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Holes
Trailblazers · 4th–6th
Mr. Pendanski says to teach the bully a lesson, the Warden says holes teach a lesson, and Stanley is teaching Zero to read. Who is really teaching, and who is really learning, in this chapter?
The tension The adults call their orders lessons while mocking the one real lesson going on, and Stanley, who teaches Zero, gives way to the boys and to the counselors.
Notice who calls what a lesson, and who is actually learning something.
On Zigzag's birthday, Stanley counts his forty-fifth hole. At lunch Zigzag and the others goad him until a fight breaks out. Mr. Pendanski tells Stanley to hit back, Zigzag beats him, and Zero chokes Zigzag. The Warden ends the reading lessons and the hole-swapping. Zero swings a shovel at Mr. Pendanski and walks out onto the lake, and the Warden orders him watched.
Start with Mr. Pendanski's words, "Teach the bully a lesson." Ask what kind of lesson he means, and what the student thinks Stanley would learn from it.
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the birthday, the line, the cookie, the fight, the Warden's questions, the spelling test and the shovel.
Imitate the author After copying the passage, the student writes one sentence in the same pattern, starting with "If": what someone would see if they only thought about it.
Debate Take sides: in this chapter, who is doing the most real teaching, Stanley, Mr. Pendanski or the Warden? Each side uses at least one quote.
Purpose Close by asking why the author puts the spelling test between the fight and the shovel.
Easier Read the spelling scene aloud together and talk through discussion questions 4 and 5 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 an adult uses the word lesson, and to add it to a critical-thinking answer.
1. Mr. Pendanski tells Stanley, “Hit him back. You’re bigger.” Was that good advice from a counselor? What makes you say so?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks the student to judge advice given by an adult in charge, weighing what Stanley has put up with against what the advice leads to.
It was fair advice: Zigzag had pushed and shoved Stanley again and again, and Stanley had done nothing.
Zigzag kept after him. He shoved Stanley and said, “Quit pushing!”
Zigzag pushed him hard. “Eat my cookie,” he said.
It was poor advice: a counselor should stop a fight, not start one, and Stanley ended up pounded into the dirt.
“I don’t want any trouble,” Stanley said.
Stanley made a feeble attempt to punch Zigzag, then he felt a flurry of fists against his head and neck.
A strong answer Zigzag has pushed Stanley over and over, so the advice to hit back can sound fair. But Stanley said he did not want trouble, and Mr. Pendanski had seen everything and could have stopped it himself. After the advice Stanley is pounded into the dirt. A strong answer takes a side and says what the counselor could have done.
2. Stanley says, “That’s okay,” yet moves to the front of the line when X-Ray insists. Why does he give in?Character
What it asks It asks why Stanley, who says no, then does what the boys want, and what he is trying to protect.
He gives in to avoid trouble: X-Ray will not let it drop, and Stanley wants to be left alone.
“No, it’s not okay,” said X-Ray. “Get up here.”
Stanley hesitated, then moved to the front of the line.
He gives in because he has no good way to say no; all morning he has smiled along or ignored them.
Stanley tried his best to ignore them.
Stanley smiled, as if it were all a big joke.
A strong answer Stanley turns X-Ray down twice, and each time X-Ray pushes back until he says it is not okay. Stanley hesitates and goes. That fits a boy who wants no trouble and has not found a way to say no that works. A strong answer says what Stanley is protecting and whether giving in helped him.
3. Stanley asks if reading builds more character than digging holes. The Warden asks, “What about your character?” Who has the better point?Theme
What it asks It asks the student to weigh two ideas about what builds a person: learning something new, or doing hard work yourself.
Stanley has the better point: the hole still gets dug, and Zero is learning something that matters.
The hole still gets dug, so what does it matter who digs it?
Isn’t it more important for him to learn to read?
The Warden has the better point: the deal lets Stanley rest while another boy does his work, and he has no answer.
“That’s his character,” said the Warden. “What about your character?”
Stanley raised and lowered one shoulder.
A strong answer Stanley says the hole still gets dug and that reading matters more, which is a fair point about Zero. The Warden turns the question on him: what about his own character? His shrug suggests he has no ready answer, and the chapter says he feels awkward while Zero digs. A strong answer decides, uses lines from both sides, and says what the other person gets right.
