My school life in a book

Year 7 English Text Response Essay - Holes

Year 7 English Text Response Essay - Holes

Explain Stanley's character transformation throughout Holes. Explore the physical social and emotional Journey he experiences.

The novel Holes written by Louis Sachar explores Stanley's  physical, social and emotional journey. Stanley, the protagonist of the novel, goes through many challenges to change his characteristics of his own person. Challenges he is forced to go through yet they did indeed benefit him such as him being forced to dig holes at Camp Green Lake. This would be an aspect of his physical journey.

Stanley's physical transformation throughout the novel is an aspect of his difficult journey to change himself. Stanley is quite overweight and weak at the beginning of the narrative. Provided by the text "Soft fleshy hands" deciphers that he has quite chubby hands. Abnormally large for his age suggests he takes little care of himself and doesn't take part in physical activities. In the text he also has no strength, he could barely lift his shovel in the beginning. When he was forced to dig holes "he felt like he was digging his own grave" implies he doesn't want to do this but must as it is the consequence of being accused of stealing Klyde Livingston's shoes. He never gives up though, his determination to keep going drives him to keep digging the hole, other campers at Camp Green Lake finish well before him but he keeps going with his blistered hands, blood oozing from them. From digging all these holes every single day the narrative implies a lot about Stanley's physical change. His strength is built up from carrying his heavy shovel every day and using said shovel to dig the required height and length of the hole. "He was a lot stronger than when he first arrived. His body has adjusted someone to the heat and harsh conditions" this is evident when Stanley carries Zero up the mountain to God's Thumb, "there was no way he could have done that a few months ago". When he is able to get under the boat on his search for Zero he could actually fit through the "small" gap, Stanley realises that he couldn't have fit earlier "He never would have fit when he first came to Camp Green Lake. He lost a lot of weight"  this in tails that his weight has decreased a fare bit with his time at Camp Green Lake. His transformation was indeed a hard one with plenty of challenges being thrown at him yet as the challenges come, the easier they are. This was indeed a big change for Stanley though this is the only one of his fixed flaws throughout the novel.

Stanley's social performance changes drastically in Sachar's novel. In the beginning he is quite the anti-social person or a introvert if you will. "He didn't have any friends"  this might have been because of the way he was physically or from being bullied by the character Derrick Dunne "back at school, a bully named Derrick Dunne used to torment Stanley" the use of torment here also implies he isn't just bullying him, he was humiliating him. The reason behind it was because Derrick Dunne was a lot smaller as it does indeed state in the narrative. Being pushed into an environment where he must socialise with the other campers at Camp Green Lake  and gained at least some form of respect "he was glad they called him Caveman" to be justified as a member of the group. Group being those who he sleeps with under the same roof at least. They may not be the greatest "friends" to Stanley but he some how Magee to get on at least God terms with the campers. What pushed Stanley to change is when he stood up to the Warden for Zero. Mr. Pendanski always picks on Zero especially "You know why his name is Zero? Because there's nothing inside his head" this is where a deal is made between Zero and Stanley and is some what of a start for their friendship. This deal is that if Stanley teaches Zero how to read Zero should dig Stanley's hole for him. This continues off and starts their friendship. Because of this so called friendship between the two boys Stanley is very reluctant to go after Zero after he runs away. This character trait for Stanley is selfishness. There is an example of this because of when Zero first asks him to teach him to read Stanley refuses. Finally, Stanley does indeed go after Zero though the dangers of gouging could've cost him his life "Being bitten by a scorpion or even a rattlesnake is not the worst thing that could happen to you" or even the fact of there being no water for hundreds of miles except the prison itself being Camp Green Lake. At the end of Stanley's stay at the retched place he is forced to go yet stays. "I can't leave Hector" he won't leave unless Zero comes with him. This shows that his trait of selfishness is gone. He has become a good friend to Zero. His social journey is the biggest change for Stanley as he earns respect and has created friendships on his own from having none before but has also realised that it's not always his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather" Out of physically changing and socially changing, the social aspect of his transformation is the biggest step for Stanley's character.

Stanley doesn't like himself. It's as simple as that. He allowed himself to be humiliated by his former math teacher. He blamed most of his misfortune on his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather" he has no faith in himself clearly and just blames Elya Yalnets. Apparently "it felt good to blame someone" maybe it isn't just his fault Stanley thinks to himself. Metaphorically he is stuck in a hole. Back at home school for Stanley was miserable and humiliating, evidence being when his math teacher used him as the heaviest person in the class and weighed him against the lightest. He has no determination at the start of the text. He isn't proactive, he watches others and does what he's told with no reluctance. The problem is though, he doesn't fight back. He doesn't do anything to improve himself, he doesn't do anything to be a better person. "He glanced helplessly at his shovel. It wasn't defective, he was defective"  this quote implies himself as worthless in Stanley's mind. Seeing Stanley progress includes aspects such as helping Zero to read. Causing a very strong friendship. He was treated badly by the warden, Mr. Sir and Mr Pendanski. With these cruel people on his back he somehow managed to catch onto the Warden's plan. Once he realised no one else was going to go after Zero and the "adults" we're going to make him disappear like he never existed. In the end of his emotional transformation he is very happy with himself "it occurred to him he couldn't remember there last time he felt happiness. It wasn't just being sent to Camp Green Lake that has made his life miserable. Before that he'd been unhappy at school, where he had no friends, and bullies like Derrick Dunne picked on him" and he turns out to be a hero making this story a progression a flawed hero. He also saves Zero again by standing up to him and not leaving the infamous Camp Green Lake. He also finally stands up for himself and what's right. Another thing he can finally let go of is his curse which he breaks so he can't blame others anymore. Out of the three journeys Emotional, Social and Physical, Social still stands the most important but emotion comes in a close second as Stanley betters himself.

"You may have done some bad things in your life but that doesn't mean you are bad kids" Stanley was extremely weak, had no friends, didn't believe in himself and had no hope at the start of the novel. As the narrative progresses so does Stanley. He becomes strong from digging holes, he creates a strong friendship with the character Hector Zeroni (Zero) and he breaks the curse fallen upon him by his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather" and he finally believes in himself and is happy unlike his depressing feelings towards himself. Finally he has the determination and perseverance to stand up for himself for any challenges thrown at him. 
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