Theme, Themes In Stanley Yelnats Holes, By Louis Sachar

One thing the book talks about is keeping childhood innocence. Mostly through the characters of the story the novel also shows how easily experience can change people and cause them to lose their youthful traits. Dallys rough youth has made him tough and fearsome, and he seems not to care about anything. But Dally has a soft spot too caring for Johnny.

The most ostentatious of the group, Stanley is a flawed man that is forced into the role of husband and father by the women around him. Stanley enjoys avoiding his real life and problems by socializing with his other equally macho friends playing poker and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol which in turn makes him stereotypically violent towards his wife. Stanley’s actions to Blanche as well are possessive and domineering as he looks through her things and criticizes the gifts she has garnered from the various suitors she had. “After Stanley's rummaging around in the trunk, Blanche exclaims: "It looks like my trunk has exploded" (38). When he violates that space - "Stanley crosses to the trunk, shoves it roughly open, and begins to open compartments" (41) - he betrays Blanche's intimacy. Rapaciously investigating the love letters, "He rips off the ribbon and starts to examine them, Blanche snatches them from him, and they cascade to the floor." Furious, she shouts: "Now that you've touched them, I'll burn them" and then starts scooping "the floor, gathering

The description of Stanley’s personality pictures him as an animalistic and primitive male. There are several references to animals such as ‘Animal joy’ and ‘feathered male bird among hens’, this quote in particular describes Stanley very well. ‘Feathered male among hens’ is evidence that Stanley is often the leader of the group and maintains dominance as the pack

In this essay I intend to look at why the book ‘Holes’, is a good

One character named Hector, or Zero, is a friend of Stanley in the camp that didn't know how to read or write before Stanley taught him. Later in the story, Zero explains how his mother left him when he was very young, and ever since, he hasn't been able to learn how to read or write. He continues telling Stanley of how he lived on his own, without any guardians. Stanley Yelnats, another character went from a bullied kid because of his looks, to someone who made strong bonds and trusts with new friends. Stanley is strong, and would take any challenge to save his friends. This is shown when Stanley and Zero ran from the camp, and tried to get to a source of water on a mountain. Zero passes out, and Stanley "took hold of Zero's forearms and pulled him upright... He stood up, lifting Zero's worn-out body off the ground." Stanley later finds water, and quickly fed Zero the water. This shows how much Stanley cares about his friends, and how strong he is to save them. To sum up, a lot of the characters' backstories are very interesting, and explains a lot in the story. This is one reason why I believe you should read the book Holes.

The main character's name is Stanley Yelnats. At first, you see stanley as an alright kid who has made a bad decision stealing. “ I stole some sneakers” (pg 22). Throughout the rest of the story you find that stanley is nice and always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. “He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time all thanks to his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather” (Pg 7). At school before camp Green Lake he was bullied and treated bad. “he didn’t have any friends at home, he was overweight” (pg 7). At camp Green Lake Stanley made a new friend, his best friend “Zero”. He get’s along great with Zero and teaches him how to read. “I’ll try

Finally, Stanley rapes Blanche because “he has tried and tried to keep her down to his level” (Kagan 26) but she cannot go there.  The rape is his way of getting her there.  In the powerful scene where Stanley loses total control of his actions and strikes the person whom he has sworn to protect, love and cherish, William's shows Stanley's lack of control and hatred of the new threat in his life, Blanche.  What makes this scene so important to the topic is the way that the three characters react once the party has broken up.  Blanche is in her usual state of panic; Stella has retreated upstairs, while Stanley stumbles around calling out 'Steeelllaaa' in a drunken sweaty animal-like manner.  Surprisingly Stella answers her mate's calls and embraces him, the two of them exchanging words of compassion and kisses.  Stanley then picks up Stella and carries her off to his den to make love, which is Stanley's way of apologizing.  Stanley has to be the dominant male figure in all his relationships, not only with Stella and Blanche, but with his friends as well.  He is a leader and instantly rises to the challenge whenever his status is threatened.

