Holes by louis sachar character descriptions, character analysis and descriptions. The holes characters chapter of this holes study guide course is the most efficient way to study the characters from the novel holes by louis sachar. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Holes by louis sachar teachers guide penguin random. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading holes. People can do extraordinary things when put to the test. See more ideas about louis sachar, holes book and chapter books. Okay, maybe thats obvious, but its also a key part of. Newberry medal national book award boston globe horn book award ala best book for young adults ala notable book ala quick pick christopher award for juvenile fiction new york times book. The holes quotes below are all either spoken by zigzagricky or refer to zigzagricky.
When zero becomes friends with stanley, he tells him his story about being homeless on the streets and how his mother disappeared one day and now he becomes a ward of the. Choose a character to represent each of the story characters. Zero has not had much of an education so he does not know how to read or write. Holes quotes by louis sachar meet your next favorite book. You can also use any of these questions as writing prompts. Throughout the novel, names act as a theme that allows the characters to disassociate their lives at camp green lake from their lives back in the. The novels protagonist, stanley is an overweight kid with a lot of bad luck. Characters zero zeros real name is hector zeroni, but he has been called zero for most of his life. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of holes by louis sachar.
Analysis of the friendship in holes by louis sachar and best friends by jacqueline wilson 1564 words 7 pages sacrificial friendship in the book holes, written by louis sachar, stanley yelnats the main character is a poor, friendless, over weighted boy who is constantly bullied at school. Zero has a share in the novels happy ending, as he receives half the. Stanley teaches zero to read in return for zero digging part of stanleys holes. Zero is the only boy at camp green lake who is referred to by his nickname by other campers and mr. Pendanski, in particular, mocks and belittles zero at every turn. At first he is presented as a strange character because he rarely speaks and always walks around with a scowl on his face. Zero is the novels deuteragonist, the character second in importance. Holes by louis sachar people can do extraordinary things when put to the test 908 words 4 pages. The book centers on an unlucky teenage boy named stanley yelnats, who is sent to camp green lake, a juvenile corrections facility in a desert in texas, after being falsely accused of theft. The main theme in louis sachars holes is the theme of justice. Pendanski, in particular, mocks and belittles zero at every. Holes is such an amusing book with some unusual characters. In 1999, the novel won a newbery medal for being the most distinguished contribution to american literature for children, and a u. Zeros real name is hector zeroni, but he has been called zero for most of his life.
Who are the main characters of holes by louis sachar. After reading the book holes, i know that reading this book could make someone a better person. It had great success among critics and became immediately loved among the most demanding readers. Holes study guide contains a biography of louis sachar, literature. Holes is a 1998 young adult novel written by louis sachar and first published by farrar, straus and giroux. The austinbased author is a bit tired of talking about the 1998 novel that garnered much praise and went on to become a hit movie. Choose a scene or background that makes sense for the character. Madame zeroni character analysis in holes litcharts.
Pendanski is vocal about his belief that zero is stupid and useless. Okay, maybe thats obvious, but its also a key part of the story. English essay holes by louis sachar louis sachar, the author of holes, uses the protagonist, stanley, to explore the themes and main concerns of the novel. Story is written in main two parts referring as flashback and current or present situation.
Zerohector zeroni character analysis in holes litcharts. After reading holes, use these questions to start a discussion with your students about the book. She is a mysterious and shady character during the first half of the book. A publishers weekly best book of the year a bulletin blue ribbon book a school library journal best book of the year louis sachar is the popular author of small steps, stanley yelnats survival guide to camp green lake, theres a boy in the girls bathroom, dogs dont tell jokes, and the marvin redpost series, among many others.
Just click on the image below to download the free. See, holes is about a boy named stanley yelnats who is sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. Louis sachar has long been a great and deserved favorite among children, despite the benign neglect of critics. I know this because after seeing stanley and zero work together to survive as friends, you can kind of get the jist that friendship can help you in times of hardship. He is overweight and is accustomed to having bad luck. Characters, symbolism and themes of holes by louis sachar. The novel takes place at a boys juvenile detention center situated in the. Sam, an onion picker and an african american man, fell in love with kate barlow, the beautiful school teacher of green lake.
