The New House
by John Boyne
Making Connections
Quick answers
1. Choose the answers as directed.
a. Which of the following was true of Bruno?
i. He missed Berlin. [✓]
ii. He was always sulky and disobedient. [ ]
iii. He never shared his thoughts and feelings with other people. [ ]
b. Which of the following events is not described in the selection?
i. Maria unpacked Bruno's clothes. [ ]
ii. Mother told Father that she had changed her mind and they should return to Berlin by tea-time the following day. [✓]
iii. A serious, busy soldier carried a box out of Mother and Father's room and nodded to Bruno on his way out. [ ]
c. Which of the following sentences does not use a comparison?
i. It was a much younger man, and not a tall as Father either, but he wore the same type of uniform, only without as many decorations on it. [ ]
ii. When he closed his eyes, everything around him just felt empty and cold, as if he was in the loneliest place in the world. [ ]
iii. Over in the corner of the room, opposite the door, there was a window in the ceiling that stretched down into the wall. [✓]
d. Which of the following is a major theme in this story?
i. childhood. [✓]
ii. housing. [ ]
iii. friendship. [ ]
e. Which of the following is not true of story?
i. The narrator is not a character in the story. [ ]
ii. The narrator is a character in the story. [✓]
iii. The narrator describes Bruno's thoughts and feelings. [ ]
Reference to context
2. " 'I think this was a bad idea,' said Bruno a few hours after they arrived, while Maria was unpacking his suitcases upstairs."
a. How long had Bruno been at the house before he decided that the move was a bad idea?
= Bruno had been for a few hour at the house before he decided that the move was a bad idea.
b. To whom did Bruno say these lines?
= Bruno said these lines to his mother.
c. What did the listener say in reply?
= The listener said that they should make the best of a bad situation. By saying this, she suggested Bruno to compromise and adjust at the new house.
3. " 'What do you think of all this, Maria?' he asked after a long silence because he had always liked Maria and felt as if she was one of the family."
a. Who was Maria?
= Maria was the house help of Bruno's house.
b. What did Bruno want to know? Why?
= Bruno wanted to know that if Maria was liking the new house or not.
As Bruno himself did not like the new house, he was trying to convince others the same. He was also seeking supporters who also did not like the new house.
c. What was Maria's answer?
= Maria answered that she was no one to decide as she was a house help. She also let Bruno that it was completely his parents' decision and cause to change the house.
4. "But then one thing caught his eye."
a. What was Bruno looking for?
= Bruno was looking for whether there was anything of interest to be found in the new house.
b. Whom had Bruno seen just then?
= Bruno had seen just then over in the corner of the room opposite the door, there was a window in the ceiling that stretched down into the hall.
c. What did he hope for at this point in the story?
= He hoped that from there he might be able to see all the way back to Berlin and his house and the streets around it and the tables where the people sat and told each other hilarious stories.
Read, reflect and write
5. Is Bruno's mother happy about the move? How do you know?
= Bruno's mother was kind of happy about the move because of their obligation for the job purpose. After a few hours, Bruno was upset for the move. He was missing Berlin. He decided to return home and used a new phrase 'chalk it up' to consider the move as an experience.
His mother replied him with another phrase 'to make the best of a bad situation.' She tried to convince Bruno that they had to move. In spite of that, Bruno stuck to his opinion. Then his mother became angry and ordered Bruno to go upstairs and help Maria unpacking their bags.
6. What made Bruno think that Maria did not have her priorities right?
= Bruno was in a discomposed mood. He was already unhappy with the new house they had moved in. He came to upstairs to help Maria unpacking their bags as him mother told him to do so.
As he went through his own door, he found that all his clothes scattered on the bed and the boxes of toys and books were not even unpacked yet. Rather Maria pointed him toward a big bag that contained all his socks and vests and underpants. This Bruno think that Maria did not have her priorities right.
7. Why do you think Bruno felt he was about to cry even though he was with his family?
= Bruno was a nine-year old kid. He had come to a new place leaving his familiar place. He was more attached to Berlin where he had been living for those nine years. He was missing his three best friends and the sliding banister the most. These made him just felt empty and cold. He felt he was about to cry even though he was with his family.
8. Describe in details the things Bruno misses about his old house in Berlin and how he feels about moving to the new house. If you were Bruno, what is the one thing you would miss most about your old life? Give a reason for your answer.
= Bruno misses a lot of things about his old house. The old house in Berlin had large houses. There were other streets. There were people always strolling along and stopping to chat with each other or rushing around and saying they had no time to stop that day.
There were shops with bright store fronts, and fruit and vegetable stalls with big trays piled high with cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers and corn. He was perfectly content in the old house, playing at home, with three best friends for life, sliding down banisters, trying to stand on his tiptoes to see right across Berlin.
If I were Bruno, I would have missed the three best friends the most. I like to spend time with friends and I tend to share joys and sorrows with my friends. I do understand the obligations of parents. So I would have tried my best to fit in the new house and circumstances. But I would have missed the friends a lot.
9. What are your favourite things about your home and the area in which you live?
= The area in which I live is a very lively place. I love the whole surroundings and the people the most. All the people live here like friends without any type of discrimination. All my friends and their parents are very dear to me.
Even our parents are friends to each other. So its like a big family. The humanity and the moral bonding is the unique here in our society. All the people gather and participate in all the occasions or celebrations irrespective of caste, creed, colour. If I ever have to leave this place, I would definitely miss this family like bonding.
10. Extended Writing: Write a paragraph comparing Bruno's old home with the new one.
= The new house stood all on its own in an empty, desolate place and there were no other houses anywhere to be seen. It meant that there would be no other families around and no other boys to play with, neither friends nor trouble.
On the other hand, the house in Berlin was enormous. There were even whole rooms - such as father's office.
The new house had only three floors: a top floor where all three bedrooms were and only one bathroom, a ground floor with a kitchen, a dinning room and a new office for Father, and a basement where the house help slept.
The old house in Berlin had large houses. There were other streets. There were people always strolling along and stopping to chat with each other or rushing around and saying they had no time to stop that day. There were shops with bright store fronts, and fruit and vegetable stalls with big trays piled high with cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers and corn.
But there were no other streets around the new house, no one strolling along or rushing around, and definitely no shops or fruit and vegetable stalls.
About the author: John Boyne (b. 1971) is an Irish novelist. He has written ten novels for adults and five for children, and a collection of short stories, Beneath the Earth. Boyne has received several awards for his work, including the Hennessy Literary 'Hall of fame' Award in 2012. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas became a best seller and was adapted into a film of the same name.