Theme & Character
Who is Stanley Yelnats?
This character changes from being weak and overweight to becoming physically strong and confident by the end of the novel.
QUESTION: What is Camp Green Lake?
ANSWER: This is the name of the dried-up lake where Stanley is sent to dig holes as punishment.
QUESTION: What is sad, hopeless, or lonely?
ANSWER: When the text says Stanley feels "forlorn," it means he feels this way.
QUESTION: What is middle grade (or ages 8-12, or 4th-7th graders)?
ANSWER: Louis Sachar wrote Holes for readers in this age group.
QUESTION: What is a simile?
ANSWER: "The sun was like a angry fire in the sky" is an example of this type of figurative language that uses "like" or "as."
What is "true friendship requires sacrifice" or "loyalty"?
ANSWER: Stanley demonstrates this theme when he chooses to leave Camp Green Lake to help Zero, even though it puts him in danger.
QUESTION: What is character (or to "build character")?
ANSWER: The Warden claims the boys are digging holes to build this, but she's really searching for buried treasure.
QUESTION: What is extremely dry (or without water)?
ANSWER: The lake had been "parched" for over a hundred years, meaning it was this.
QUESTION: What is to balance tension with lighter moments (or to make serious topics age-appropriate)?
ANSWER: The author includes humor even in serious moments for this purpose related to his young audience.
QUESTION: What is personification?
ANSWER: The repeated song "If only, if only, the woodpecker sighs" uses this technique, giving the woodpecker human qualities.
QUESTION: What is "don't judge people by appearances" or "everyone has potential/worth"?
ANSWER: Zero's growth shows this theme: even though adults labeled him as having "nothing in his head," he learns to read and proves he is intelligent and capable.
QUESTION: Who is Kate Barlow (or Kissing Kate Barlow)?
ANSWER: These three storylines are woven together throughout the novel: Stanley at camp, Elya in Latvia, and this outlaw's story in Green Lake.
QUESTION: What is barren, empty, lonely, or bleak?
ANSWER: When Stanley is described as "desolate" in the desert, the context clues (empty, alone, harsh environment) tell us this word means this.
QUESTION: What is injustice, racism, or unfair treatment?
ANSWER: The author includes the flashback about Kate Barlow and Sam for this purpose: to show themes of this across time.
QUESTION: What is emphasizing Stanley's confused or surreal emotional state (or showing disorientation)?
ANSWER: When the narrator says "Stanley felt like he was walking in a dream," this simile creates this effect on the reader.
QUESTION: What is Elya Yelnats's promise to carry Madame Zeroni up the mountain?
ANSWER: When Stanley carries Zero up the mountain and sings to him, he unknowingly fulfills this broken promise from his ancestor, demonstrating the theme of redemption.
QUESTION: What is flashback or multiple timelines (or parallel narratives)?
ANSWER: The author uses this organizational technique—shifting between past and present—to show how events from different time periods are connected.
QUESTION: What is fixated, consumed by, or couldn't stop thinking about it?
ANSWER: The Warden's grandfather was "obsessed" with finding the treasure. The context shows this means he was this.
QUESTION: What is surprise, dramatic revelation, or a plot twist (that connects past and present)?
ANSWER: By revealing Zero's last name (Zeroni) late in the story, the author creates this effect for readers.
QUESTION: What is hyperbole?
ANSWER: The phrase "his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather" uses this technique—exaggeration for effect.
QUESTION: What is "actions have consequences across generations" or "you can break family curses through moral choices"?
ANSWER: The parallel between Elya breaking his promise to Madame Zeroni and Stanley keeping his promise to Zero (Hector Zeroni) demonstrates this complex theme about how past actions affect future generations.
QUESTION: What are friendship and perseverance (or loyalty and moral action)?
ANSWER: The main idea of the entire novel can be summarized as: "Past events shape the present, but individuals can change their fate through these two qualities."
QUESTION: What is able to recover from difficulty, tough, or able to bounce back?
ANSWER: Mr. Sir says Stanley will become "resilient" from digging holes. Based on how Stanley changes throughout the novel, this word means this.
QUESTION: What is "actions have consequences," "loyalty matters," "you can overcome injustice," or "the past affects the present but you can change your future"? (Accept multiple valid themes)
ANSWER: The author's overall purpose in writing Holes is to entertain readers while also teaching these important life lessons about justice, friendship, and fate.
QUESTION: What is symbolism (or metaphor)?
ANSWER: The "holes" function as this type of figurative language—representing emptiness, searching for meaning, punishment, and uncovering truth all at once.