The Boy
in the
Striped
Pyjamas
CHAPTER 9
• For a while, most things at Out-With remain the
same—Gretel is unfriendly to Bruno, and Bruno misses
Berlin, though his specific memories of his old home
begin to fade.
• The soldiers come and go, and Lieutenant Kotler is a
constant presence in the house, where he is either
whispering with Mother or humouring Gretel as she
tries to flirt with him.
• The servants keep the house neat, and do so in near
silence.
• Pavel continues to come and peel the vegetables
before dinner is cooked, and Bruno catches him
glancing at the tiny scar on Bruno’s knee.
• Otherwise, Pavel and Bruno never speak.
• One day Father decides
that Bruno and Gretel should resume their
studies.
• A few days later, a man named Herr Liszt comes
to the house to teach the children each day.
• Although he is friendly enough, Bruno senses that
there is an “anger inside him just waiting to get out.”
• He prefers to teach Gretel and Bruno about history
and geography, though Bruno wants to read and study
art.
• A few days later, Bruno is in his room, thinking about
all the things he was able to do in Berlin but has not
been able to do since moving to Out-With.
• He realizes that he misses exploring, and decides to
investigate the grounds outside the house. He
chooses to go explore the fence, even though he has
been told it is off-limits.
• On his way to the fence, he stops at a bench with a
plaque on it—he has seen it for months, but has never
taken the time to read it.
• Bruno discovers that the plaque says “Presented on
the occasion of the opening of Out-With Camp, June
nineteen forty.”
• Bruno continues on his way to the fence, ignoring
his parents’ words as they repeat themselves in his
mind, forbidding him to go near the fence or camp,
“With No Exceptions.”