Teaching Companion · Chapter 20 · Holes

This chapter's big question

The Warden strikes Mr. Sir with her wet nails, yet sends Stanley back to his hole. Is that mercy for Stanley, or a warning to him?

The tension She runs her wet nails down Stanley's cheek, and one nail stings his wound, but then she strikes Mr. Sir, who screams and falls, while the boy who said he stole the seeds is sent back to his hole.

Today's focus

Notice what the Warden says and shows, what she does, and which person she hurts.

Two core ideas

Stanley tells the Warden he stole the sack of seeds, and Mr. Sir says he thinks Stanley is lying.
The Warden shows Stanley her nail polish, strikes Mr. Sir and sends Stanley back to his hole.

The shape at a glance

Mr. Sir walks Stanley under the oak trees to the Warden's cabin, where holes lie close to the wall. Stanley repeats that he stole the sack, and Mr. Sir says he is lying. The Warden shows Stanley her nail polish, touches his face, then turns on Mr. Sir and strikes him across the face. Mr. Sir screams and falls to the rug, and the Warden sends Stanley back to work.

A way in

Start with the Warden's line, "I don't especially care about your sunflower seeds." Ask the student what she does care about in this scene.

Lesson plan

Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the walk to the cabin, Stanley's story, the makeup case, the nail polish, Mr. Sir's fall, and Stanley's walk out.

Imitate the author After copying the passage, the student writes two sentences in the same pattern: a short sentence about how someone speaks, then what they say.

Debate Take sides on the big question: is sending Stanley back to his hole a mercy, or a warning? Each side must use one quote from the chapter.

Purpose Close by asking why an author might give a powerful person a soft voice and a calm manner in a scene like this.

Easier Read the scene with the nail polish aloud together and talk through discussion questions 3 and 4 only.

On level Talk through all five discussion questions, then have the student write one critical-thinking answer with two pieces of evidence from the chapter.

Harder Ask the student to find one more place where the Warden says one thing and does another, and to add it to a critical-thinking answer.

Discussion

Stanley wonders if he feels like a condemned man on his way to the electric chair. Why might the author give him that thought as the chapter begins?Author's choice
What it asks It asks why the author opens with a dark comparison set beside something pleasant, and what it does before the scene starts.
One reading

It makes the reader dread what is coming, since Stanley already feels doomed.
- Stanley wondered if this was how a condemned man felt on his way to the electric chair
- He felt nothing but dread now.
Another reading

It shows how small a comfort can be to Stanley, who can enjoy shade even when afraid.
- It felt good to walk in the shade of the two oak trees.
- appreciating all of the good things in life for the last time
Listen for
- Says what the comparison makes the reader feel before the scene.
- Notices the good thing and the bad thing set side by side.
If stuck
- What does it feel good to do at the start?
- What does Stanley compare himself to?
- How does the chapter feel by the time the Warden opens the door?
A strong answer The chapter begins with a pleasant moment, shade under two oaks, and then Stanley compares himself to a condemned man enjoying good things for the last time. That sets dread beside comfort, so the reader enters the cabin uneasy. It also shows how little comfort Stanley needs to feel good. A strong answer says what the comparison does and points to the words.
Mr. Sir tells the Warden he thinks Stanley is lying to cover for someone. What might make him think so?Inference
What it asks It asks the student to work out what Mr. Sir sees in Stanley's story that makes him doubt it.
One reading

The size of the sack: one boy eating all of it by himself seems too much.
- It was a twenty-pound sack, and he claims to have eaten them all by himself.
- I think someone else stole the sack, and Caveman is covering up for X-Ray or somebody.
Another reading

Stanley's own answer gives him away, since the sack was not full and he says he spilled a lot.
- “The sack wasn’t full,” said Stanley. “And I spilled a lot. You can check my hole.”
Listen for
- Says what Mr. Sir notices and what Stanley says.
- Does not claim to know who really took the sack.
If stuck
- How big is the sack, according to Mr. Sir?
- What does Stanley say about the sack and the spill?
- Whom does Mr. Sir think Stanley is protecting?
A strong answer Mr. Sir points to the size of the sack: it was twenty pounds, and Stanley says he ate it all himself. Stanley's own answer, that the sack was not full and he spilled a lot, also sounds like a story that is being patched. The chapter does not say who took the sack, and a strong answer says only what Mr. Sir might see.
Stanley sticks to his story even after Mr. Sir calls him a liar. Is that brave, foolish, or both?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks the student to judge a boy who keeps to a story under the eyes of two grown-ups.
One reading

It is brave: he steadies himself, tells it to the Warden's face and adds details to back it.
- Stanley took a breath to steady himself.
- You can check my hole.
Another reading

It is foolish: he is afraid, and the man beside him has already said he is lying.
- He felt nothing but dread now.
- Yes, but I think he’s lying.
Listen for
- Names what Stanley risks by keeping to his story.
- Gives a reason for brave, foolish or both.
If stuck
- What does Stanley do before he speaks?
- What does Mr. Sir say about Stanley's story?
- What does Stanley offer to prove it?
A strong answer Stanley is plainly afraid, but he breathes in, says it again and offers to let her check his hole, which can be called brave. It can also be called foolish, since Mr. Sir has already told the Warden he thinks Stanley is lying. A strong answer says what Stanley risks and picks brave, foolish or both. It does not say why he told the story, because the chapter does not.
The Warden tells Mr. Sir, “I liked it better when you smoked.” What do you hear in that line?Tone
What it asks It asks the student to hear a very calm sentence said to a man in pain, and decide what it carries.
One reading

