Unpacking Themes, Style, and Character Dynamics in the Film 'Holes'

This essay delves into an analysis of the film 'Holes,' focusing on the significant themes of fate, fortune, and the importance of friendship. It explores how Stanley Yelnats' belief in his family's curse intertwines with his destiny, leading him to Camp Green Lake. The analysis highlights the role of fate in Stanley's discoveries, such as Kissin' Kate Barlow's lipstick tube and the treasure chest. The essay further examines the theme of friendship through Stanley's relationship with Zeroni, emphasizing the importance of support and loyalty. Racism and societal prejudices are also addressed, particularly in the context of Sam and Barlow's interracial relationship. Ultimately, the essay concludes that 'Holes' teaches valuable lessons about family, friendship, and overcoming adversity, showcasing how individuals can rise above negative judgments and fulfill their destinies. Desklib offers a platform for students to access similar solved assignments and study resources.

english literature
Holes

H o l e s P a g e | 1
Holes started in the year 2003. It is an American adventure comedy-drama film which is majorly
directed by Andrew Davis. It is basically based on the novel which was released in the year 1998
by Louis Sachar who had written the similar screenplay. The major characters of the film are
Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Patricia Arquette, Tim Blake Nelson and Shia LaBeouf (Pinsent,
2003).
A boy is illegally sent to a camp which is brutal by nature. There, the camp custodian and her
staff force the kids in their attention to inexplicably gibe holes’ whole day in the desert. Their
convalescence is questioned because they think something sinister is highly involved in the
scene. The main purpose of this essay is to identify one of the major theme and analyze the
style, plot and characters involved in the particular theme selected.
One of the major theme in the film consists of the significances of the choices which results
from fortune and destiny and the significance of friendship. The film is written by Sachar who
always includes various morals and lesson in a single film. The film written by him are always
fun and full of excitement. Furthermore, he thinks that those who read his film can
automatically be a good and better people. During the course of novel, fortune, which is a
power of force that is thought to decide the upcoming events is also considered to be one of
the major theme of the film (Sachar, 2002). Stanley and his dad always believed that there were
unlucky and had always a bad luck. There used to believe that their bad luck can be accredited
to the curse that Madame Zeroni put on Stanley’s forefathers and upcoming generations of
Yelnats only when he ruined his aptitude to her. Once, Clyde Livingston’s Sneakers fell down
from the sky, Stanley believed that the falling sneakers were a symbol of a gift from the god and
a key to his father’s invention. He thought that he is holding destiny’s shoes ( Noll, Elizabeth &
Robin, 2003)
Although Stanley is under arrest, the results of his choices to go back to home along with the
sneakers is examined by fate and fortune. Stanley is blamed to steal Clyde Livingston’s sneakers
and he is forced to go and live at Green Lake despite of going to the jail. While digging the hole,
he got a lipstick tube at the location and found out that it belonged to Kissin’ Kate Barlow. He
was further stranded in the Texas desert. The camp green lake vanished as it started drying up

H o l e s P a g e | 2
and it was cursed later and named as Green Lake. Stanley’s forefather lived finding “refuge on
God’s thumb”. No one understood what he actually meant unless Stanley visualize a mountain
far away while he was digging a hole, which is similar to a fist and a thumb (Wannamaker,
2006).
Later. In addition to this, Stanley was blamed of winning Mr. Sir’s sunflower seed and finishes
up in the warden’s cabin (Møllegaard, 2010). He found her makeup kit from another room and
as fate and fortune would have it, it is similar to his mother’s. unbeknownst to Stanley, the
warden tolerated a quite close similarity to Trout Walker’s wife. They both went to the
warden’s cabin few years’ back with the aim to anguish Kissin’ Kate Barlow (Nicosia, 2008).
It is all about fate and fortune which brings Stanley and Zeroni to the base of the mountain
which is similar to a fist and a thumb. Zeroni cannot easily climb mountains and Stanley helps
and supports him to climb on the top which shows a true meaning of friendship and support.
Meanwhile, Stanley also searches water and started singing a song which he had learnt from his
friends and relatives and forefathers. The same lullaby was sung from generations to
generations. Once, the same lullaby was sung for Madame Zeroni when she was carried to the
topper most of the mountain in Latvia (Harcourt, 2019).
Stanley and Zeroni returned back to Camp Green Lake and found an under buried treasure
which was in the form of suitcase, an old suitcase. And this time again, fate goes in. suitcase
was engraved with a name “Stanley Yelnats” on the top of it (Fritzon, 2014). They got inside to
collect the treasure despite of many lizards inside it. They used to believe that those lizards
wont bite because they had onion blood inside them and lizards don’t prefer onion blood.
Fate gets involved when Stanley’s lawyer, named Ms. Morengo comes at Camp Green Lake at
the right time at the right place. Stanley is very kind and innocent and just because the warden
ruined Zero’s files, he can leave also. Finally, Stanley has reached to his final destination along
with his destiny. He succeeded to fulfill all his forefathers dreams and promises to Madame
Zeroni and the entire family believes the curse has been lifted (Enotes, 2019).
The other theme that can be visualized in the film if the relationship between family and
friends. Stanley has a good and loving family and Zeroni is just opposite i.e. she has no family at

H o l e s P a g e | 3
all but Zeroni never felt this. Racism is seen only when Sam the onion man and Barlow are
penalized. It happened because they had an interracial relationship. Again, in addition to this,
Zeroni is known as Stanley’s servant by another boy when he helps in digging the Stanley’s hole.
The external factors that exists inside the environment i.e. heat and absence of shelter creates
an obstacle for the boys.
At the end, a film which Sachar reconsiders in other books is obvious. That theme is the
consideration for society’s underdogs (Mascia, 2001). Stanley and Zeroni are oddities’, but
when they are provided with the opportunity in order to prove themselves, they show their
true strengths and upsurge above the bad and negative judgements which other people make
about these two. They always proved others wrong whenever there came a situation.
Thus, from the above film, it can be examined that friendship, family relationships, fortune and
fate teaches us a lot in the real society. They help us to differentiate between the reel society
and real society (Bridges, 2017).

H o l e s P a g e | 4
References
Bridges, Margaret Wade. Digging holes: Milwaukee youth's response to socially and politically
driven theatre. Diss. (2016).
Enotes, (2019). Available at: https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-themes-holes-
88381
Fritzon, Sandra. "Working with literature in the classroom." (2014).
Harcourt H.M, “Holes Major Themes” (2016). Available at :
https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/n/the-1990s-newbery-medal-winners/holes/major-
themes
Mascia, Elizabeth G. "Holes: Folklore Redux." ALAN REVIEW28.2 (2001): 51-53.
Møllegaard, Kirsten. "Haunting and History in Louis Sachar's holes." Western American
Literature 45.2 (2010): 138-161.
Nicosia, Laura. "Louis Sachar's Holes: Palimpsestic Use of the Fairy Tale to Privilege the
Reader." ALAN Review 35.3 (2008): 24.
Noll, Elizabeth, and Robin Watkins. "The impact of homelessness on children's literacy
experiences." The Reading Teacher 57.4 (2003): 362-371.
Pinsent, Pat. "Fate and fortune in a modern fairy tale: Louis Sachar's Holes." Children's
Literature in Education 33.3 (2002): 203-212.
Sachar, Louis. "Louis Sachar." Newbery Award Winning Authors (2002): 171.
Wannamaker, Annette. "Reading in the gaps and lacks:(de) constructing masculinity in Louis
Sachar’s Holes." Children's literature in education 37.1 (2006): 15-33.

H o l e s P a g e | 5