What themes are explored in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?

The two
major themes of are friendship and innocence. Bruno and Shmuel share such
a desire for camaraderie that they form one from literally two different sides of a fence. Owing
partly to Bruno's naivete, the two are able to become fast friends, even if the friendship is
doomed to end in .

The theme of innocence is very evident in the , Bruno.
Due to the neglect and purposeful obfuscation of information on the part of his parents, Bruno
has no idea of the true nature of Auschwitz, and even refers to prison clothes as "striped
pajamas." Shmuel has obviously lost his illusion of childlike innocence and finds an
incredible comfort when he sees it in Bruno. The book assigns a dark significance to the folly
of this innocence, as it eventually causes Bruno's death.