Bruno and Shmuel are both similar in age. In fact, they share a birthday. Despite being on completely different sides of the fence, the two boys get along quite nicely because they both share a natural ability to be empathetic. Shmuel is especially a good listener, and that is one of the main reasons Bruno enjoys the friendship so much. The other similarity is that both characters crave companionship with somebody their own age. What is important to note is that the two characters are friends with each other, but they are foils to each other too. This means that the two characters are opposite in many ways for the purpose of highlighting traits that the other character has. For example, Bruno has lived an incredibly blessed life. His father is well respected, rich, and powerful. Bruno has never really had a need that hasn't been or couldn't be met. On the other hand, Shmuel's life is one hardship after another. His home has been taken away, he has lost family members, and he's living at Auschwitz concentration camp. On top of all of that, Shmuel is quite aware of what is going on. That contrasts sharply with Bruno who seems to be completely naive about everything.
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