Teaching ideas for holes by louis sachar book units teacher. His family was supposedly cursed a long time ago, but despite this, stanley stays positive and has a kind heart. He is bullied at school, is overweight and unhappy with himself. As the book progresses, a second story unfolds about stanleys. Sir gets recognized as marion sevillo, zigzag says marion, gee, i didnt know that was a mans name mr. In holes what seems an accident is not, what seems isolated from its historical roots is not, and characters who seem unrelated, who seem selfdetermined lone stars, actually form a wondrous constellation. According to most of the characters in the book, zero is a big fat zero. In the book zigzag apologizes to stanley yelnats iv for beating him up at the end of the book. Hole is a novel written by louis sachar and has already won newbery medal. He was a kind and caring man who treated everyone with respect, and it is easy to see why kate barlow fell in love with him, too.
He was glad they fell from the overpass and hit him on the head. Select colors and a pose appropriate to story and character traits. Small steps, winner of the schneider family book award. This discussion guide for holes by louis sachar features summaries of the plot, themes, and. He also uses stanley to investigate the characters and their traits, for example, we found out that zero could not read but could add and. Holes is a novel by an american writer, louis sachar, first published in 1999. In end i want 2 say that holes is very intersting and exiting. Zero is the greatgreatgreatgrandson of madame zeroni, the woman who put a curse on stanleys. Stanley is the downtrodden kid who gets kicked around by just about everyone and everything.
Holes book summary sachar writes the humorous plot of holes in a straightforward manner. Zero has a share in the novels happy ending, as he receives half the treasure and is able to find and reunite with his mother. If zero had just kept those shoes, then neither of them would be here right now. Identify the major characters in holes and type their names into the different title boxes. The author of the book holes, louis sachar packed this book with many difficult tests for his characters. Analysis of the friendship in holes by louis sachar and. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. For a main character in holes, there is little known about zero. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the office. Create each minibook from a single piece of paper, folded to form a book. In truth, zero is very smart, although he has never been taught how to read.
It was adapted into a film by disney book this was originally a book. Stanley and zero were not the only characters to develop throughout the story. However when put to the test, they achieved extraordinary results. The plot of the novel is about the life of multiple characters and a leading character with whom the whole story of the novel is linked. Justice is what stanley wants and expects, and the way it plays out is what makes the story work. Zero is another camper at camp green lake who becomes friends with stanley. I found it superior from all the novels that i have read yet. A good frindship can be seen between stanley and zero. This is a valuable tool for a book such as holes with three story plots taking place and many characters to remember. In what ways is the saying you cant judge a book by its cover a good one for this story. As the story evolves, more of zero is discovered, and he is not who he once.
Hes black and is often scowling and angrylooking, though stanley notices that when zero smiles, his smile seems too big for his face. Everyone in holes seems to be convinced that zero is a real nothing of a kid. Stanley, the protagonist of holes, is a dynamic character. He changes during the course of the novel due to the influence and effect of his experiences and actions. Stanley remembered what zero had said a few days before. Because in holes, louis sachar has executed a masterful game of chess. Author interview louis sachar, author of small steps. The not so subtle portrayal of supernatural elements in e. Louis sachar has said in interviews that kate barlow is his favorite character in holes. Even after the little guy runs away and is assumed dead, mr. He attributes this bad luck to his nogooddirtyrottenpigstealinggreat.
Okay, maybe thats obvious, but its also a key part of the story, so well take a look. He has been homeless for most of his life, and his mother abandoned or lost him when he was still small. He regularly taunts and berates zero, and jokes that the holes could be graves for stanley and zero. The finished books contain 6 pages where students can list character traits for the main characters. Stanley befriends zero and zero may help him to remove all the bad luck.
Zero is the best digger and generally thought to be stupid by the counselors and the other boys. He does this by unfolding the plot into three different stories. As stanley stared at the glittering night sky, he thought there was no place he would rather be. Zeros greatgreatgrandmother was madame zeroni, who put a curse on generations of the yelnats family. I found yellow spooted lizards very intersting and horrible. Holes is a 1998 young adult novel written by louis sachar and first published by farrar, straus. Despite all the adversity that he has faced, zero knows that he is smart. The subplots are talltale motifs that provide explanations about incidents involving previous yelnats generations that significantly impact stanleys life as well as the lives of. The holes quotes below are all either spoken by madame zeroni or refer to madame zeroni. Zeros greatgreatgrandmother was madame zeroni, who put a curse on generations of the. There once was a very large lake here, the largest lake in texas. When you spend your whole life living in a hole, the only way you can go is up. Zero is a small black boy who has dealt with many hardships in his young life.
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