Holes Chapter 20 Summary

  • Outside the Warden's cabin there are more holes. Can you imagine what this camp looks like?
  • Inside the air-conditioned cabin, the Warden is watching television: she doesn't seem too happy to have visitors.
  • Stanley fake-confesses that he stole the sunflower seeds, but Mr. Sir says he thinks that Stanley is covering up for one of the other boys. (Smart man.)
  • The Warden tells Stanley to go into the other room and bring her a small flowered case that he'll find there. He's confused, but he does what she asks. Obvi.
  • The Warden opens the case to reveal several bottles of nail polish, lipstick tubes, and powders: it's a makeup case. She shows Stanley a bottle of bright red nail polish, telling him that it's "special" (20.23).
  • As she paints her nails (um, is now really the time, lady?), the Warden tells Stanley why it's so special: it's made from rattlesnake venom, and it's toxic while wet. Oh, and then she runs her wet nails down Stanley's cheek.
  • Next, she turns to Mr. Sir and slaps him across the face, scratching his skin with her now-venomous nails. The guy falls to the floor, clutching his face and writhing in pain.
  • ?!
  • But Mr. Sir isn't going to die: "Unfortunately for you," the Warden tells Stanley (20.46).
  • Don't worry, we're freaked out, too.