Holes Themes

The place of fate and free will in our lives is an ongoing question in Holes. Sachar has fun playing with the idea of destiny, but he never directly tells the reader what to think. Is the curse rea...

Stanley Yelnats, our main squeeze in Holes, is convicted of a crime that he didn't commit. And he doesn't get off easy, either. How's that for lack of justice? But the theme of justice and judgment...

Check out our discussion of "Fate and Free Will" for some thoughts about whether or not the choices of the characters in Holes even matter. Whether or not they matter, though, they're definitely ma...

Power definitely doesn't get a good rap in Holes. Most of the powerful people – the Warden and Mr. Pendanski, especially – abuse their power to no end. Even the boys at camp have their own litt...

Ch ch ch ch changes. It's pretty much inevitable that in a book about teenagers we'll see some major changes. We all know the growing-up drill, right? Well, in Holes, Stanley and the other boys are...

The kids in Holes are totally removed from their families, and for the most part, we don't really see them in the context of their lives at home. The environment at camp sure doesn't make for a fee...

From the harsh, unforgiving landscape of Camp Green Lake, to the beautiful backdrop of Miss Katherine's town, to the stinky, life-saving meadow at the top of the mountain, the physical world of nat...