Holes Questions and Answers
Holes
Why is Stanley nicknamed Caveman in Holes?
Stanley's friends give him the nickname "Caveman" during an incident in the "wreck room" on the second day of camp. Stanley trips over a boy called the Lump when the Lump has his foot outstretched,...
Holes
What are the differences and similarities between Stanley and Zero in Louis Sachar's Holes?
Stanley "Caveman" Yelnats and Zero are first and foremost bound by the crime for which Stanley is doing time at Camp Green Lake. Stanley is wrongfully accused of stealing a pair of sneakers—shoes...
Holes
What is the main conflict in the book Holes and how was it resolved?
While external conflicts like the Yelnats family curse and Stanley's false accusation are certainly important elements of Louis Sachar's novel Holes, the primary conflict of the story is actually...
Holes
Why was Stanley Yelnats' family cursed in Holes?
Stanley Yelnats is arrested for a crime he did not commit. His family blames their bad luck on the person they refer to as "Stanley's no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather"...
Holes
Why do you think Stanley lied about camp in his letter to his mom?
Stanley lied in order to spare his mother pain and worry. In the story, we learn that Stanley has been sent away to a camp for "bad boys." At Camp Green Lake Juvenile Correctional Facility, Mr. Sir...
Holes
In Holes, why did Elya tell Myra to choose Igor?
Elya told Myra to choose Igor because she did not really love him, and she proved self-centered. In the past, there is the story of Elya Yelnats and Myra Menke. Elya is in love with Myra. So is...
Holes
What are the main events in Holes?
While it is possible to give a chronological main-events list for Stanley's experiences in Holes, that would leave out large sequences of important flashbacks. As an example, the Elya, Madame...
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What are the themes in Holes?
Holes has many themes, but the major ones are justice, friendship, and the role of fate/destiny and the effect of the past on present events. Justice is the primary theme in Holes. The novel...
Holes
Why do you think the boys in Holes spit in their holes when they are finished digging?
In chapter seven, Stanley Yelnats digs his first hole, which is supposed to measure five feet deep and five feet across. Well before Stanley finishes digging his hole, the other boys finish their...
Holes
After Sam fixed up the schoolhouse in Holes, why did the townspeople destroy it?
In Louis Sachar's Holes, Sam, the onion man, fixes the leaky schoolhouse roof after making a deal with Miss Katherine, the school teacher. He will contribute his labor on the roof in exchange for...
Holes
In Holes, why do the boys always line up for water in the same order? What’s the significance of this order?
Despite being an unruly bunch of young tearaways, the boys of D tent are remarkably well-ordered when it comes to lining up for water. This is all the more remarkable given the searing desert heat...
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What is the reason Mr. Pendenski gives for why the boys have to dig a hole every day in Holes?
Mr. Pedanski says that digging holes is supposed to build character. Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake for stealing a famous ball player’s shoes. They actually fell on his head. It was an...
Holes
After Zero runs away, what does the warden decide to do?
After Zero runs away the Warden decides not to notify anyone. Because Zero is a ward of the state, and has no legal guardians, she assumes no one will come looking for him if he dies out in the...
Holes
Why does it seem as though Mr. Pendanski has it in for Zero?
Mr. Pendanski's behavior in regard to Zero is completely contrary to his usual demeanor as the camp counselor. While he treats the other boys with at least some compassion and respect, he seems...
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How did Stanley discover the tube was a lipstick in Holes?
Stanley knows that the gold tube is a lipstick tube because he remembers his mother’s lipstick tubes. Stanley recognizes the tube as a lipstick tube when he remembers that he has seen lipstick...
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Why was Stanley surprised when he returned to his hole after visiting the warden?
Stanley is surprised to see his hole mostly dug for him. Stanley was sent to Camp Green Lake juvenile detention center for supposedly stealing an athlete’s shoes. He actually found them (they...
Holes
In Holes by Louis Sachar, what, according to Sam, could onions cure?
Sam says that onions can cure everything. Sam is known as “the onion man.” He claims that his donkey Mary Lou is fifty years old, and her old age and good health are a result of eating onions....
