Lexi Reiser’s Reviews > The Boy in the Striped Pajamas > Status Update

“You’re my best friend Schmuel” [Bruno] said.“My best friend for life.” Schmuel may well have opened his mouth to say something back, but Bruno never heard it because at that moment there was a loud gasp from all the marchers who had filled the room…despite the chaos that followed, Bruno found that he was still holding Schmuel’s hand in his own and nothing in the world would have persuaded him to let go

(Talking to Schmuel)
“It’s so unfair” said Bruno, “I don’t see why I have to be stuck over here on this side of the fence where there’s no one to talk to and no one to play with and you get dozens of friends and are probably playing for hours every day.”

“All the people in the camp wore the same clothes…and all the people who wandered through his house…wore uniforms…What exactly was the difference? He wondered to himself. And who decided which people wore the striped pyjamas and which people wore the uniforms?”

“But I don’t understand,” said Bruno… “If you’re a doctor then why are you waiting on tables? Why aren’t you working at a hospital somewhere?”
Pavel hesitated for a long time before answering…
“Before I came here, I practiced as a doctor,” he said finally.
“Practiced?…Weren’t you any good then?”
Pavel smiled. “I was very good”

“Bruno remembered the moment his father made the signal…[Bruno] pushed his two feet together and shot his right arm into the air before clicking his two heels together and saying in as deep and clear a voice as possible…as much like Father’s as he could manage…‘Heil Hitler,’ he said, which, he presumed, was another way of saying, ‘Well, goodbye for now, have a pleasant afternoon.”