For an author describing a subject as precarious and momentous as the Holocaust, perhaps the only adequate approach is through a fable, such as The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. In this novel, John Boyne creates main characters and a narrator who fit the criteria of a fable, among other fable-like subject choices. Through language and textual elements, Boyne weaves a veritable fable that successfully describes and universalizes a sensitive social subject. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay By creating characters who are vaguely described, who fit archetypes or stereotypes, and who participate in extraordinary incidents, this novel satisfies the main principles of a fable. The protagonist, Bruno, fits the "innocent child" archetype, while the antagonist, Lieutenant Kotler, fits the stereotype of a Nazi soldier but also resembles a folk tale villain. “He [Lt. Kotler] wore the same type of uniform as my father...and looked very serious. ...Bruno could see that he had very blond hair” (p. 19). Most of the characters lack definitive representations: for example, the real names of the mother and father are never given. Furthermore, the realistic probability that two protagonists from opposite ends of a social hierarchy would meet daily for almost a year, on the other side of a concentration camp fence, is very low. Nevertheless, “Every afternoon…Bruno would take a long walk…and talk with his…friend [Shmuel]” (p. 138). In light of the real social tensions that would have arisen, it is very unlikely that such circumstances would occur in reality. By describing the Holocaust through the eyes of an innocent child, unaware of the evil lurking in his society, in addition to making language choices appropriate for a child, John Boyne even created an innocent tone, close to a fable, which avoids addressing the historical and moral complexity of the Holocaust. Through the innocence and ignorance of the young narrator, the novel engages in child-friendly language and vocabulary that is almost naive in description. For example, Hitler is called "the Fury" (p. 3) and the concentration camp, Auschwitz, is pronounced as "Out-With" (p. 25). The text avoids the disturbing details of the Holocaust, instead delivering a short fictional story that views historical torture with a safe distance. Finally, Boyne is able to present the sensitive subject of the Holocaust by focusing on characters who do not have particularly clear historical models. . One aspect of a fable is the unmistakable appearance of fiction, and although the Holocaust is by no means a fictional event, the circumstances and characters in the text are fabricated; there is no evidence proving that Bruno or Shmuel ever existed. Furthermore, fables are not concerned with being realistic or accurate; instead, the topic is used to communicate a moral which, in this text, is "treat others as you would like to be treated." The ignorance and innocence depicted allows Boyne to hide details. For example, Shmuel is first described as “the dot that became a dot that became a drop that became a figure that became a boy” (p. 107). Crucially, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas includes subject choices that help keep the reader at a fanciful, fable-like distance. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a personalized essay using language and features.