Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, The Page #3

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Come on.

Let's get to bed.

"The Jew slandered us

and incited our enemies.

"The Jew corrupted us

through bad books.

"He mocked

our literature and our music.

"Everywhere, his influence

was destructive,

"the eventual result of which

was our nation's collapse,

- "and then..."

- Yes, Bruno.

I don't understand.

A nation's collapse

is all down to this one man?

The Jew here

means the entire Jewish race.

If it had been just one man,

I'm sure something

would've been done about him.

There is such a thing as a nice Jew,

though, isn't there?

I think, Bruno,

if you ever found a nice Jew,

you would be

the best explorer in the world.

Continue, Gretel.

"The aim of the Jew

is to become the ruler of humanity.

"The Jew is not creative,

but destructive.

"He is the enemy of culture.

"Thousands of Germans

have been made poor by the Jew."

Master Bruno.

What are you doing? You've just

had your lunch, haven't you?

I was going for a walk,

and I thought I might get peckish.

But don't make a mess of your satchel.

Bring it here.

- I'll wrap it properly for you.

- No. It's none of your business.

Bruno, what is it?

What are you doing with your satchel?

Herr Liszt gave us some books.

I'm going out on the swing to read.

- Let me see.

- What?

- The books.

- No.

Bruno, I just want to see

what books Herr Liszt has given you.

- I told a lie.

- What?

I've just got

adventure books.

Go on. Off you go, then.

Now, Maria,

there's two extra for supper tonight.

The Kommandant's father will be here,

and I believe

Lieutenant Kotler is joining us.

Here.

What's the matter?

- Don't throw it back.

- What? Why not?

- It's dangerous.

- Dangerous?

It's just a ball. Come on.

Do you not like playing?

- Just not ball games?

- Not here.

- Tell me how the number game works.

- I told you, it's not a game.

We just all have numbers.

Shmuel!

Bruno! What are you doing?

My ball went over.

I was just getting it back.

They smell even worse

when they burn, don't they?

What?

But, surely you...

Elsa, I was sworn to secrecy.

- From your own wife.

- Yes.

I took an oath upon my life.

Do you understand?

Elsa, you believe in this, too.

- You want this country to be strong...

- No, Ralf, no! No, not that!

How can you...

- Because I'm a soldier.

- How can you...

- Soldiers fight wars.

- That isn't war!

It's a part of it! It's a vital part of it!

The Fatherland we all desire,

all of us, you included,

cannot be achieved

without work such as this!

- Elsa. Elsa.

- Get away from me! Get away from me!

Grandpa's here.

- I don't believe this.

- Grandpa's here.

We'll be through in a moment.

Who told you about this?

How's Grandma?

She's a bit under the weather,

I'm afraid.

It's a shame, she was so much

looking forward to seeing you.

- Perhaps next time, if she feels up to it.

- Absolutely.

You know, Ralf,

your mother really is sick.

She's been talking about this visit

for weeks.

Maybe that's what's made her sick.

So, your father tells me

that you've got a tutor.

Yes. He's nice.

But he won't let us read

any adventure books.

All we do is boring, old history.

Let me tell you something, young man.

If it wasn't for history, we wouldn't

all be sitting around this table.

The work your father is doing here,

history in the making.

When I was your age, history was

my favourite subject by miles,

which obviously

didn't please my father.

Why not?

Well, he was a professor of literature

at the university.

Really, does he still teach?

- I don't really know.

- You don't know?

We're not in touch, my father and I.

He left the country some time ago.

Really, when?

About four years ago,

Herr Kommandant.

But surely he can't be very old.

What is he, still in his 40s, late 40s?

Where did he go?

Lieutenant Kotler,

your father, the professor of literature,

where did he go?

I believe it was Switzerland,

Herr Kommandant.

How strange that he should choose

to leave the Fatherland

at the very moment it needed him most.

Just when we're all required

to play our part in the national revival.

More wine!

What reason did he give?

Was he tubercular?

Did he go there to take the air?

I'm afraid I really don't know,

Herr Kommandant.

You'd have to ask him.

Well, that would be rather difficult,

wouldn't it?

With him being in Switzerland.

Come on!

What's the matter with you tonight?

Yes, perhaps that was it.

Perhaps he was ill.

Unless, of course,

he had disagreements.

- I mean, with government policy.

- One hears of such men.

Disturbed, most of them,

or just plain cowards.

- Even so, all of them traitors.

- Absolutely right.

Presumably,

if that was the case with your father,

you will have informed your superiors,

as is your duty.

Lieutenant Kotler!

You cretin Jew! Filth!

Ralf!

Jew!

- But Dad just sat there.

- What did you expect him to do?

The Jew deserved it.

Can I ask you something

about the farm?

Bruno, you don't still think it's a farm,

do you?

It's a camp. What's called a work camp.

For Jews, obviously.

Just Jews?

Because they're the best workers?

They're not in there

because they're good, silly.

They're no good at anything.

They're in there because they're evil.

- They're the enemy.

- The enemy?

- But I thought we were fighting...

- They're evil, Bruno.

Evil, dangerous vermin.

They're the reason

we lost the Great War.

Haven't you been listening to anything

Herr Liszt has been telling us?

No. Not really.

Dad's not horrible, is he?

He's a good man.

- Of course, he is.

- But he's in charge of a horrible place.

It's only horrible for them, Bruno.

We should be proud of Dad,

now more than ever before.

He's making the country great again.

Like you say, they're a bit strange.

A bit...

Well, they're different.

They're the enemy, Bruno.

Evil, dangerous vermin.

Well, you see,

they're not really people at all.

What are you doing here?

They wanted someone with tiny fingers

to clean all these.

We're not supposed to be friends,

you and me.

We're meant to be enemies.

Did you know that?

Do you want some?

- What's your dad like?

- What's he like?

Is he a good man?

You've never thought he wasn't?

And you're proud of him?

Aren't you proud of yours?

Is it really horrible in the camp?

How dare you

talk to people in the house.

How dare you!

Are you eating?

Have you been stealing food?

- Answer me!

- No, sir. He gave it to me.

He's my friend.

What?

Little man,

do you know this Jew?

Do you know this Jew?

No, I just walked in,

and he was helping himself.

I've never seen him before in my life.

You, finish cleaning the glasses.

When I come back,

we'll have a little chat

about what happens to rats who steal.

Come away.

New arrivals here are happy

to discover that life in the camp

is not all work.

And that there's

ample opportunity for leisure also.

At the end of their day

at the ironmongery

or the build or boot factory,

the workers can enjoy

the many forms of pastime

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