Holes
What are three morals in Holes?
In the book Holes, we are introduced to Stanley, a young boy sent to a camp after being charged with a crime he didn't commit. The book takes us on an emotional journey of heartache, gypsy curses,...
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Why do you think the Warden scratches Mr. Sir?
The Warden in Holes is a truly fearsome individual. A nasty, egomaniacal control freak and bully, she simply will not tolerate any challenge to her authority, however minor. A particularly stark...
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What types of conflict are present in Louis Sachar's Holes: man versus self, man versus man, or man versus society?
Stanley Yelnats, the main character of Holes, experiences all of these types of conflict through the novel. This is just one example of each type of conflict, but there are many other examples in...
Holes
When Stanley goes back to his hole, it has been dug. What inference does he make about who dug it for him, and what...
After taking the blame for eating Mr. Sir's sunflower seeds, Stanley returns from his uncomfortable visit with the Warden to find that his hole has already been finished for him. He notices that...
Holes
List five character traits of Stanley, the protagonist of Holes.
Stanley Yelnats, the main character in Holes by Louis Sachar, possesses many character traits. Here are five of them: Stanley has a strong belief that his family is chronically unlucky, and...
Holes
Discuss the significance of the nicknames of the boys at Camp Green Lake in Holes.
One of the boys at Camp Green Lake is nicknamed Zero. In chapter 5, Mr. Pendanski tells Stanley that Zero is called Zero because "there's nothing inside his head." Zero later proves himself to in...
Holes
In Holes by Louis Sachar, what did X-Ray ask Stanley to do next time he found something? What was his reasoning...
X-Ray tells Stanley to give him the tube because he has been there longest and deserves a day off. As unofficial leader, X-Ray seems to have a lot of power over the group. For example, he chooses...
Holes
How did the Yelnats family believe they were cursed, and how was the curse broken?
The Yelnats' family curse was originally placed on their "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather" by Madame Zeroni. The curse is a bad luck curse. The Yelnats family consistently...
Holes
In the book Holes what does Mrs. Tennyson think helped Becca finally get rid of her fever?
The answer to this question can be found in chapter 40 of the book. The chapter starts out in the present with Stanley digging up a root. We are not told what the root is, but the flashback that...
Holes
How do Stanley and Mr. Sir get even after the Warden punishes him in Holes?
I assume you are referring to the scene in which the Warden hits Mr. Sir and scratches him with her nails coated in varnish containing rattlesnake venom. Stanley does not get punished for stealing...
Holes
In the book Holes who is Squid?
Squid is the nickname of one of the boys who has been sent to Camp Green Lake after being found guilty of committing a felony. He is one of the first two boys Mr. Pendanski introduces to Stanley...
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How did X-Ray get his name in Holes?
X-Ray got his nickname because he wore glasses. He claims he can see through people. X-Ray wore glasses, which were quite dirty and so thick it seemed to Stanley that he could barely see through...
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What does Stanley find out about Zigzag in Chapter 17 of Holes by Louis Sachar?
Stanley learns Zigzag has harbored a grudge and can be violent. All of the boys at Camp Green Lake go by nicknames. The nicknames are generally not flattering. Stanley’s nickname is Caveman....
Holes
How do Stanley and Zero prove to be true friends to each other? Analyze with close reference to the novel Holes, and...
Stanley and Zero become true friends after Zero runs away from Camp Green Lake. Stanley steals a truck, which he crashes into a hole, and finds Zero, saving his life. Zero shows his friendship by...
Holes
Explain in detail what caused Stanley to be sent to Camp Green Lake in Holes by Louis Sachar.
In chapter 6 of Holes, Stanley reveals that he was sent to Camp Green Lake because he “stole a pair of sneakers” from Clyde Livingston, a famous baseball player. However, it soon becomes clear that...
Holes
How and why do Stanley's relations with the other boys of his group change in Holes? Discuss with reference to...
Throughout Holes, Stanley’s relationships with the other boys in D Tent become increasingly complex. When he demonstrates resilience by continuing to dig, the others begin to accept him, bestowing...
