Out-With Symbol in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

“Out-With” is Bruno’s mispronunciation for Auschwitz, the area in Poland where Father moves the family after Hitler “promotes” him to Commandant of the concentration camp. At first, both Bruno and Gretel mispronounce the Polish name, and call it “Out-With.” Gretel theorizes that it means “out with” the old people in charge of the camp, and in with the new—their Father. While Gretel eventually learns how to pronounce Auschwitz, and chastises Bruno for not attempting to say the word correctly, the phrase continues to symbolize what the Holocaust is meant to do—kick out a group of people (Jews, minorities, and Communists) from the rest of society (Germany, and much of Eastern Europe) by imprisoning or slaughtering them.

Out-With Quotes in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The The Boy in the Striped Pajamas quotes below all refer to the symbol of Out-With. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

“But what does it mean?” he asked in exasperation. “Out with what?”
“Out with the people who lived here before us, I expect,” said Gretel. “It must have to do with the fact that he didn’t do a very good job and someone said out with him and let’s get a man in who can do it right.”
“You mean Father.”

Related Characters: Bruno (speaker), Gretel (speaker), Father

Related Symbols: Out-With

Page Number and Citation: 25

Explanation and Analysis:

He paused for a moment and looked out the window to his left—the window that led off to a view of the camp on the other side of the fence. “When I think about it, perhaps she is right. Perhaps this is not a place for children.”

Related Characters: Father (speaker), Bruno, Gretel, Mother

Related Symbols: Out-With, The Fence

Page Number and Citation: 190

Explanation and Analysis:

Out-With Symbol Timeline in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The timeline below shows where the symbol Out-With appears in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...is “horrible.” Gretel tells Bruno that Father told her the people who had lived at “Out-With” (which she speculates is the name of the house) before them had not done their... (full context)

...a few days before the entire family closed the house in Berlin and left for Out-With. Bruno recalls an official-looking car decorated in red and black flags coming to take them... (full context)

Bruno had not yet seen his father since arriving at Out-With. He hears a commotion downstairs and looks down to see Father talking with a group... (full context)

...home. Bruno admits that he doesn’t like it, but Father says that he must accept “Out-With” as the family’s new home. (full context)

...no choice in. As the Fury believes Father’s position is important, he must be in Out-With out of duty to his country. Bruno feels tears in his eyes, but Father says... (full context)

...the Fury angry, due to the fact that he assigned Father to a job at Out-With, which is much less desirable than Berlin. Father laughs, and explains to Bruno that his... (full context)

...this last remark has been insolent, and that Bruno will have to accept living in Out-With. Bruno shouts that he does not want to accept it. Instead of reacting at all,... (full context)

...but then he decides that nobody, not even insects, would voluntarily choose to live at Out-With. Out loud to himself, he says that he hates absolutely everything about their new home.... (full context)

...very nice, and decides to stop trying to recruit Maria to his campaign to leave Out-With. Maria looks out the window, and muses that Father has a kindness in his soul,... (full context)

...the idea of being alone is even more unpleasant than the idea of staying at Out-With. (full context)

After a few weeks at Out-With, Bruno accepts that he is likely not returning to Berlin anytime soon, and that he... (full context)

...a doctor, but Pavel replies that he practiced as a doctor before he came to Out-With. Bruno tells Pavel that he wants to become an explorer, and Pavel wishes him luck.... (full context)

...and didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to her before they left for Out-With. He decides to write her a letter, and tells her all about how horrible he... (full context)

For a while, most things at Out-With remain the same—Gretel is unfriendly to Bruno, and Bruno misses Berlin, though his specific memories... (full context)

...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.... (full context)

Back in the present, Shmuel explains to Bruno how he got to Out-With. He tells Bruno that he used to live with his parents and brother Josef in... (full context)

...the soldiers put many people on a train, and the train had taken them to Out-With. Shmuel said there was no room to breathe on the train. Bruno explains that they... (full context)

...to be returning to Berlin any time soon. Eventually, he gets used to life at Out-With, and stops feeling so unhappy. He is glad to find a friend in Shmuel, and... (full context)

...Pavel is from Poland, like Shmuel, that he was a doctor before he came to Out-With, and that he helped clean Bruno’s knee. Shmuel replies that the soldiers here don’t like... (full context)

...read. Angered, Father points his knife at Bruno and says that the family is in Out-With because they are “correcting history.” Bruno still complains that it is boring, and Gretel tells... (full context)

...Shmuel says that that is what they were given to wear when they came to Out-With, and their other clothes were taken away. Bruno says they must have other clothes they... (full context)

Bruno feels almost happy when they return to Out-With, since it has now become his home. He realizes it isn’t so bad, now that... (full context)

Mother becomes increasingly unhappy with life at Out-With, especially since Kotler, her only friend, has been sent away. Bruno hears Mother and Father... (full context)

...summons Gretel and Bruno into his office, and asks them if they are happy at Out-With. Gretel admits she is lonely, and Bruno is unsure what to say. Father says the... (full context)

...seems as if he has vanished off the face of the earth. Mother stays in Out-With for some time, hoping Bruno will turn up. When she does return to Berlin, Gretel... (full context)

...the weight of his realization. A few months later, “different” kinds of soldiers come to Out-With and order Father to go with them. Still distraught from his realization as to what... (full context)

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

John Boyne

Out-With Symbol Analysis

Out-With Quotes in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Out-With Symbol Timeline in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas