Hector s greatgreatgreatgrandmother, madame zeroni, was a onelegged gypsy. A quiz on the novel holes what tense is the novel written in. To be a ward of the state means that you have no parents, and you are in foster care. Zero s mother at the end of the story, the newly rich zero zeroni, now called by his real name, hector, hires a team of private investigators to find his mother, who disappeared when he was a child. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the office. This begins to confirm that maybe zero is related to madame zeroni as she had taught the song to stanleys grandfather. When the group hazes stanley for letting zero dig part of his holes, mr.
The holes quotes below are all either spoken by zero s mother or refer to zero s mother. Even after the little guy runs away and is assumed dead, mr. Zeros real name is hector zeroni, but he has been called zero for most of his life. Zero and stanley make a large hole for water with the shovel. Hector s greatgreatgreat grandmother, madame zeroni was an egyptian. Zero has not had much of an education so he does not know how to. The book centers on an unlucky teenage boy named stanley yelnats, who is sent to camp green lake, a juvenile corrections facility in a desert in texas, after being falsely accused of theft. He said they were digging holes to build character. Nov 14, 2003 i think this is zeros hector s mother. The story does switch back and forth between time periods its really three. Zero s health fades as he and stanley hike to the big thumb. The first one is him lying to his mother and the second is the one where he is being honest.
From this point of view, it s important that we notice that that the very last words of the book are sung by zero s mother, and that theyre a revised version of the melancholy but hopeful lullaby that madame zeroni first taught to elya yelnats. He has been homeless for most of his life, and his mother abandoned or lost him when he was still small. What does xray do for stanley when the boys return from digging in the evening on the day the warden appears. The main theme in louis sachar s holes is the theme of justice. The fact that zero is the one who stole clyde livingstons shoes brings up the issue of fate. Ancestry is a heavily emphasized theme in holes, and it goes hand in hand with the themes of fate and destiny. Okay, maybe that s obvious, but it s also a key part of the story, so well take a look. Stanleys attorney escorts stanley and zero away from the camp, which is shut down. Why doesnt zero want to be a ward of the state in holes. At the end of the book, hector is reunited with his mother again, and she is seen singing the second verse to. Hector zeroni, or zero, in lois sachars book holes.
Click card to see definition tap card to see definition. For each of the major characters, ancestry affects their surroundings, decisions, and even daytoday life. Stanleys relationship with zero is important because his greatgreat grandfather was a friend of zeros greatgreatgreat grandmother. Holes winner of the newbery medal winner of the national book award winner of the boston globehorn book award an ala best book for young adults an ala notable book. Justice is what stanley wants and expects, and the way it plays out is what makes the story work. Book of holes talk with zero boy and kids duration. Unlike the wishful thinking yelnats version, the zeroni version is a mothers love song encouraging her child to use the past to move boldly into the future. The style is pretty straightforward, and there is very little use of figurative language see the style section for more on this. As the story evolves, more of zero is discovered, and he is not who he once appeared to be. Holes 2003 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Hector zeroni, or zero, in lois sachar s book holes. Hector zeroni, or zero, starts out the story as quite the puzzle.
Stanley remembered what zero had said a few days before. Stanley s relationship with zero is important because his greatgreat grandfather was a friend of zero s greatgreatgreat grandmother. Everyone in holes seems to be convinced that zero is a real nothing of a kid. His greatgreatgreat grandmother, madame zeroni was a gypsy, who cursed yelnats family because yelnats. The reader might find it interesting, however, that stanleys father invented his cure for foot odor the day after the greatgreatgrandson of elya yelnats carried the greatgreatgreatgrandson of madame zeroni up the mountain. Why doesnt zero want to be a ward of the state in holes enotes. Zero comes to stanleys aid with an intense display of street fighting. Weve been out on the lake all day, so im pretty tired. The as soft as the skies lyric is sarah s original translation, in keeping with the idea that she wanted it to rhyme. Zero s mother s version is completely different and doesnt have the bark of the tree reference at all.
Stanley s mother knows that this camp is not like a rich kid camp, bc it is part of his punishment. One of the characters most of us remember from the movie holes is zero. A curse that began with his nogooddirtyrottenpigstealinggreatgreatgrandfather and has since followed generations of yelnatses. Explain the significance of zero mentioning that his mother had sung a lullaby similar to the one stanley s mother had sung to him. Stanley seems to have a great relationship with his family that has been devoured by misfortune. If zero had just kept those shoes, then neither of them would be here right now. Zero doesnt like the way ward of the state sounds, but does not know what it means. Stanley ends up at camp green lake, supposedly because of the misdeeds of his greatgreatgrandfather.
