Week 4 Vocabulary — Chapters 16–20 | The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

1 Part A — Matching

Match each vocabulary word to its correct definition.

Foreboding

Futile

Resigned

Despair

Deluded

2 Part B — Context Clues

Choose the correct vocabulary word to complete each sentence.

MarchedObscuredPoignantIrrevocableSomber

1. The soldiers ________ the prisoners in a long line toward the building, giving them no choice but to move forward.

2. The truth about what happened to Bruno was ________ for months — hidden from Mother, who kept hoping he would return.

3. The moment when Bruno and Shmuel hold hands in the darkness is deeply ________, evoking a powerful sense of sadness in the reader.

4. Bruno’s decision to cross under the fence proved to be ________ — it could never be undone or taken back.

5. The mood at the end of the novel is deeply ________, as the family faces the terrible reality of what has happened.

3 Part C — Vocabulary in Action

Choose the answer that best demonstrates the meaning of each vocabulary word as it connects to the novel.

1. As Bruno prepared to cross under the fence, the reader feels a sense of foreboding. This means the reader —

Feels excited about the adventure ahead Senses that something terrible is about to happen Thinks the boys' plan is clever and will work Feels confused about what is happening

2. Bruno was deluded about what life was really like on the other side of the fence. This means he —

Had been told the truth but chose to ignore it Knew exactly what was happening in the camp Believed something false — he thought it was a farm or community, not a death camp Was pretending not to understand

3. Mother became resigned to the fact that her family would never be the same. A person who is resigned has —

Accepted a painful reality they cannot change, even though it hurts Decided to fight back against the situation Forgotten about the problem entirely Become angry and lashed out at others

4. Father's search for Bruno was ultimately futile. This tells us that —

He found Bruno quickly He gave up without trying His search was successful in the end No matter how hard he searched, it was pointless — Bruno was already gone

5. After Bruno's disappearance, Father fell into despair. Which behavior best shows despair?

Celebrating with the other soldiers Becoming isolated, losing all motivation, and no longer caring what happened to him Writing letters to Bruno every day Moving back to Berlin immediately