A dry joke: she says something almost light while he is on the floor.
- The Warden spoke softly.
- “If you must know,” said the Warden, “I liked it better when you smoked.”
Another reading

Cold cruelty: she answers his pain with a remark that makes it worse.
- Mr. Sir moaned.
- Then his head jerked violently, and he let out a shrill scream, worse than the one before.
Listen for
- Names a tone and ties it to the words.
- Notices what is happening to Mr. Sir as she speaks.
If stuck
- How does the chapter say she speaks?
- What is Mr. Sir doing on the rug?
- Can a calm voice make cruelty sound worse?
A strong answer The Warden speaks softly and says it almost as a remark, which can sound like a dry joke. But Mr. Sir is moaning on the rug, and his pain seems to recede for a second and then comes back worse, so the line can sound cold. A strong answer picks what it hears and points to the Warden's voice and Mr. Sir's pain.
As Stanley steps over Mr. Sir, he starts to ask “Is he—?” What does that show about Stanley?Character
What it asks It asks what Stanley's half-finished question shows, whether concern, fear, or both.
One reading

Concern: he worries about a man who has just been hard on him.
- Stanley could see the muscles on his face jump and twitch.
- “Is he—?”
Another reading

Fear: he cannot finish the question, because he is afraid of the answer or of the Warden.
- Stanley was too frightened to speak.
- “Excuse me?” said the Warden.
Listen for
- Says what the question and the silence show.
- Notices that Stanley stepped carefully.
If stuck
- What does Stanley see as he steps over Mr. Sir?
- How does the Warden answer his unfinished question?
- Why might a person stop in the middle of a question?
A strong answer Stanley steps carefully and starts to ask whether Mr. Sir is all right, which shows he cares what happens to the man. He cannot finish, and the chapter says he was too frightened to speak, so fear is in it too. A strong answer picks concern, fear or both and points to Stanley's words.

Critical thinking

While the Warden shows him her nail polish, Stanley has no idea why. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what he understands, and what he does not, about the scene.
What it asks It asks the student to see how much Stanley understands in the middle of the scene, from what he thinks and does.
One reading

He sees an ordinary thing, since the case looks like his mother's.
- It was a makeup case. Stanley’s mother had one similar to it.
- He wondered why the Warden would ever have the need to wear nail polish or makeup.
Another reading

He senses danger even before he understands it, and moves carefully.
- Stanley looked at the door, then at the Warden, then back at the door.
- He slowly walked toward it.
Listen for
- Two separate pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Says what Stanley does not yet know about the polish.
If stuck
- What does the case remind Stanley of?
- What does he do before he walks to the door?
- What does the Warden say about the polish after he returns?
A strong answer Stanley sees the case as an ordinary makeup case like his mother's and wonders why the Warden would need makeup at all, so he does not see the point. But he looks from the door to the Warden and back and walks slowly, so he feels something is wrong. A strong answer uses two pieces of evidence and says what Stanley knows and what he does not.
Mr. Sir begins the scene sure of himself and ends it on the rug. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what changes in him.
What it asks It asks the student to trace Mr. Sir from the cabin door to the floor and say what the scene does to him.
One reading

He goes from confident to helpless: he hands Stanley over, then cannot stand.
- Caveman will tell you all about it.
- He let himself fall over, rolling off the hearth and onto the rug.
Another reading

He is not so changed: he keeps to his own view until she cuts him off.
- “No, he says he stole them, but I think it was—”
- She stepped toward him and struck him across the face.
Listen for
- Two separate pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Says what Mr. Sir wants at the door and what he has at the end.
If stuck
- What does Mr. Sir say at the cabin door?
- What does he try to say right before the Warden strikes?
- What is he doing at the end?
A strong answer Mr. Sir brings Stanley to the cabin as the one with the report to give, and he keeps to his own view, even when she asks him again. Then he is cut off, struck and left moaning on the rug. A strong answer says how much changes in him, and uses two different pieces of evidence.
The Warden says the polish is harmless when dry and toxic when wet. Using two pieces of evidence, explain why she might tell Stanley that before she uses it.
What it asks It asks why she explains how the polish works, and who the explaining is for.
One reading

She is giving Stanley a warning he can understand later.
- It’s perfectly harmless … when it’s dry.
- It’s only toxic while it’s wet.
Another reading

She likes showing it off, as someone proud of her own work.
- You can’t buy that in a store. I have to make it myself.
- She waved it in the air for a few seconds
Listen for
- Two separate pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Does not claim to know why she tells Stanley this; the chapter gives her words, not her reason.
If stuck
- What does the Warden say about where she gets the polish?
- What does she say about it when it is dry and when it is wet?
- What does she do while she talks?
A strong answer The Warden explains the polish step by step, harmless when dry and toxic while wet, and the explanation can be read as a warning Stanley will understand later. She also says she makes it herself and takes her time painting, which can sound like someone enjoying her own work. The chapter does not say why she tells Stanley, so a strong answer says so and uses two pieces of evidence.