Holes: Louis Sachar and Kate Barlow Essay

Submitted By AngieSoPretty215
Words: 1640
Pages: 7

The main setting of the story is in Camp Green Lake, an arid place in Texas where juvenile delinquents were sentenced for character building. It was a former settlement that was abandoned due to hot weather conditions.
Main Characters

Stanley Yelnats IV – He was punished for a crime he did not commit. He was a caring person who loved his parents. He was also brave when it came to helping his friend. He was frequently bullied and misunderstood. However, he was able to prove that he was truly a good person at heart.

The Warden/Ms. Walker – She was the descendant of the Walkers who killed Sam, the Negro onion peddler and later, his beloved Kate Barlow. She believed that Barlow had buried treasure in the dried lake, the stash of her years of being an outlaw. She used the boys in digging holes in the ground, hoping to find the treasure. She was ruthless and violent.

Zero/Hector Zeroni – He was a homeless Black boy who stole Clyde Livingston’s sneakers. He became Stanley’s friend. He learned reading from Stanley, while he helped him dig holes. Together they found Kate Barlow’s treasure which was actually the suitcase robbed from Stanley’s great great grandfather of the same name, which contained documents that made both of them wealthy.

Mr. Pedanski – He was one of the camp guidance counselors. He was kind to most of the campers but he subjected himself to the Warden’s ruthless schemes. He had degraded Zero often, and for that Zero hit him with a shovel in the face.

Mr. Sir – He was the camp guard who always ate sunflower seeds. He was indifferent to other people’s suffering, just like the Warden. The Warden scratched his face with poisonous nail polish, making his face swell and ache.

Ms. Morengo – She was Stanley’s lawyer who proved his innocence in the accusation and was able to have Stanley and Zero released out of Camp Green Lake. She was bright and a commanding personality.

Stanley’s Companions – They were Rex/X-ray, Alan/Squid, Theodore/Armpit, Jose/Magnet, Ricky/Zigzag, and Brian/Twitch. They welcomed Stanley into their group but eventually, Stanley had to put up with their bad attitudes and selfishness. SUMMARY

Stanley came from a long line of Stanley Yelnats which seemed to have befallen under a curse originating from their Latvian forefather who reneged his oath to carry the Gypsy Madame Zeroni up a mountain. His had the worst misfortune of being accused of stealing a celebrity’s pair of sneakers and was sentenced to Camp Green Lake for behavioral adjustment. It was a desolate camp where poisonous lizards that could kill a person crawled in hiding places in the soil. He soon discovered that he, along with the other boys, were sentenced for more hardship in the hot, dry place in Texas under the scheming and unscrupulous Warden. He learned that they were just used to find the buried treasure of the legendary Kissin’ Kate Barlow, the Texas Outlaw. His companions were also unruly and offensive, although they were the only gang he had. Eventually he found a friend in Zero/Hector, whom he taught how to read, and in return, helped him dig holes. This made the other boys envy them and tease them about it. It led to a riot.

He found an item that belonged to Kate Barlow and gave it to X-Ray, who then presented it to the Warden. This made the Warden supervise the digging herself, making Stanley realize that there might be treasure in his hole. Giving it to X-Ray, she thought it was around his hole. He kept this to himself.

Mr. Pedanski hurt Zero with his degrading remarks, angering Zero. He hit the counselor’s face with a shovel and fled toward the wilderness. Stanley’s concern for Zero was too strong, that he