Exploring a character

Pavel was the family's waiter when they moved to Out-With. He used to be a doctor before he was brought there. He was the one who cleaned and bandaged Bruno's knee when he fell out of the swing. He was a thin and aged man as Bruno had once described Pavel as someone old enough to be Lieutenant Kotler’s grandfather and is always in his uniform, which is the white jacket.

Boyne had depicted the character of Pavel as a reserved and quiet old man as shown when Lieutenant Kotler ordered him to find a tyre for Bruno’s swing. Even though Lieutenant Kotler treated Pavel harshly and disrespectfully, Pavel did not argue back and merely follows instructions and reply merely with “yes, sir” as silent as possible.

Besides that, Pavel is also caring towards his young master, Bruno. Pavel kept an eye on Bruno through the kitchen window as the young boy played on the swing outside while Pavel was peeling potatoes in the kitchen. When Bruno accidentally fell from his tyre swing, Pavel immediately helped Bruno to wash his wound and comforted him. While consoling Bruno, he also appeared to be a down-to-earth man as he laughs gently at Bruno whining about bleeding to death by asking, “Will I need to go to hospital?” from his small injuries.

Everyone treats Pavel differently. Lieutenant Kotler treats Pavel harshly by speaking to him in an insolent manner and uses derogatory terms such as ‘filthy’ to call Pavel. This side of Lieutenant Kotler disgusted Bruno as he could not understand why Lieutenant was so disrespectful towards the old Pavel.

However, Bruno; without being biased by the Nazi attitude, who sees Pavel like any other ordinary being without a sense of superiority, is curious as to why Pavel is treated the way he is by the people around him. His curiosity is sparked even more when he find out that Pavel used to practice as a doctor but now, works as his family’s waiter. Mother also seem to care for Pavel as she told him that she’ll be responsible of cleaning Bruno’s wounds instead when Father asks, wanting to spare Pavel of interrogations and possibly, even punishment.

Boyne suggests that Pavel could be living in fear as he once practiced as a doctor but now, has to work as a waiter as he might be a Jew and working as the waiter is his only hope of being spared from death. This is also evident in the way he responds to Lieutenant Kotler; who treats him with such disrespect as though he was inferior, whereby Pavel simply nods and bows his head low while responding in a quiet voice. This shows that Pavel did not want to infuriate Lieutenant Kotler, who has the power to put and end to Pavel’s life any minute. But Pavel’s determination to live gives him the strength to continue living on despite being treated harshly as he probably sees an end to all these suffering if he holds on long enough.