I think with the money that stanleys family had, they were able to find zeros mom and help support her and zero. Though zeros mother is described as being quite young, she looks older than she is and as though shes seen a number of unpleasant things. A camper at camp green lake and got his alias, zero, because most at camp green lake thought he was dumb. As stanley stared at the glittering night sky, he thought there was no place he would rather be. The as soft as the skies lyric is sarahs original translation, in keeping with the idea that she wanted it to rhyme. Stanley takes out an envelope, removes a letter from it and reads. She was the woman who placed a curse on stanley yelnats family because stanleys greatgreat grandfather elya did not fulfill his end of the bargain with her. Zero s real name is hector zeroni, but he has been called zero for most of his life. In an especially tough moment, zero confesses to stealing clyde livingstons. Okay, maybe thats obvious, but its also a key part of the story, so well take a look. He attributes this bad luck to his nogooddirtyrottenpigstealinggreat. Sachars father sold italian shoes, which may help explain the strange signi. The mother makes a brief appearance at the end of the story, looking weathered and weary but clearly glad to be reunited with her son.
Hector zeroni or zero for short is the deuteragonist in the 2003 liveaction film, holes. She was the woman who placed a curse on stanley yelnats family because stanley s greatgreat grandfather elya did not fulfill his end of the bargain with her. The boys eat the onions and find water by digging in the ground, and stanley sings madame zeronis song to zero. The novel ends with hector zeronis mother singing a more hopeful version of the pig lullaby. A song from the film and the book, elya yelnats had to sing it to the pigs because of a deal he made with madame zeroni. Stanleys mother insists that there never was a curse. Not every stanley yelnats has been a failure, stanleys mother often pointed out, whenever stanley or his father became so discouraged that they actually started to believe in the curse.
Pendanski encourages a fist fight between stanley and zigzag that gets out of hand. Zero has not had much of an education so he does not know how to read or write. At the end, holes, like the name of its main character, connects endings to beginnings. The holes quotes below are all either spoken by zeros mother or refer to zeros mother. Today was the first day at camp, and ive already made some friends. The character of zeros mother in holes from litcharts. The song goes, if only, if only, the woodpecker sighs, the bark on the tree was as soft as the skies. For a main character in holes, there is little known about zero. In the film when stanley and zero run from camp green lake they find a stream, then suddenly stanley sings theif only, if only song with a soft voice. Hector zeroni is one of the heroes of the adventure comedy drama book and movie, holes. Zeros mother, part 3, chapter 50 in the final moments of the novel, zeronow referred to by his real name, hector zeroniis with his mother, who sings him a familiar lullaby. The set of coincidences that results in both stanley and zero being at camp green lake is so extraordinary that it appears as if the hand of fate pushed a yelnats and a zeroni together again. The character of zeros mother in holes from litcharts the creators.
I think this means she has struggled so much to support herself that she did things she regreted in order to stay alive. Zero physically attacks zigzag to get him to stop beating up stanley. There he got the nickname zero due to the fact that he was assumed unintelligent, and may have been related to his last name. Holes by louis sachar book summary minute book report. He changes during the course of the novel due to the influence and effect of his experiences and actions. Hectors greatgreatgreatgrandmother, madame zeroni, was a onelegged gypsy. Stanleys mother told stanley before he went to court, just tell the truth. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of holes and what it means. At the end, zero and stanley are transformed, yet together and looking back to their common origin. She even doubts whether stanleys greatgreatgrandfather really stole a pig.
Guys and dolls 1955 is adapted from one of the finest of broadway musicals, so you can understand why director joseph mankiewicz all about eve fell in love with the damon runyon characters and the stylized milieu of sharpies and dames. Few movies fill us with as much nostalgia as holes. Pendanski, in particular, mocks and belittles zero at every turn. The suitcase turns out to contain stanleys greatgrandfathers fortune, which was stolen by kate barlow. No one is aware of his abilities, his family, or even his connection to stanley. The first stanley yelnats, stanley s greatgrandfather, had made a fortune m the stock market. This begins to confirm that maybe zero is related to madame zeroni as she had taught the song to stanley s grandfather. This is a quick book summary of holes by louis sachar. The main theme in louis sachars holes is the theme of justice. The passage says that she had seen many things she didnt what to.
