A good novel consists of exciting characters, an interesting setting, plot and story line, but most importantly a good novel conveys certain ideas about different messages the author is trying to get across, Louis Satcher in the novel holes does exactly this. Throughout the novel Satcher is constantly conveying the message of racial tolerance and intolerance, perseverance and has used clever techniques such as linking references from the past with the present to create an interesting novel filled with important themes about life.
Satcher is constantly showing discrimination throughout the novel, one way he has done this is through the character of Stanley. He shows this when Stanley is sent away even though he is innocent and it is due to the fact that he was not from a wealthy family and could not afford a lawyer, This is one example of the way Satcher creates discrimination throughout the novel, Stanley is discriminated against because he is from a poor family.
Another example of discrimination in Holes is racism. Satcher is constantly switching between racial tolerance and intolerance through the changing context of the setting. An example of intolerance of other races is shown in the parts of the novel set in 1890s where ‘Sam the onion man’ (a young negro boy) kisses Kate Barlow (a white woman) and due to the fact that Sam is a Negro he is murdered. Irony is another written technique used here to show the racism ‘That’s our school house, it shows how much we value education’ This is ironic as Sam is the one who made the school house so great yet he is not allowed to attend school because he is a negro.
We see Satcher show the racial tolerance side of the story in the parts of the novel set in modern day Camp Green Lake. All the boys at camp Green Lake get along no matter what race each other are because ‘out in the lake it doesn’t matter what color skin you’ve got, everyone’s the same’. This shows the racial tolerance and how over time