Stanley is a character in this play, whose perspective is clearly reality based. Since Blanche’s outlook on life is fantasy based, there is a lot of hostility between the two characters. Stanley is the one that always exposes the lies that Blanche is always hiding behind. He is constantly trying to get her to accept his perspective. When she finally begins to understand him, it’s too late. With such a huge change, she loses her mental state. Her personal beliefs get interchanged between fantasy and reality, to such an extent, that it seems as if she no longer realizes what is true or what is malign.

He also stands up for himself and his fellow friends. He used to be very careful before he spoke because he did not wanted to create trouble. “I’m not looking for trouble,” Stanley said. “I’m just tired that’s all.” (page 44), “He nervously went towards her. “Mr. Pendanski and I have been having a discussion. Have you taken a drink since Mr. Pendanski last filled your canteen?” Stanley didn’t want to cause trouble for Mr Pendanski. “I still got plenty left.” he said. “Excuse me.” He stopped. “Yeah, I drank some.” “Thank you. May I see your canteen please.” (page 67). As it mentions in the novel clearly that he was not looking for any trouble and that he did not want to cause any trouble for anyone because at that time he did not know how to stand up for yourself and continue growing. But later on, he gets to know everyone a little better. So he decided to show everyone the real him. “He went over to his hole, and to his surprise it was nearly finished. He stared at it, amazed. It didn’t make sense. Or perhaps it did. He smiled. Since he had taken the blame for the sunflower seeds, he realized the other boys had dug his hole for him. (page 94) “I’m teaching him to read and write.” said Stanley. “It’s sort of a trade. The hole still gets dug, so what does it matter who digs it.” “Excuse me?” said the Warden. “Isn’t it more important for him to learn to read” asked Stanley. “Doesn’t

All three of the main characters do not want to accept the truth and have the covet to live in an allusion to hide the past from everyone including themselves. Stanley does not like when Blanche questions his manhood and nationality by calling him a Polack; which he takes very offensively. Stanley has had enough of Blanche and yells at her, “But what I am is a one hundred percent American” (110). Stanley has pride in his native land and when Blanche downgrades him, he takes those remarks she makes to heart. He wants to dominate and use his

Stanley’s actions are intense and mostly uncalled for, Stanley is heavily motivated by the past and

A very apparent character trait of Stanley is his love for his wife, Stella. In scene two, Stella and Stanley notice all the very nice things that Blanche has in her trunk. For Blanche being a poor girl, Stanley knows that she shouldn't have so many nice things. Stanley expresses his concern to Stella as he says, "It looks like you have been swindled, baby...". This shows that Stanley only wants for Stella what she deserves, and if Blanche is not sharing what money is also Stella's, then it upsets him.

is true in the extreme for Stanley, he does what he wishes and disregards the consequences. It is not a motto he actually employs towards the remaining characters; thinking only of himself, he does not care if anyone else is "comfortable" or not. Through dialogue such as this, Williams asserts to the reader/audience the fact that Stanley inherently fails to take into account the repercussions his own requirements and desires have on others. He is in total control and the only person endowed with power; therefore the only person he takes into consideration - and the only person his wife is allowed to take

When we think back on the mistakes we have made in life did any of them have a good outcome? For young Stanley Yelnats in Holes by Louis Sachar, a mistake turned his life around. The mistake put him in a bad place, but by the end of the story he had actually ended up with many good outcomes. Stanley benefitted from many things from the mistake made by Hector Zeroni. Stanley made a friend, received/ found a treasure, and also bettered himself as a person. Even though he got pulled into a mess he did not let it destroy him as a person. He strived to better himself and those around him. In the beginning of the story Stanley is a timid, bigger built, loving, and caring boy; but as the story progresses he begins to change. Stanley’s personality

A year later, his father remarried a woman from “hell” and she was one of the reasons why Stanley became destructive. She was selfish and only cared for her and her seven children. She physically and emotionally abused Stanley by severely beating him many times and blaming him for senseless things. She also neglected him and his two other siblings while she gave her children the best of everything with Stanley’s father money. For example, his stepmother would save food and feed her own children and let Stanley and his siblings