This was one of the most interesting characters in the book, and to see him brought to life in such amazing style was a joy to watch. The following sites can be used to support and enrich the book club unit for holes by louis sachar. While fate landed zero and stanley in camp green lake, it is. Zero is the novels deuteragonist, the character second in importance. Stanleys mother knows that this camp is not like a rich kid camp, bc it is part of his punishment. Zeros mother at the end of the story, the newly rich zero zeroni, now called by his real name, hector, hires a team of private investigators to find his mother, who disappeared when he was a child. Hectors greatgreatgreat grandmother, madame zeroni was an egyptian. At court stanley was given a choice it was either to go to jail or camp green lake. Explain the significance of zero mentioning that his mother had sung a lullaby similar to the one stanleys mother had sung to him. Present past future mixed previous question next question. His real name is hector zeroni but people call him zero asked in holes novel and movie in the book holes by louis sachar why do they call mr pandanski mom. Winner of the newbery medal and the national book award. Zeros greatgreatgrandmother was madame zeroni, who put a curse on generations of the. Both stanley and zero become wealthy, and zero is reunited with his mother.
Not every stanley yelnats has been a failure, stanley s mother often pointed out, whenever stanley or his father became so discouraged that they actually started to believe in the curse. Where did zero put the famous sneakers he stole that eventually got stanley in trouble. Stanley, the protagonist of holes, is a dynamic character. He is overweight and is accustomed to having bad luck. She placed a curse on stanley yelnats family, because his socalled nogooddirtyrottenpigstealinggreatgreat. Zero, whose real name is hector zeroni, is a camper at camp green lake who is given the nickname zero because of his perceived lack of intelligence. Zero responds wordlessly by measuring his hole, showing his pride in besting the standards with meticulous work. Zeros health fades as he and stanley hike to the big thumb. Once i pass the swimming test, ill get to learn how to waterski. Holes chapters 43 44 jjj explain the significance of zero mentioning that his mother had sung a lullaby similar to the one stanleys mother had sung to him. Holes is a 1998 young adult novel written by louis sachar and first published by farrar, straus and giroux. In stanleys first days at camp green lake, the narrator describes zero as the smallest kid in the group, but also the quickest hole digger. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
Important quotations and their meaning within the context of the novel. The character of zeros mother in holes from litcharts the. Stanley and his family sing a similar song several times in the story, but their version is full of regret. Holes kindle edition by sachar, louis, vladimir radunsky. Pendanski say was the reason the boys were digging holes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Character analysis book summaries, test preparation. He was lucky to have survived, stanleys mother was quick to point out. His greatgreatgreat grandmother, madame zeroni was a gypsy, who cursed yelnat s family because yelnat s ancestor didnt do his part of the deal he.
Justice is what stanley wants and expects, and the way it plays out is what makes. After turning down zeros first request that stanley teach him how to read, stanley tries to justify his decision. The book centers around an unlucky teenage boy named stanley yelnats, who is sent to camp green lake, a juvenile corrections facility in a desert in texas, after being falsely accused of theft. Sachars mother stayed at home to care for louis and his older brother, andy. In an especially tough moment, zero confesses to stealing clyde livingston s. Although holes is full of big questions about fate and justice and stuff like that, there really isnt anything in the book that makes reading it too tricky or difficult. This comprehensive lesson plan includes 30 daily lessons, 180 multiple choice questions, 20 essay questions, 20 fun activities, and more everything you need to teach holes. Sinatra gives maybe his greatest performance, but angela lansbury nearly steals the movie as harveys mother. According to most of the characters in the book, zero is a big fat zero. But i dont think she has any idea how bad it really is, or she would do whatever she could to get him out. He was glad they fell from the overpass and hit him on the head.
Despite all the adversity that he has faced, zero knows that he is smart. You take a bad boy and make him dig holes all day long in the hot sun, it makes him a good boy. The first stanley yelnats, stanleys greatgrandfather, had made a fortune m the stock market. Previously in chapters 3740 of holes by louis sachar. Zeros mothers version is completely different and doesnt have the bark of the tree reference at all. I used to think you were a goodfornothing book reader, he said.
In the film when stanley and zero run from camp green lake they find a stream, then suddenly stanley sings the if only, if only song with a soft voice. Stanley walked to zeros hole and watched him measure it with his shovel. The final verse sung by zeros mother, fly high my baby bird, my angel, my only, echoes the strength and independence of emersons selfreliance. Their father commuted to new york city to work on the seventyeighth. In this scene, stanley observes zero s speed with envy.
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