We can probably assume that Bruno's parents were struck with unbelievable grief upon learning of their son's death in the gas chamber. Do you...

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas has become a very popular novel in recent years, partially due to its surprise ending. This ending, which combines situational and dramatic irony, is a particularly effective example of the aphorism “what goes around comes around.” In short, the son of a Nazi concentration camp commandant is killed along with other Jewish prisoners.

It’s interesting to wonder how the parents would have reacted to their tragedy over the course...

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas has become a very popular novel in recent years, partially due to its surprise ending. This ending, which combines situational and dramatic irony, is a particularly effective example of the aphorism “what goes around comes around.” In short, the son of a Nazi concentration camp commandant is killed along with other Jewish prisoners.

It’s interesting to wonder how the parents would have reacted to their tragedy over the course of time. Would they have repented of their role in the murder of so many innocent victims? It seems logical to think that their tragic experience would have changed their view of what they were doing. But how often is this really the case?

People don’t often change their worldviews, even when confronted with such a startling example of their error. It is more likely that the family would have become emotionally defensive, rationalizing their behavior and finding someone else to blame for what happened. It isn’t farfetched to think that they might have blamed the Jewish prisoners themselves, preferring to believe that their son had been victimized and tricked into his fate.

It is certainly possible that the boy’s mother and father might have viewed the incident as a sign that they should change their attitude toward their role in the Nazi efforts. Such things do happen—but it takes extraordinary courage to stand up to our failures in that way.