I chose the book Holes by Louis Sachar, a beloved American children’s novel and winner of the 1999 Newbery Medal. The story centers around an unlucky adolescent boy named Stanley
Yelnats. He is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and is mistakenly arrested for stealing a pair of shoes although he is innocent. He is sent to the Camp Green Lake juvenile detention center where he is subjected to horrible conditions and forced to dig holes every day. The novel was an obvious choice for the Newbery Medal, which is “awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year” (ALSC, 2008). Sachar’s
adept …show more content…
More specifically, the theme of racial prejudice and its consequences is heavily explored. In a flashback to 110 years before the present day events, the author details a forbidden love affair between a white schoolteacher, Katherine Barlow, and an African-American onion seller, Sam.
After they are caught kissing, the racist Green Lake community kills Sam and not one drop of rain falls on Green Lake after that day. The narrator comments to the reader after this, “You make the decision: Whom did God punish?”(Holes,51) This direct address to the reader is a classic characteristic of realistic fiction in which the author thinly veils an important theme with a story that lets children discover the message for themselves. Another theme presented in the story is the importance of friendship and how making these strong bonds can transform someone’s life. The narrator says of Stanley’s feelings, “It occurred to him that he couldn't remember the last time he felt happiness… he'd been unhappy at school, where he had no friends, and bullies like Derrick Dunne picked on him. No one liked him, and the truth was, …show more content…
The main plot in Holes is in a chronological style that consists of a narrative of Stanley’s struggle in the Green Lake camp as well as other side flashbacks that tie the story together.
Stanley faces conflicts such as person-against-nature as he braves the harsh elements of the dried up Texas lake where he works strenuously digging holes in scorching heat. Also, he faces person-against-person conflicts, as he has to deal with constant harassment from several antagonists including the evil warden, the counselors, and his fellow campers. The book is written primarily in the third person limited omniscient, however there are a few spots where the narrator breaks the fourth wall and directly addresses the reader. The third person view of
Stanley’s mind builds the reader’s compassion for him while the direct addresses allow the author to get across important ideas that the reader may not have fully grasped. This book is so unique because on the surface it seems to be a fairly standard coming of age narrative. However, the flashbacks give the reader background knowledge on Stanley’s family origins as well as the origins of Green Lake Texas that all tie together at the end to make a fascinating story.
Yelnats. He is caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and is mistakenly arrested for stealing a pair of shoes although he is innocent. He is sent to the Camp Green Lake juvenile detention center where he is subjected to horrible conditions and forced to dig holes every day. The novel was an obvious choice for the Newbery Medal, which is “awarded annually to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published by an American publisher in the United States in English during the preceding year” (ALSC, 2008). Sachar’s
adept …show more content…
More specifically, the theme of racial prejudice and its consequences is heavily explored. In a flashback to 110 years before the present day events, the author details a forbidden love affair between a white schoolteacher, Katherine Barlow, and an African-American onion seller, Sam.
After they are caught kissing, the racist Green Lake community kills Sam and not one drop of rain falls on Green Lake after that day. The narrator comments to the reader after this, “You make the decision: Whom did God punish?”(Holes,51) This direct address to the reader is a classic characteristic of realistic fiction in which the author thinly veils an important theme with a story that lets children discover the message for themselves. Another theme presented in the story is the importance of friendship and how making these strong bonds can transform someone’s life. The narrator says of Stanley’s feelings, “It occurred to him that he couldn't remember the last time he felt happiness… he'd been unhappy at school, where he had no friends, and bullies like Derrick Dunne picked on him. No one liked him, and the truth was, …show more content…
The main plot in Holes is in a chronological style that consists of a narrative of Stanley’s struggle in the Green Lake camp as well as other side flashbacks that tie the story together.
Stanley faces conflicts such as person-against-nature as he braves the harsh elements of the dried up Texas lake where he works strenuously digging holes in scorching heat. Also, he faces person-against-person conflicts, as he has to deal with constant harassment from several antagonists including the evil warden, the counselors, and his fellow campers. The book is written primarily in the third person limited omniscient, however there are a few spots where the narrator breaks the fourth wall and directly addresses the reader. The third person view of
Stanley’s mind builds the reader’s compassion for him while the direct addresses allow the author to get across important ideas that the reader may not have fully grasped. This book is so unique because on the surface it seems to be a fairly standard coming of age narrative. However, the flashbacks give the reader background knowledge on Stanley’s family origins as well as the origins of Green Lake Texas that all tie together at the end to make a fascinating story.