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Holes
Trailblazers · 4th–6th
He doubted he could make it to Big Thumb, and with no water in his canteen, he didn’t want to risk his life on the hope that he’d find refuge there.
Read the passage aloud. What does the sentence set against each other: what he doubted, and what he hoped?
Narration Tell back what Stanley does after he leaves the truck, from his walk across the lake to the sunflower sack.
1. Stanley looks into each hole he passes, but “didn’t admit to himself what he was looking for.” What might he be hoping or fearing to see?Inference
2. Stanley smiled as he realized his plan would not quite work. What does that smile tell you about him?Character
3. Stanley will go only halfway, so he can still return. Is that wise, or too little for someone who may be in danger?Moral reasoning
4. The author says guessing where the Warden will dig is like “trying to guess the winning numbers in a lottery.” Why might that picture fit?Author's choice
5. The chapter ends with one word: “Lunch.” What tone does that word set after everything before it?Tone
Make a Connection Tell about a time you made a plan carefully, then had to change it.
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| 2 | 3 | |||||||||
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He doubted he could make it to Big Thumb
he didn’t want to risk his life
the hope that he’d find refuge there
they had dug in a systematic order
pick a spot at random
in a fit of frustration
The encounter with the lizards had made him very cautious.
and beg for mercy
1. Stanley keeps thinking he has passed the last hole. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what keeps pulling him on.
2. Stanley expects to return to camp and beg for mercy. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what he expects when he gets back.
3. Stanley sees the lizards and runs. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how the lizards change the way he moves.