Themes

These are a few of the themes mentioned in Holes as well as an elaboration for each of them.

Cruelty:

Cruel behaviour or attitudes.

"He was overweight and the kids at his middle school often teased him about his size. Even his teachers sometimes made cruel comments without realising it. On his last day of school, his maths teacher, Mrs. Bell, taught ratios. As an example, she chose the heaviest kid in class and the lightest kid in class . . . Mrs. Bell wrote the ratio on the board, 3:1, unaware of how much embarrassment she had caused both of them."

The storyteller reports Stanley Yelnats's life prior to being shipped off to Camp Green Lake. This defeatist event in school reveals one of the many examples of cruelty established throughout the novel, as Stanley's associates and even his educators made hurtful comments and bully him. The type of reception reported in this scene acts as a base for the cruelty Stanley will resume to experience and observe at Camp Green Lake, developing him for the challenges that lie ahead.

“You thirsty, Caveman?” Mr. Sir asked . . . Mr. Sir opened the nozzle, and the water flowed out of the tank, but it did not go into Stanley’s canteen. Instead, he held the canteen right next to the stream of water. Stanley watched the water splatter on the dirt, where it was quickly absorbed by the thirsty ground"

The storyteller reveals that Mr Sir uses a basic human right such as water as a form of torture towards Stanley as vengeance. Mr Sir guilt"s Stanley for the scratches with rattlesnake venom he agonised at the hands of the Warden. Stanley anticipated Mr. Sir to penalise him somehow, and the consultant's depriving him of water just shows how right Stanley's predicting was.

Power:

to influence how someone acts and events

"The more he thought about it, the more he was glad that he agreed to let X-Ray have anything he might find. If he was going to survive at Camp Green Lake, it was far more important that X-Ray think he was a good guy than it was for him to get one day off."

It shows how Stanley has made sacrifices to survive in a cruel place with cruel boys. He gave his opportunity of rest to a boy he was afraid of. He wanted the boys to trust him and think of him as an equal instead of an enemy

"Sorry," Stanley said again. His muscles and hands weren't the only parts of his body that had toughened over the past several weeks. His heart had hardened as well."

As the narrator explained Stanley had toughened up he lost weight and his heart isn't sensitive anymore. It shows how tough Stanley has become after being stuck at Camp Green Lake.

Punishment:

Punishment is when you are obligated to pursue something like prison , detention centres or community service to pay for an act you committed that was against the law or not to a certain persons standard . Punishment can range from simply having to do community service or in places like america where yo can still be legally put to death , killed. In most situations punishment will not go to this extent but it still is possible.

Holes is about a 14 year old boy named Stanley Yelnats who is found guilty of taking a basketball player's shoes. His punishment for taking the shoes is being taken to detention camp. Stanley believes that this all took place because of an old family malediction .

"He was overweight and the kids at his middle school often teased him about his size. Even his teachers sometimes made cruel comments without realising it. On his last day of school, his maths teacher, Mrs. Bell, taught ratios. As an example, she chose the heaviest kid in class and the lightest kid in class . . . Mrs. Bell wrote the ratio on the board, 3:1, unaware of how much embarrassment she had caused both of them."

Although many people may think punishment is when you pay for an action you carried out ,however this quote can also be interpreted as punishment , Stanley is being punished for his weight and being made fun of by other people ,although he did nothing wrong he may feel like hes paying the price of his appearance.

Justice/redemption:

The word justice is often used in the court context for example the justice system , however in holes justice can also be used in the context of succeeding in something you did like winning a match or passing a level in a game.

In holes they refer to justice in the beginning of the book when they are in court , this brings in the justice system .Although Stanley was innocent they had enough evidence to convict him . Justice is still mentioned throughout the whole book in different contexts like when the characters succeed with something they were pursuing.

"Stanley was not a bad kid. He was innocent of the crime for which he was convicted. He'd just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was all because of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!"

This quote brings in the theme of justice by talking about justice in court , although Stanley was innocent the judge had enough evidence to convict him , this quote also brings in the theme of fate when he says he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Friendship:

Friendship is association with another person, the conduct or emotions of being a friend. It is a feeling of fellowship.

The Power of Friendship to Determine Events in Holes:

The theme of friendship is interwoven throughout the story. Stanley demonstrates friendship and care within his circle of friends. As an example, Stanley offers to help Zero read and write in exchange for a piece of his hole to be dug. He teaches Zero daily and is committed to helping him learn. Stanley shows friendship by standing up for the rights of his friends, as well as supporting them when they need it.

Examples of Friendship in Holes:

“I’ll try to teach you to read if you want,” Stanley offered. “I don’t know if I know how to teach, but I’m not that worn out today, since you dug a lot of my hole.” A big smile spread across Zero’s face."

Stanley and Zero’s companionship flourishes when Zero assists Stanley to dig his hole after the sunflower seed episode. Zero’s kindness eases Stanley and he kindly decides to upskill Zero by teaching him to read and write. Zero’s smile at hearing Stanley’s proposition conveys the theme of friendship as two boys, both straining in a difficult world, find comfort in each other. As the narrative carries on, Stanley and Zero show the strength and bond of friendship as they help out one another overcome challenges and hurdles, both basking in the joy of their shared camaraderie, mutual respect for each other, and faithfulness between them.

"He gathered his strength and for a brief second seemed to defy gravity as he took a quick step up the wall and, with Zero’s help, pulled himself the rest of the way over the ledge . . . Zero had deep gashes in both hands. He had held on to the metal blade of the shovel, keeping it in place, as Stanley climbed."

While Stanley and Zero try to pull through their escape from Camp Green Lake by ascending the mountain to Big Thumb, their certainty and dependence in each other grows. Each suffers physically and mentally to help each other survive. Here, the storyteller narrates how Stanley and Zero literally pull and lift each other up a steep sill, a metaphor for the role that friends play in life. Zero even bleeds for Stanley as he grips onto the sharp edge of the shovel to lift Stanley up, and later, Stanley transports Zero when he can no longer rise to his feet. Stanley and Zero embody the symbol of friendship as they forfeit for one another.

Persistence:

Having persistence is a continued effort to achieve something despite difficulties.

The theme is persistence is used throughout the novel to show Stanley's perseverance and hard work, and for him to overcome the circumstances that he has been placed in. It highlights his inner-strength and self-motivation. It helps determine events with him showing how strong he is and how he doesn't give up on his hope of leaving the camp. Stanley received the name "Caveman" as his peers at Camp Green Lake saw him as a muscular boy. The name "Caveman" characterises someone who is strong and fights with their fists to get what they want.

“You're responsible for yourself. You messed up your life, and it's up to you to fix it. No one else is going to do it for you -- for any of you.”

Stanley is forced to persevere through his unfortunate circumstances. He has been charged with a crime that he did not commit and is now working long, hot, days out in the summer heat. He has many hurdles that get in his way, but he does not stop and give up. When he runs away to find Zero, he is heated, dehydrated, and sees no end in sight but he doesn't stop looking. Happenings keep arising that would make it simple for Stanley to revert to his previous behaviour. Developing an action plan towards achieving your goals requires motivation and commitment.

Cruelty + Power - Emily McChlery

Punishment + Justice/Redemption - Kate Savage

Friendship + Persistence - Lily Sturrock