The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

by

John Boyne

Pavel is the old Jewish man who works in the family’s house in Auschwitz. He was a doctor before he was sent to the concentration camp, and he patches up Bruno’s knee when Bruno cuts it falling off a swing. Pavel becomes thinner and frailer by the day, and is beaten (likely to death) by Kotler when he accidentally drops a wine bottle in Kotler’s lap at dinner.

Pavel Quotes in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The The Boy in the Striped Pajamas quotes below are all either spoken by Pavel or refer to Pavel. 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:
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
).
Chapter 7 Quotes

“Young man,” said Pavel (and Bruno appreciated the fact that he had the courtesy to call him ‘young man’ instead of ‘little man’ as Lieutenant Kotler had), “I certainly am a doctor. Just because a man glances up at the sky at night does not make him an astronomer, you know.”

Related Characters: Pavel (speaker), Bruno, Lieutenant Kotler
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

What happened then was both unexpected and extremely unpleasant. Lieutenant Kotler grew very angry with Pavel and no one—not Bruno, not Gretel, not Mother and not even Father—stepped in to stop him doing what he did next, even though none of them could watch. Even though it made Bruno cry and Gretel grow pale.

Related Characters: Bruno (speaker), Gretel, Mother, Father, Lieutenant Kotler, Pavel
Page Number: 148
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Striped Pajamas LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas PDF

Pavel Character Timeline in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The timeline below shows where the character Pavel appears in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 7
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Complicity Theme Icon
...wants. Bruno asks Kotler if there are any spare tires around the house. Kotler makes Pavel, an old man who now waits on the family, take Bruno to find a tire... (full context)
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Nationalism Theme Icon
Complicity Theme Icon
...swing, but after a few hours of use, he falls off and scrapes his knee. Pavel, who has been keeping an eye on him from the kitchen window, comes out and... (full context)
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Gender Roles Theme Icon
Complicity Theme Icon
...Bruno’s knee, and he explains what happened with the tire swing. He tells her how Pavel brought him inside when he fell, and how he bandaged his wound. Mother looks uncomfortable,... (full context)
Chapter 9
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Nationalism Theme Icon
Gender Roles Theme Icon
Complicity Theme Icon
...flirt with him. The servants keep the house neat, and do so in near silence. Pavel continues to come and peel the vegetables before dinner is cooked, and Bruno catches him... (full context)
Chapter 13
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Nationalism Theme Icon
...on the way when he feels like he needs a snack. Bruno asks Maria about Pavel, and inquires why he works as a waiter if he is really a doctor. Maria... (full context)
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Complicity Theme Icon
...finds Shmuel waiting for him. He gives Shmuel the food, and asks if he knows Pavel. Shmuel says that Bruno needs to understand that there are literally thousands of people living... (full context)
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Nationalism Theme Icon
Gender Roles Theme Icon
Complicity Theme Icon
...that evening, Bruno is disappointed to see that Lieutenant Kotler is joining them for dinner. Pavel waits on them as usual, and Bruno notices that he seems to become smaller and... (full context)
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Complicity Theme Icon
Father calls for Pavel to fill up his wine glass, and asks what is the matter with him that... (full context)
Chapter 15
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Gender Roles Theme Icon
Complicity Theme Icon
...and Kotler comes outside and shoots it. Bruno is still upset with how Kotler treated Pavel, and is mad that when Father is away on business, Kotler seems to stay overnight... (full context)
Innocence and Ignorance Theme Icon
Boundaries Theme Icon
Family and Friendship Theme Icon
Complicity Theme Icon
...Bruno out of the room, and calls Shmuel by the same name he used on Pavel when he instructed him to get a tire for Bruno. Bruno feels horribly ashamed for... (full context)