Eight-year-old German boy relocated to occupied Poland with his SS officer father. Misinterprets a nearby extermination camp as a farm. Forms a secret friendship with Jewish prisoner Shmuel over a barbed-wire fence. Wears a stolen striped uniform to help Shmuel find his missing father, leading to their capture and death in a gas chamber.
Master and enslaved servant, highlighting the brutal power dynamics of the household.
Tutor and student, with Bruno resisting the hateful curriculum.
Siblings who experience the war environment differently, with Gretel becoming indoctrinated.
Mother and son, with the mother acting as a protective and morally conscious figure.
Son and father, bound by family ties but divided by the father's Nazi allegiance.
Explore the full interactive character relationship map of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas