and Shmuel are the symbols of friendship between two different background, social class and races denied Marxist theory about social classes and I want to mention that there is a deconstruction on this novel on the cruelty of NAZI and German armies which is not the fact I knew from my knowledge, there is no genocide or holocaust and it is only engineering work from Jews to put all the blames to NAZI and German armies. So I believe the reader can know more about this book by read it and took moral values for life, believe what you believe and keep in faith on what you have like Michel Foucault mention about the power of knowledge.