Sunday, August 28, 2011

Chapter 4


  1. (pg 31) How does the author continue to use juxtaposition in regards to the two housing situations? (the Jews and Bruno's family)

    Bruno's old house was big, and fun to be in, and had heaps of space. But when Bruno looks out the window to the Jew's houses/huts, they were only one story tall, and they weren't close together and they didn't look very friendly. In Berlin, Bruno had freedom, but here it feels like he was trapped behind the tall fence.
  2. What is it about the children that makes it difficult to understand exactly what they see through the window and just how bad it is?

    The narrator doesn't describe them very well, you don't know what they look like, what there wearing, why there there and if there actually Jew's or not. There's no description.
  3. Summarise how Gretel describes what she sees.

    She sort of focuses on the land more than the people. She see's a table where she can read in the sun and flowers and makes you feel like that its not so bad. But then, when she looks past the fence, there's no grass, no flowers, and makes the reader feel dark and cold. she see's huts in the distance, and buildings and that there is a 'sand like substance'.
  4. What does Gretel attempt to do when she sees the Concentration Camp? How does she attempt to understand what she sees?
    She squeezes her lips and squints her eyes to make her brain work better.
  5. Is her attempt successful? Does she convince Bruno that she understands? What does she eventually give in to? What does she say/or not say? (pg 32)

    She almost convinces Bruno that it is the country side, that there are farms out here and this could be there holiday house. But then Bruno starts to ask questions about if this was a farm, where were the animals, where were the plants, the food and that the land isn't good enough to be growing crops. She gives into Bruno's statements that she is wrong and she agree's with him.
  6. What can't the children do when they see the Concentration Camp that the adults seem to be able to do? Which group can understand what they see? Why do you think that this is the case?

    They can't shout at them or push them around, they don't have to wear those PJ's and they don't have to carry spades and shovels. It separates the groups like a hierarchy, the adults are at the top, Bruno and Gretel are in the middle, and at the bottom are the boys and men in the PJ's
  7. How does the author use understatement through the children's description of the Concentration Camp?

    He shows that the children don't really know what's going on, it sort of lets the reader know that this could be a concentration camp, but your not really sure until Bruno see's the PJ's

Chapter 3


  1. Describe how Bruno and Gretel's relationship is introduced in the chapter. 
    Bruno and Gretel's relationship is introduced by the narrator describing how Bruno feels about his sister and how he is secretly scared of her. Gretel's feelings is that Bruno is annoying and whiny.
  2. List quotes that show how the new house is described. 
    It was very cold and lonesome and hollow and he decided that he better not go jumping around the house too often or it might collapse. 
  3. What is Bruno's reaction to the new house? 
    Bruno's reaction to the old house is that he still doesn't like the house very much, and he would stay here for a few weeks and then leave without a fuss.
  4. How does it compare to their old house? 
    It is very small and not very interesting whereas the old house had places to hide and explore with a lot of people outside and there was always something to do.
  5. How does Gretel relate to her father?
    Gretel relates to her father by controlling her brother and talking to Bruno in the same way that her father does.
  6. Does Bruno understand where they are? What makes you believe this? 
    He doesn't know where they is because he doesnt understand what his father does, why they had to move and what the children outside the house were wearing and why they were wearing it.
  7. Does Gretel understand where they are? Explain. 
    Gretel does understand where they are but doesn't know what the children are doing there. She knows who her father works for but I don't think she understands the seriousness of it.
  8. How is Bruno's description of 'Out-with' represent a motif? What is darkly ironic about this?
    Bruno's description of 'Out-with' represents a motif as he described and says what he thinks about the house which is written about throughout the book and is darkly ironic because he does not like the house compared to his old one and everything about him makes him nervous which is exactly like what Auschwitz would feel like when the concentration camp was there.
  9. Read pgs 27-29. How are Bruno's and Gretel's reaction to 'the children' Bruno sees through the window different? What does this tell us about these two characters and their perception/understanding of where they are? 
    Bruno's reaction to the children is completely different to Gretel's reaction to 'the children' as Bruno is curious and does not know much about the children whereas Gretel is frightened and worried at the though of children being out in the landscape. This tells us that Bruno's perception and understanding is one of innocence and has no real idea why they would be there whereas Gretel appears to have knowledge about the children which takes away her innocence on the matter.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Responding to a Poem

Holocaust
by Barbara Sonek


I read, I heard,
I felt your pain.
I see you for who you are, and what you've become,
your innocent life ruined by the worlds problems of your time
you were nothing more than a child. 
History tells us of your misfortune, the price you payed for an innocent life disicion made for you by your generation before you. The dreams that were taken from you, the life you could of lived if it was so injustly ripped away from you. 
We will remeber you. You the children of the past, the children unjustly accused for a basic life decision of faith. 
We will remeber you.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Boy in the Striped PJ's - Chapter 2


  • Using quotes, how is the new house described?

