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Chapter 47

Holes

Trailblazers · 4th–6th

Copywork

“Stanley, as your attorney, I advise you not to say anything,” said the woman, “until you and I have had a chance to talk in private.”

Read the passage aloud. How does the speaker's voice, in these words, sound different from the Warden's?

Discussion

Narration Tell back what happens in this chapter, from the morning in the hole to the name on the suitcase.

1. The Warden hugs Zero and says, “Thank God, you’re alive,” while trying to take the suitcase. What do you think she is really doing?Inference

2. In the hole, Zero asks if Stanley's last name is his first name backward. What does it tell us about Zero that he asks this now?Character

3. The Warden says she needed more proof before she could release Stanley. Is it fair to ask for more proof of a court order?Moral reasoning

4. A lizard pounces on a tarantula, and Mr. Sir says, “Not hungry, huh?” Why might the author put that moment in?Author's choice

5. The Warden's story gets weaker until she cannot finish her sentence. What does the most damage to it?Plot structure

Make a Connection Tell about a time someone said something untrue about you, or about someone you know.

Vocabulary

Crossword
1234
56
7
8
Across
  • Across 1. A lawyer.
  • Across 3. Walked unsteadily.
  • Across 5. Held by strong interest.
  • Across 8. Real and allowed by the rules.
Down
  • Down 1. To give someone your opinion on what to do.
  • Down 2. Made to look bigger or stronger than it is.
  • Down 4. Official permission.
  • Down 6. Not being able to accept something as true.
  • Down 7. A confused state of mind, often from fever.
The words in the chapter
  • attorney as your attorney, I advise you not to say anything
  • advise I advise you not to say anything
  • exaggerated seemed exaggerated in the stark morning light
  • fascinated He was momentarily fascinated by it
  • authorization She didn’t have proper authorization
  • legitimate How do I know it’s legitimate?
  • delirium suffering from hallucinations and delirium
  • staggered Stanley and Zero staggered away.
  • disbelief The Warden stared at it in disbelief.

Critical thinking

1. The Warden tells the strangers why the boys are in the hole. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how her story makes Stanley look.

2. Stanley's lawyer speaks up for him in front of the Warden. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how she tries to protect him.

3. Stanley climbs out of the hole with the lizards still around him. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how he manages it.