Friday, February 10, 2012

Holes: Analysis


Actually the book was quite easy for me to understand as I’m highly adept in understanding unknown words through inference from the context. But in order to improve vocabulary it is essential to check out the unknown words from a dictionary.


Unknown Word                               My Guess                          Dictionary Meaning
1)Stifling (ch.3; p.6)                           tight                        suffocating, constraining


2)Convicted (ch.3; p.7)                      guilty                      declared guilty in a court
                                                                                               of law

3)Perseverance (ch.3; p.8)                  will                                   determination



4)Odor (ch.3; p.9)                             smell?                     a distinctive, especially
                                                                                       unpleasant smell

5)Perimeter (ch.7; p.26)                         -                           the continuous line
                                                                                  forming the boundary of
                                                                               a closed geometrical figure


6)Forlorn (ch.7; p.30)                      sad, desperate         pitifully sad, abandoned     




7)Wheelbarrow (ch.15; p.69)     a kind of a carriage              a small cart with a
                                                                             single wheel at the front and two                                               supporting legs and two handles at                                                             the rear   



8)Arthritis   (ch.25; p.31)                 an illness               a disease causing painful                                               inflammation and stiffness of the joints.

9)to mock  (ch.27; p.117)                 to tease             tease, laugh at or mimic in a
                                                                     scornful or contemptuous manner
It is absolutely upsetting to see that there are still people who use Internet Explorer

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Holes: Prediction


Hey Dude.

A lot has happened since my last entry. And everything is so connected that it is possible to make wild guesses as to how the book will conclude. As you come to the end of Chapter 30 you’ll see how foreshadowing the book becomes.

Firstly, if you have read so far –hopefully, you can give yourself a pat on the back, because it’s the end of the first part.

“Part II: The Last Hole


Okay, now that we’ve got to know more about Katherine Barlow (a.k.a Kissin’ Kate Barlow), it’s about certain that the Warden in Camp Green Lake is a descendant of Trout and Linda (also a readhead) Walker; therefore, she’s looking for the tremendous loot of KKB.

“Go ahead and kill me, Trout, but I sure hope you like to dig.” –KKB


I feel like you’ve understood that the dig-holes-to-build-character stuff was just a stalking horse to conceal the search for the loot. It was obviously a bullsh**t anyways. And I’m pretty sure that it will found out in the end.

We’ve also got to know Zero and NEWS FLASH: His real name is Hector Zeroni, which shows us that we’re in a kind of “crossroads of destiny” as it was a woman called Madam Zeroni who cursed Elya Yelnats (you know, the pig stealing old dude) in the first place.

“In a way, it made him sad. He couldn’t help but think that a hundred times zero was still nothing.”


So eventually they’ll probably become great friends. And considering the fact that Zero (or Hector, doesn’t matter) left the camp after bashing Mr. Pendanski’s head with his showel because of his clever remarks, Stanley will probably follow him to help him survive the wasteland.

They’ll probably find refuge at the God’s Thumb (a kind of interesting rock formation at the top of the mountains west of the camp which somehow helped Stanley 1 survive the desert many years ago), which Stanley had instantaneously seen during a storm.

“I hate digging holes” –Hector Zeroni (or Zero, doesn’t matter)

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Sunday, February 5, 2012

Holes: Character Analysis


Hello there.
As you –assuming that you are still reading– reach the end of the 20th chapter you’ll get to know Rex (a.k.a. X-Ray).
The Leader of the Pack

X-Ray is the unofficial leader of Group D, which consists of José, Theodore, Ricky, Alan, Zero and our beloved Stanley (a.k.a. Magnet, Armpit, Zigzag, Squid, Zero and Caveman [Stanley got a nickname too, isn’t that cute?]). 


Anyways, there’s a reason that this guy is the leader –not to mention he’s been in Camp Green Lake longer than any of his mates. And it’s this reason why I chose this guy for my character analysis and why he should be admired.

“X-Ray was clearly the leader of the group, and Stanley didn’t want to get on his bad side.”

Though he’s the second shortest (Zero holds the record) boy in the group and almost blind, everybody in the group listens to him, because he can frankly articulate his feelings and requests. And he’s got enough confidence to step up to the front row of the water truck line every time it’s back. If you turn on the 11th chapter you’ll get what I mean.

“Hey Caveman, let me talk to you a second.”

By assertively telling Stanley that he should give whatever he finds to him, because he deserves a day-off more than Stanley does, X-Ray makes it clear that he’s the boss around. And Stanley has no other choice to obey even though it’s obvious that X-Ray is nothing more than an undersized A-hole.

But ultimately X-Ray shows his gratitude to Stanley after he gives him the gold tube by making him move one step frontward in the water truck line.

Hats off to you Mr. Rex –blind or not.

“Glad you’re here, X-Ray, we need your sharp eyes.” –the Warden


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Saturday, February 4, 2012

Holes: First Impressions


Welcome to Camp Green Lake


When the readers open the book hoping to find an actual camp with a nice lake, they will probably be deeply disappointed that they actually found themselves in a barren wasteland in the middle of nowhere.

That’s what happened to me. As I read the words “There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.” Irony got the hold of me.

That’s what happened to Stanley as well as he walked down the steps of the bus which brought him to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Correctional Facility.

“Stanley looked out of the dirty window. He couldn’t see a lake. And hardly anything was green.”

If you haven’t met him yet, it’s Stanley Yelnats IV. He was named Stanley –so was his father and grandfather and great-grandfather– because of the cool fact that the name is spelled the same frontward and backward.

The only common thing between the Stanleys’ isn’t just that they have the same name; the skills of having low luck and high perseverance are also inherent to the Yelnats’. Also every one of them knows who the reason is for their tough luck and their being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“It was all because of his no-good-dirt-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather!”


According to a family legend –which turns out to be true btw–many years ago Stanley’s great-great-grandfather Elya Yelnats stole a pig from a one-legged Gypsy; therefore, she cursed him and his descendants.

In the Camp Stanley meets the strange camp guard with the even stranger name Mr. Sir and other persecuted boys who call each other with interesting nicknames such as Armpit, X-Ray or Zigzag –not mention that they call the male counselor “Mom”. And they’re all supposed to dig holes to build character.


You are to dig one hole each day, including Saturdays and Sundays. Each hole must be five feet deep, and five feet across in every direction. Your shovel is your measuring stick. Breakfast is served at 4:30.”

That’s all for now, will keep in touch. And don’t forget btw:


“You’re not in the Girl Scouts anymore.” –Mr. Sir





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