He was innocent of the crime for which he was convicted. He’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Holes paints stanly as a character with great misfortune. Always misunderstood and misplaced, he lets his character develop by actions placed around him. In the beginning of the story, a pair of famous shoes hit Stanley in the head as he is walking, the police shows up and he is arrested. Stanley has the option to go to Jail or Camp Green Lake. He picks the camp, but little does he know that the camp is where he will meet his fate, a boy named Hector Zeroni, or Zero who was the actual thief of the shoes and great-great-grandson of Madame Zeroni. The author elaborates on the theme by connecting the history between these characters and using fate as a template to bring these two together. Sachar takes the bond between them and elaborates a clever story through the …show more content…
Camp Green Lake was a dried up lake where Stanley’s cursed great-grandfather 's wealth was stolen and buried. Ever since then, kids have been digging and searching for the treasure as the camp is used as a detention facility to build character. The campers dig a hole daily, Stanley digs a hole to attain water, and also the boys notice treasure at rock bottom of a deep hole. Holes are used in a negative image within the book, as they represent hardship, adversity and hard physical labor. Stanley and Zero quickly befriend each other and and Stanley teaches him how to read, building a strong bond between them. Holes uses symbolism in the setting to produce a strong and vital connection within the theme and truly build