Teaching Companion · Chapter 32 · Holes

This chapter's big question

Stanley tells himself it is too late for Zero, yet he is most troubled by the thought that it might not be. Which voice in him is more honest: the one that says "too late," or the one that asks "what if"?

The tension Stanley's two thoughts take turns all chapter: Zero cannot have survived, and what if he did. The truck is where Stanley stops weighing them and acts.

Today's focus

Notice the two thoughts Stanley goes back and forth between, and the moment he stops weighing them.

Two core ideas

Stanley tells himself it is too late for Zero, but the fear that it is not too late is what eats at him most.
The chapter is built from repeated thoughts, and then there is no time to think, only the truck.

The shape at a glance

Two days after Zero left, a new boy, Twitch, takes Zero's bed, and Stanley tries not to think about Zero. At the water truck the question comes back: what if it is not too late? Stanley sees the keys in the ignition, climbs in, drives straight into a hole, and runs with an empty canteen.

A way in

Start with the sentence about what worried Stanley most. Ask which is the harder thing to carry, being sure or not being sure.

Lesson plan

Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: Twitch's arrival, the sleepless night, the water line, the truck and the run.

Imitate the author After copying the passage, the student writes two sentences in the same pattern: one saying what did not worry them most, and one repeating it and adding what did.

Debate Take sides: which voice in Stanley is more honest, the one that says too late or the one that says what if? Each side uses at least one quote.

Purpose Close by asking why the author lets the question come back so many times before Stanley moves.

Easier Read the water-line scene aloud together and talk through discussion questions 1 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 Stanley argues with himself, and to add it to a critical-thinking answer.

Discussion

What worried Stanley most was the fear that it wasn’t too late for Zero. Why would that fear be worse than believing it was?Inference
What it asks It asks why hope can be harder to carry than giving up, when hope means there is something Stanley might have to do.
One reading

If it is too late, nothing more can be done; if it is not, Stanley is stuck with the blame for waiting.
- He tried not to think about Zero. It was too late.
- What worried him the most, what really ate at his insides, was the fear that it wasn’t too late.
Another reading

The picture of Zero still alive is the cruelest one, because Stanley can see him suffering.
- What if Zero was still alive, desperately crawling across the dirt searching for water?
- The image of Zero crawling across the hot dry dirt remained in his head.
Listen for
- Uses Stanley's own words, not only the student's feelings.
- Notices that the fear is about what he might have to do.
If stuck
- What does Stanley tell himself about Zero at first?
- What picture does Stanley see when he thinks Zero is alive?
- What does Stanley try to do with that picture?
A strong answer If it is too late, there is nothing left to do, and Stanley can set the thought aside. If it is not, then Zero may be crawling across the dirt for water while Stanley stands in line. The chapter says this is what ate at his insides. A strong answer says why that picture is harder to bear, and uses one of Stanley's own lines.
Twitch was arrested for stealing a car. Stanley climbs into Mr. Sir's truck without asking. Are these the same kind of act?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks the student to compare two boys taking a vehicle that is not theirs, and decide whether the reason changes the act.
One reading

They are alike: both take a vehicle that is not theirs, and both feel a twitch before they do it.
- Twitch had been arrested for stealing a car.
- Stanley felt his fingers start to twitch.
Another reading

They are different: Stanley wants water for Zero, while Twitch says he never plans it.
- A pickup truck with a tank of water in the back.
- I never plan to, you know, steal one
Listen for
- Says what each boy is after.
- Weighs the reason against the act, not only one of them.
If stuck
- What does Twitch say about why he ends up behind the wheel?
- What does Stanley want the truck for?
- Whose truck is it, and does Stanley ask?
A strong answer Both boys take a vehicle that is not theirs, and Stanley's fingers even twitch as Twitch's do. But Twitch says he never plans it, while Stanley thinks of a pickup with a tank of water for Zero. A strong answer decides whether a good reason changes the act, and says what the other side would say.
Stanley says this time it was “his own fault, one hundred percent.” How is that different from how he used to blame his great-great-grandfather?Character
What it asks It asks whether Stanley has changed: from a boy who blames his bad luck to a boy who owns what he does.
One reading

He has grown: he owns his choice and does not pass the blame back.
- He couldn’t blame his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather this time.
- This time it was his own fault, one hundred percent.
Another reading

He is only being hard on himself in the moment, which is not the same as growing.
- He had probably just done the stupidest thing he had ever done in his short and miserable life.
- He sighed.
Listen for
- Compares what Stanley says now with what he said before.
- Separates owning a choice from simply feeling bad about it.
If stuck
- Who does Stanley usually blame?
- Who does he blame this time?
- How does he describe what he has just done?
A strong answer Stanley used to blame his great-great-grandfather, and this time he says the fault is his own, one hundred percent. That is a real step: he owns the choice. But he also calls it the stupidest thing he has ever done, so he may only be angry at himself. A strong answer decides which it is, and gives a reason from the text.
The words “what if it’s not too late” come back again and again before Stanley moves. What does the repeating do to us?Author's choice
What it asks It asks the student to notice how the repeated thought builds pressure, and how the author makes the reader feel Stanley's pull.
One reading

