Summary of Holes

Did you ever dig a hole that must be five feet deep and five feet across in every direction on the barren land under the scorching sun every day? Boys at detention center called Camp Green Lake have to do so. Holes is about boys digging holes as a kind of punishment. As the story progresses, friendship reveals its benefits with respect to survival. They are sent to Camp for some reasons to make up mistakes. Building character by various means is indispensible in one’s growth, which can be seen in Holes by Louis Sachar.
Boys build character by spending every day digging holes against all physical pains and harsh conditions of environment. All boys have to listen to instructions and follow the rules. They are force to dig holes no matter what weather it is and how painful they feel. During the course of continuous labour, they have been slowly developing physical strength and self-confidence. The boys can feel that “[their] muscles [have] strengthened, and [their] hands [are] tough and callused.” (Sachar, P80) Friendship can be seen during labour and in facing hardships.
Friendship is beneficial in terms of survival and helpful in building character, which is a prominent theme in the novel. A real friend is the one who is always there and willing to help one when one is in trouble. The protagonist, Stanley Yelnats, is not welcome during the time in the school. He has no friends and is always a target to be picked up by bullies. His situation remains the same when he is sent to the detention center. Then he notices a boy called Zero who presents a strange character because he rarely speaks. Later on, Stanley flees from supervisors together with Zero, which cements their relationship when they face the adversity that posts threat to their lives in which they have to bear thirst and hotness for a long time. When they get a little amount of water, they share. They learn to take care of each other and value one another as spiritual support. They encourage each other by