The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

by John Boyne

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Dramatic Irony 1 key example

Definition of Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and that of the... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a... read full definition
Dramatic Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Out-With:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas relies heavily on dramatic irony. In a work of fiction, dramatic irony occurs when the reader knows more about what’s truly going on in a story than its characters do. Aside from its final chapter, the entirety of this novel is written from the naive perspective of Bruno, a nine-year-old child. Bruno is old enough to be curious, but is also too young and sheltered to understand the horrors around him. This approach creates tension between the reader’s awareness of Auschwitz and the Holocaust and Bruno’s simplistic, often misguided interpretations of what the adults around him are doing.