Chapter 29 · Holes

Copywork

In that split second Stanley thought he saw an unusual rock formation on top of one of the mountain peaks. The peak looked to him exactly like a giant fist, with the thumb sticking straight up.

Read the passage aloud. Which words show Stanley is describing what the rock looked like, not what it is?

Discussion

Narration Tell back what happens in this chapter, from the change in the weather to the picture that stays in Stanley's head.

Stanley thought he saw the fist, then was not sure he had. What makes the seeing so uncertain? Inference
The boys joke about building an ark and gathering two of each animal. What mood do you hear in their joking? Tone
The author stops the storm scene to tell about Stanley's great-grandfather. Why might the family story come right here? Plot structure
Stanley's father answers, “I don’t know. I wasn’t there.” Is that an honest answer, or an unhelpful one? Moral reasoning
The storm moves off “along with any hope of rain.” Was it wise for the boys to hope for it at all? Theme

Make a Connection Tell about a time you were not sure you saw something, but could not stop thinking about it.

Vocabulary

unusual: an unusual rock formation on top of one of the mountain peaks Not common; strange.
formation: an unusual rock formation A shape that something takes, such as rock.
peak: The peak looked to him exactly like a giant fist The pointed top of a mountain.
humid: The air became unbearably humid. Damp and heavy with moisture.
drenched: Stanley was drenched in sweat. Soaking wet.
barren: Sound travels a great distance across a barren wasteland. Empty, with nothing growing.
refuge: I found refuge on God’s thumb. A safe place to go in danger.
delirious: He was delirious when he said it. Confused and not thinking clearly, as in a fever.
stranded: left him stranded in the desert Left somewhere with no way to leave.

Critical thinking

The chapter opens with “a change in the weather. For the worse.” Using two pieces of evidence, explain what makes the change worse.
Stanley's father says his great-grandfather thought the nurse was an angel. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what the nurse meant to him.
In Stanley's mind, the lightning comes out of the thumb, not from behind it. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how his picture differs from what he saw.