4. Zero reads h-a-t as “chat,” and the counselors laugh. Why might the author give us Stanley's thought about that mistake?Author's choice
What it asks It asks why the author lets the reader hear Stanley's private thought while the room laughs, and what it changes about the scene.
It shows the mistake is smart, not stupid, so the laughing looks unfair.
it was very logical for Zero to think that the letter “h” made the “ch” sound
He’s so stupid, he doesn’t even know he’s stupid.
It shows Zero is guessing a sound Stanley has not yet taught him, so the mistake belongs to the lesson, not only to Zero.
Stanley hadn’t taught him the “h” sound either.
Zero concentrated hard, then said, “Chat.”
A strong answer The counselors laugh and Mr. Pendanski calls Zero stupid, but Stanley thinks the mistake is very logical. The author lets us hear that thought, so we see the answer as reasoning and not a failure. The chapter also says Stanley had not taught the h sound yet. A strong answer says what the thought changes about the scene and who it makes us trust.
5. Mr. Pendanski hands Zero the shovel and says, “It’s all you’ll ever be good for.” What leads Zero to swing it?Plot structure
What it asks It asks the student to trace what builds up to Zero's swing, and whether the last insult or the whole day is behind it.
The last insult is the cause: he is told digging is all he is good for, right after his lessons are taken away.
“And no more reading lessons.”
Here, take it, Zero. It’s all you’ll ever be good for.
The whole scene is the cause: he has been mocked in front of everyone and has already said he is done digging.
You might as well try to teach this shovel to read!
“I’m not digging another hole,” said Zero.
A strong answer Zero says he is done digging, and he has just heard the Warden end the reading lessons. Then Mr. Pendanski hands him the shovel and says it is all he will ever be good for. The swing follows at once, but the chapter has been building to it through the mocking in front of everyone. A strong answer puts the steps in order and says which one tipped it.
1. Zigzag keeps saying, “Don’t push me!” while he pushes Stanley. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what Zigzag is trying to do.
What it asks It asks the student to read what Zigzag's words and actions are for: to start a fight, or to put on a show.
He wants a fight he can blame on Stanley, so he says Stanley is the one pushing.
Zigzag pushed him back. “Don’t push me!”
“Teach me a lesson,” he challenged.
He is playing to the other boys, who laugh and join in.
Squid laughed.
“Why should he?” snapped X-Ray.
A strong answer Zigzag pushes Stanley and then shouts that Stanley is pushing him, which sounds like a way to start a fight and blame it on someone else. He also has an audience: Squid laughs and X-Ray speaks up for him. A strong answer picks one purpose and uses two different pieces of evidence.
2. The Warden asks what happened. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how the boys answer her.
What it asks It asks the student to compare the boys' answers and say whether they cover for each other or tell it straight.
Most of them cover it up: they say it was only the heat.
“They just got a little hot, that’s all,” said X-Ray.
“Yeah,” said Zigzag. “Like X-Ray said.
Some of them tell it straight: Armpit says what happened, and Stanley will not blame anyone.
“Ziggy was beating up the Caveman,” said Armpit.
“Nothing. It wasn’t a riot.”
A strong answer X-Ray says the boys just got hot in the sun, and Zigzag repeats it, so they are working together. But Armpit says Zigzag was beating up Stanley, and Stanley says it was not a riot. A strong answer says whether the boys are covering up or telling the truth in different ways, and uses two pieces of evidence.
3. The Warden gives her orders when Zero walks out onto the lake. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what she seems to care about most.
What it asks It asks what the Warden's orders show about what she wants: to punish Zero, to protect herself, or both.
She cares most about keeping control of the camp and avoiding outside attention.
The last thing we need is an investigation.
she still expected seven holes
She cares most about making Zero pay for what he did.
They were not to let Zero drink any water.
When he returned, he was to be brought directly to her.
A strong answer The Warden stops the counselors from shooting Zero because she does not want an investigation, and she still expects seven holes. She also orders that Zero get no water and be brought straight to her. A strong answer picks what she cares about most, control or revenge, and gives two different pieces of evidence.