It makes his choice feel unavoidable: the thought will not leave him alone.
- What if it’s not too late?
- But what if it wasn’t too late?
Another reading

It shows he is arguing with himself, since a voice answers it each time.
- It’s too late , he told himself. Zero couldn’t have survived.
- This is really crazy, he told himself.
Listen for
- Names the two voices and how they trade places.
- Says what the repeating makes the reader feel.
If stuck
- How many times does the question come back before he gets in the truck?
- What does Stanley tell himself right after the question comes?
- How much time does Stanley have to think?
A strong answer The question returns at the water line and again right before he flings open the door, and each time Stanley answers it with something like It's too late. The repeating makes us feel the pull on him, and the back-and-forth shows him arguing with himself. A strong answer says what the repeating does to the reader, and does not decide who wins the argument.
The chapter ends with his canteen being “empty, empty, empty” as he runs. What mood does that ending leave?Tone
What it asks It asks what the repeated word and the short line before it make the reader feel at the end.
One reading

It is dread: he runs out into the heat with nothing to drink.
- He ran.
- it reminded him that it was empty, empty, empty
Another reading

It is determination: he has made his choice and runs anyway.
- His canteen was strapped around his neck.
- He ran.
Listen for
- Names a feeling and points to a word that makes it.
- Notices the beat of the repeated word.
If stuck
- How many times does the author say empty?
- What is Stanley doing as the canteen bangs his chest?
- How short is the line before it?
A strong answer The canteen is empty and Stanley is running into the heat, so the ending can feel full of dread. But he runs, and he keeps running while the canteen bangs against him, so it can also feel like a choice he will not take back. A strong answer says which mood is stronger and what in the wording makes it.

Critical thinking

Stanley asks how he could ever find Zero, then thinks of a pickup truck. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how he gets from "too late" to the truck.
What it asks It asks the student to trace how a doubt turns into a plan, step by step.
One reading

He is led by hope: the question keeps coming back, so he looks for a way.
- What if it’s not too late?
- The image of Zero crawling across the hot dry dirt remained in his head.
Another reading

He is led by practical thinking: he works out what he would need.
- He’d need a car.
- A pickup truck with a tank of water in the back.
Listen for
- Two different pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- A reason that explains how one thought leads to the next.
If stuck
- What does Stanley ask himself about finding Zero?
- What does Stanley decide he would need?
A strong answer Stanley first asks how he could ever find Zero, and the answer is that he would need a car, or better, a pickup truck with a tank of water. What pushes him is the picture of Zero crawling across the dirt, which stays in his head. A strong answer shows both the hope and the practical thinking, with two pieces of evidence.
Mr. Sir shouts and runs, but at the end he stays where he is. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what Mr. Sir does as Stanley takes the truck.
What it asks It asks what the chapter shows Mr. Sir doing at each stage, without guessing at his reasons.
One reading

He tries to stop Stanley: he shouts and runs around the truck.
- “Hey!” shouted Mr. Sir.
- Mr. Sir came running around the side of the truck.
Another reading

He stops once the truck is stuck in the hole: he only stares.
- He glanced back at Mr. Sir, who remained where he was, staring at Stanley.
- He had driven straight into a hole.
Listen for
- Evidence from before and after the crash.
- Says what the chapter shows, not why Mr. Sir does it.
If stuck
- What does Mr. Sir do when Stanley climbs into the truck?
- Where is Mr. Sir when Stanley looks back at the end?
A strong answer Mr. Sir shouts and comes running as Stanley starts the truck. After the crash, Stanley glances back and Mr. Sir stays where he is, staring at him. The chapter does not say why he stopped. A strong answer uses one piece of evidence from each moment and says what the chapter does not tell us.
Stanley tells Twitch, “You get used to it.” Using two pieces of evidence, explain what Stanley has gotten used to and what he has not.
What it asks It asks the student to separate the camp life Stanley has grown into from the thing he cannot get used to.
One reading

He has gotten used to the camp: the smell, the early hour and the routine.
- It occurred to him that his cot no longer smelled bad.
- It’s the coolest part of the day.
Another reading

He has not gotten used to what happened to Zero: the picture will not leave him.
- He tried to force the image out of his mind.
- The image of Zero crawling across the hot dry dirt remained in his head.
Listen for
- One piece of evidence about the camp and one about Zero.
- A reason why one can be gotten used to and the other cannot.
If stuck
- What does Stanley notice about his cot?
- What does Stanley try to do with the picture of Zero?
A strong answer Stanley notices that his cot no longer smells bad, and he tells Twitch the early hour is the coolest part of the day, so the camp has become familiar. But he cannot get used to Zero: he tries to force the image out of his mind and it stays. A strong answer uses one piece of evidence from each side and says why one thing fades and the other does not.