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Katie Hanneken
Ms.Charla Hughes
ENC 1145
7 March 2013
Holes
I read a lot of really wonderful books as a child. I was a really good reader so often
times this resulted in me reading books that were on my reading level but maybe a little
ahead of me maturity wise. I read many coming of age stories when I was in elementary
school. For me a really great coming of age story in particular was the book Holes by Louis
Sachar.
Holes is a coming of age novel that delves into a lot of adult issues. When a reader
approaches this book for the first time, their age is a major factor in how they perceive this
book. An older reader would be able to understand all the problems young Stanley Yelnats
faces but can maybe not feel a strong sense of relatability to his character. This book is
somewhat of an easy read for a younger audience since mainly it is on their reading level.
Children can relate to the characters and become hooked on the storyline since it features
other children. Young boys especially seem to relate well to this book since the protagonists
are strong males. Wannamaker says, “…Holes could be seen as a useful book that can
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interest boys in reading: it is easy to read, the plot moves quickly, it is adventurous, and it
features likeable boy protagonists” (Wannamaker, 16). Younger readers, boys particularly,
have a hard time become interested with assigned books in school. Holes allows them the
opportunity to really enjoy a book and feel that the can relate to the characters in the novel.
The idea of crime and punishment and even justice in the real world is an easy
concept for an adult to grasp, but maybe not a younger reader. This idea also introduces to a
younger audience the idea that sometimes there are injustices in this world. Such as, when
Stanley is punished for a crime he did not commit and is therefore treated like a delinquent
the rest of the novel.
Adult readers are definitely less able to relate to the character of Stanley or any of his
fellow campers for the simple reason that they are not their age. Younger readers have an
advantage here because they are in the same mindset as the campers at Camp Green Lake.
They are therefore much more able to imagine how they would behave, react, and feel in all
the situations these boys go through. Also, any time a reader can imagine themselves in the
very shoes of the character they tend to feel that they can relate to them more. The
experiences of the characters feel more personal when you can imagine yourself going
through them.
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As with all film adaptions of books, my mom made me read the novel before I was
allowed to see the film adaptation. I was in elementary school when the film version came
out so therefore I read the book around that time. The book focused on a young teenage boy
named Stanley Yelnats IV who had gotten into some trouble with the law. In Holes, Stanley
was trying to figure out what kind of person he was and what kind of person he wanted to be.
In the book, a bizarre set of circumstances and a misunderstanding land Stanley at a work
camp called Camp Green Lake as an alternative to going to juvenile detention.
At Camp Green Lake, Stanley has to essentially fend for himself and learn to act like
an adult. The whole point of a judge assigning him to this camp was for him to become a
better citizen and learn from his “mistake”. The premise of Camp Green Lake is that the kids
will build character by digging holes in the sweltering heat in the middle of nowhere. These
camp counselors treat Stanley like a common thief and a hooligan even though he insists
throughout the book that he is innocent. Stanley learns a lot at the camp but most importantly
he learns what kind of person he is going to be and he learns how to make better choices.
Though the Yelnats believed they were cursed, it is very similar to what a lot of
people think—that bad luck is stopping them from being their best. The Yelnats’ believed
that they were feeling the repercussions of past indiscretions. As discussed by Mollegaard,
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ghostly presences are often meant to represent the indiscretions of the past, “Phantoms of the
past often represent unfulfilled desires and wrongful deeds that need attention and possible
correction. The undead will not leave the living in peace until things are set right. Ghosts
have a pressing historical agenda to remind the living of what has been concealed and to
bring to their attention troublesome, sometimes gruesome, events from the past”
(Mollegaard, 139).
In the book Stanley’s mother does not believe in the curse and rather believes it to be
an excuse for not doing well in life. It is easy when times are hard in one’s life to blame luck
or fate. This is the same reason people make wishes at 11:11, buy lotto tickets, or visit a
psychic. Some people like to believe their future choices are destined and their fate is already
determined. This can be seen as an easy out for people to make excuses for the things that
happen to them. Some people use this belief to make something better out of their life by
living their life as best they can and being grateful for all the positive things that happen to
them.
In Holes, the ideas of fate and fortune are very apparent. In fact, the entire premise of
the novel is based around the idea of being confronted with your fate. Without fate Stanley
would not have ended up saving Zero and in turn ending the curse on the Yelnats family.
Pinsent says, “It is also Fate that has led Zero to be in the camp at the same time as Stanley,
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but Fortune that brings them together. In particular, Fortune would be useless if their
characters were not who and what they are. Not only are they the descendants of people
involved in what in effect is the original folk tale, but they are also benevolent, brave, and
intelligent boys” (Pinsent, 209).
Though his situation was unique, the underlying issues were very much the same as
the ones any normal teenager faces. He struggled with bullies, fitting in, talking back to his
parents, and occasionally trouble with the law. At Camp Green Lake, Stanley had to figure
out how to get along with different types of people. He also discovered what it was like to be
thrust into a new circumstance and have to sink or swim. This experience for him was the
equivalent of starting high school and not knowing anyone. Therefore, I could relate to the
story on a whole new level once I read this book in high school. Stanley also felt
misunderstood, which I think is a quality every teenager can relate to feeling at one time or
another. Once I was older, I related to Stanley and I found myself inspired and rooting for
everything to go well for him. When I was his age and finding myself relating to him on
multiple levels, I was looking for him to succeed and figure out who he was as a person.