Chapter 21 · Holes

Copywork

If he didn’t talk about it, then maybe it didn’t happen. He went over to his hole, and to his surprise it was nearly finished. He stared at it, amazed.

Read the passage aloud. How does the short last sentence feel after the two longer ones?

Discussion

Narration Tell back what happens on Stanley's walk back to his hole, in order: what he thinks about, the rattlesnake, the boys' questions, and what he finds at his hole.

After the Warden's words, Stanley meets a rattlesnake and whispers, “Thanks for the warning.” What do you hear in his voice? Tone
The boys ask what the Warden said and what Stanley told her. How much of the truth do they have a right to hear? Moral reasoning
Stanley decides the other boys dug his hole because he took the blame for the seeds. What makes that a reasonable guess? Inference
The chapter ends on Zero's hole, “smaller than all the others,” with no explanation. Why might the author stop there? Plot structure

Make a Connection Tell about a time you kept quiet about something hard that had happened to you. What made you want to?

Vocabulary

surprise: to his surprise it was nearly finished Something unexpected, or the feeling of finding it.
amazed: stared at it, amazed Very surprised.
desolate: the desolate wasteland Empty and lonely.
stranded: left him stranded in the desert Left in a place with no way to leave.
refuge: “found refuge on God’s thumb.” A safe place away from danger.
credit: took credit for it Praise for having done something.
confused: Confused, Stanley looked Not able to make sense of something.
insane: He was insane when they found him. Not in his right mind.

Critical thinking

Stanley's great-grandfather survived seventeen days in the desert. Using two pieces of evidence, explain whether the chapter shows him as lucky or unlucky.
Stanley hopes to finish his hole before Mr. Sir recovers. Using two pieces of evidence, explain why he fears being alone with him.
The boys call out “You’re still alive” and Magnet says “Good going.” Using two pieces of evidence, explain how the boys see what Stanley did.