Story Grammar

Story: Holes by Louis Sachar Plot: A sixteen year old in a youth detention camp has to decide which rules to live by and which rules to break as he seeks to expose the truth about the warden and help a friend in need.

Themes: Social groups, obedience to rules, being honest with yourself, theft, greed, perseverance, integrity.

Setting: Modern-day Texas desert.

Characters: Group D: Stanley Yelnats (a.k.a. Caveman, the protagonist), Alan (Squid), Rex (X-Ray), Jose (Magnet), Theodore (Armpit), Ricky (Zigzag), Hector Zeroni (Zero). Camp Counselors: Mr. Sir, Mr. Pendanski (Mom), Warden Walker. Residents of Green Lake one hundred and ten years ago: Miss Katherine Barlow, Sam (Onion Sam), Charles Walker (Trout), Linda Miller-Walker.

Chain of Events:

Initiating Event: Stanley swears it's a curse; regardless, he was found in the wrong place at the wrong time with stolen property. The judge for his case offered a sentence in either a juvenile prison or a work camp. Stanley chose Camp Green Lake.

Internal Response: Life at Camp Green Lake is hard. The Texas sun beats down on him all day as he is force to dig five foot round holes, five feet deep. Being a large boy Stanley muddles through it, but has a difficult time fitting in with the other boys in his group. Between covering for one boy and teaching another to read, Stanley starts to feel accepted.

Attempt/Outcome: When Stanley's illiterate friend Zero runs away from the camp and is left for dead in the sweltering heat, Stanley decides to catch up and try to save them both. For the next few days Stanley and Zero survive thanks to some remarkable circumstances connected with the town of Green Lake of one hundred years ago. Once their strength is regained they head back to the camp to continue digging in a hole Stanley had found weeks earlier.

Resolution: As dusk arrives Stanley and Zero uncover a suitcase which Warden Walker has been searching for for years. Just as they loosen it from the soil the warden arrives to claim her prized buried treasure. It turns out that the suitcase has Stanley's name on the front. Stanley is acquitted of the theft which brought him to Green Lake. Zero is released. The magical curse on the Yelnats family is lifted. Our heros become moderately rich, and the warden is incarcerated herself.

Reaction: A realistic storyline (at least most of the time) with exciting twists and unforgettable coincidences. A wonderful read for 6th – 8th grade classrooms.