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Who does Stanley's family blame for all of their problems in Holes?
Stanley Yelnats and the members of his family blame their bad luck and misfortune on their "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather." According to Stanley's family history, his...
Holes
How is the conflict of Stanley and the curse resolved in Holes?
In Louis Sachar's novel Holes, Stanley Yelnats' family explains its consistent bad luck by the curse placed on his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather" by Madam Zeroni for...
Holes
Who wins in the unspoken challenge between Stanley and Zero in Holes?
Stanley and Zero are engaged in a quest for survival out in the desert. They have very little water with them, and so they must ration their supplies as best they can. The two boys unwittingly hit...
Holes
How does Stanley almost get into a fight?
In chapter 30, Zigzag and the other boys begin picking on Stanley because Zero has been digging his holes in exchange for reading lessons. On Zigzag's birthday, he becomes increasingly hard on...
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How was the curse lifted in Holes?
The curse you are referring to is first placed when Elya Yelnats seeks help from Madame Zeroni in order to win the love of an incompetent local girl, Myra Menke. Zeroni tells Elya to carry a piglet...
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In Louis Sachar's Holes, Sarah (Elya's wife) sang a pig lullaby to Stanley. "If only, if only," the woodpecker...
In Chapter 7 of Louis Sachar's Holes, we learn that Stanley's great-great-grandfather Elya Yelnats was taught to sing a lullaby to the pig the gypsy woman gave him to carry. As a result of a...
Holes
How many holes did Stanley Yelnats have to dig in Holes by Louis Sachar?
In the book Holes by Louis Sachar, Stanley Yelnats is a young man who has been sent off to a sort-of detention facility with dozens of other young men. Part of the punishment for those at the...
Holes
In Chapter 33 of Holes by Louis Sachar, does Stanley approach his predicament intelligently?
In Chapter 33, Stanley has left camp and is walking through the desert, looking for Zero. No one follows Stanley, and he debates turning back but decides to keep going in the hopes of finding his...
Holes
What is the point of view of the book Holes by Louis Sachar?
Sachar mainly uses a third-person point of view in writing Holes. This means that the narrator of the story isn't part of the action and can tell us everything that's going on, including what's...
Holes
What are the similarities between X-Ray and Stanley in Holes?
Truth be told, there aren't a whole lot of similarities between X-Ray and Stanley. One is Black, the other white; one is short, the other quite tall. One has been at Camp Green Lake for a while...
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Who stole the sunflower seeds in Holes?
In chapter 19, Mr. Sir leaves after giving the boys their routine water break, and Stanley returns to his hole to resume digging. Shortly after Mr. Sir's truck pulls away, Stanley hears Magnet ask...
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What is the real reason the boys are digging holes?
On the face of it, the boys of Camp Green Lake are digging holes as punishment—to give them something to do each day. But Stanley quickly realizes that there's something fishy going on and that...
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What is the significance of the rain at the end of Louis Sachar's Holes?
The heavy rain that falls at the end of Holes has great symbolic significance. Camp Green Lake was only established in the first place due to the original Green Lake having dried up after years of...
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Where does Stanley live?
Stanley, or Stanley Yelnats IV, to give him his full name, lives in California. As he tells us himself, his great-grandfather—the first Stanley Yelnats—lost his fortune on his way out west from New...
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How did Zero and Stanley go missing in Holes?
In chapter thirty, tensions peak when Zigzag and the other boys begin bullying Stanley for allowing Zero to dig part of his hole. When things turn physical and Zigzag begins to beat Stanley, Zero...
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What are characteristics of Stanley Yelnats in Holes?
Stanley Yelnats is the dynamic protagonist of the celebrated novel Holes and is depicted as an insecure, overweight boy who initially lacks self-confidence. He is also an honest, genuine person who...
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What is the boys' nickname for Mr. Pendanski in Holes and why?
In Holes, Mr. Pendanski, the counselor in charge of D tent, is often called "Mom" by the boys at the camp. He likely certainly prefers to go by his own name, making sure to explain how to pronounce...
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