How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Your father's job […] you know how important it is, don't you?" (1.16)
Bruno's mother asks Bruno this before they go to Auschwitz. He replies yes, but really he's thinking, uh, no. Bruno has no idea what his dad does except that he wears a uniform. Kind of strange for a nine-year-old not to know that, but then again, his mother is not exactly forthcoming.
Quote #2
"Out-With?" asked Bruno. "What's an Out-With?" (3.117)
We don't know about you, Shmoopers, but we have to wonder: Why can't Gretel pronounce the word Auschwitz? After all, she is German and it's not that hard of a word. When she makes the error, we realize that she's not a reliable source of information for Bruno.
Quote #3
"Ah, those people," said Father, nodding his head and smiling slightly. "Those people… well, they're not people at all, Bruno." (5.283)
Yikes. This pretty much sums up the Nazi ideology when it comes to Jews. Much like people enslaved in the United States, they weren't considered human beings, which made it justifiable (and logical) to get rid of them. Hearing it from Bruno's father definitely gives us the creeps, but it only serves to confuse Bruno even more.