    The house is described as being small, and boring, "the exact opposite of the other house". Bruno dislikes the house and feels less secure here as he did at his old house.
  • How does it compare to the house in Berlin? How is this an example of juxtaposition?

    The house in Berlin was large and Bruno felt free there, a place were he could be himself, where as the new house is smaller and boring. It is an example of juxtaposition as Bruno compares the two houses differences and similarities in his mind, to pick out which one he likes better.
  • How is Bruno's reaction and discussion of the new house taken by the other characters? What is ironic about the way people treat Bruno's comments regarding the new house?

    Bruno doesn't like the new house. He expresses this to the other characters in the book but is rejected. The irony in this is that the other characters feel the same way but they don't/can't speak up about their opinions.
  • Do you feel empathetic towards Bruno's new home? Why/why not?

    In a way I do feel empathetic towards Bruno as he has been forced to move out of his home were he felt safe and comfortable to move to a place fall of death and despair 

Tuesday, August 9, 2011














  • Consider the use of vectors, line, contrast, composition, colour, and perspective (there are more techniques)

    This picture uses a contrast of black and whit colours, the sky is full of white and blue to be seen to even let in a tiny bit of the sun. The snow all around the camp is showing that it would of been freezing cold. The lines of the fence that are straight and almost as if it blends in with the other shapes that are straight and give the impression of structure and prison like.
  • How can the visual elements in the photo evoke empathy and reverence from a viewer?

    In this photo you can almost visualize all the Jewish men and woman who were there. The vector of the fence that you can see traveling on, almost forever, as you never see the end of the fence line. This gives you a true feeling of empathy and deep respect for these people who had to deal with this in their lives. You can see that the all shapes  are ridged and structure. It was a place for murder and you can see this, this would of been torture for these innocent people.
  • How is Auschwitz represented in this photo?

    It is represented in this photo as being a cold, heartless place, built for only torture, murder and despair.  
  • Find another photo of Auschwitz that you feel has an important representation of this place that caused so much pain and destruction. Analyse the use of visual techniques which make it particularly engaging. How does it represent this location?




Sunday, August 7, 2011

Boy in Striped PJ's - Chapter 1

  1.  Brunos voice is very demanding and fairly rude. ‘You take your hands off my things.’ Although he subcutaneously thought not to be rude or disrespectful
  2. Gretel- Is Brunos sister, she seems to be more overpowering and you can see that she probably finds her brother annoying
    Maria- the maid, knows her place in the house and doesn't talk back to Bruno or his family. She's quite aswell.
    Lars-The butler you don't get told much about him
    Father- Brunos father is a busy man and doesn't have alot of time for Bruno
    Bruno- Young, curiosity gets the better of him, behaves, is liked most in the famiy
    Mum- kind, red hair, seems to cry alot cries a lot,
  3. The victims could be seen as being Brunos family as they have to do and go where their fathers' job takes him. 
  4. Irony is used as Bruno has no clue what his father really does.
  5. The setting is presented with Brunos home. The Author describes everywere he goes and in turn describes the actual house aswell

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Donald Duck in 'Der Fueherer's Face'

  • How are the Germans (and Japanese) portrayed in the opening sequence? How is irony created?

  • They are potrayed as believing they are superior, irony is created by the reality of it being that they are not superior

  • How is propaganda and the effect of propaganda portrayed with the introduction of Donald Duck?

  • He's surrounded by nazi objects.

  • How is irony continued into the breakfast scene?

  • Nazis are going on about how they are great but they have no food.

  • How is Nazi Germany portrayed in the opening shot at 3:30?

  • They are potrayed as being a dark, and cruel, almost a hellish place.

  • What is ironic about the song lyrics regarding work and what is happening in the scene?

  • Their playing happy music, but the work was very boring and hard.

  • What does the conveyor belt portray regarding the lifestyle of Germans?



  • Why do you think that there aren't actually any people that force Donald to work? We only see the ends of bayonets and a speaker.

  • It doesn't show the people because it is to signify that 

  • What is ironic about the vacation?

  • It is ironic becsause it is just a 30 second break

  • In the dream sequence, how are the Germans portrayed? Why?

  • They are portrayed as being all about war.

  • What do the pajamas when we see Donald in his bed tell us?

  • The pyjamas tell us that he's a proud american citizen

  • What is the Statue of Liberty used to convey?

  • Freedom

  • How is Hilter portrayed at the end of the film? What is it about his face that is important?

  • He looks really funny, there is nothing flattering about him, and he doesn't look anything like he says that the Superior race is.

  • Why is this a representation of propaganda? Why is it actually ironic considering the way the Nazi's are portrayed?



  • Who are the villains, victims, and heroes?

  • The Nazis, Donald duck, and America in a whole

  • How are the portrayed?

  • They are portrayed as being very forceful, being represented with weapons of war

  • What can you conclude about how these characters are portrayed knowing that this was produced in 1943 USA? (write a short essay including a discussion of the director's use of film techniques.)