The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
by John Boyne

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

Chapter 18
Explanation and Analysis—Bruno and Shmuel:

When Bruno puts on the camp uniform Shmuel brings him, he and his friend suddenly look almost identical. The situational irony in this passage highlights the frailty of the imaginary distinctions the Nazis imposed during the Holocaust:

It was quite extraordinary. If it wasn't for the fact that Bruno was nowhere near as skinny as the boys on his side of the fence, and not quite so pale either, it would have been difficult to tell them apart. It was almost (Shmuel thought) as if they were all exactly the same really.