Retelling Through the Eyes of Innocents: A Study of Jojo Rabbit and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Abstract

This paper undertakes a study of the novels The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne and Caging Skies by Christine Leunens along with their award-winning movie retellings – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by Mark Herman and Heyman, and Jojo Rabbit by Taika Waititi – to explore how the film retellings employ the technique of a child’s perception to provide a fresh perspective of one of the darkest moments of history: the Holocaust by the Nazi Regime. Rewriting, retelling and adapting historical, canonical or even familiar tale tropes are enduring conventions in literature and these are traditions central to many literary movements. Over the years, numerous movies have been crafted, retelling or adapting a short story or a novel or a play to a screenplay, furthering the scope of literary retellings via the visual media. These adaptations exhibit the capability of human creativity, human literary behavior, and the ability to bring about a novel and immersive experience of a literary piece. A comparative study of the novels and their movie retellings by employing a distinctive perspective is undertaken to throw light on the other factors influencing the popularity of the work. This paper also seeks to study the dynamics of the relationship between Literature and Media – with reference to select movies of the 21st Century, in particular, in retelling stories and making ventures to address aspects that the present century calls for, with the background of the past.