The Warden Holes Its Almost Time for Me to Paint My Nails Again

Holes | Part 2, Chapters 29–30 : The Last Hole | Summary

Summary

Chapter 29

Back in the gimmicky plot, the air gets boiling, and thunderheads form over the nearby mountains. A tempest starts across the mountains, just no pelting falls on the lake. The boys suffer and sweat in the boiling air as they dig. During a lightning strike, Stanley sees the shape of the mountains better than he ever has before. One of them is shaped like a thumb.

Stanley remembers the story of his great-grandfather, who "found refuge on God'southward thumb." Nobody ever knew what that meant. Stanley wonders if the thumb-shaped mountain could be the place his great-grandad referred to.

Chapter 30

Zigzag claims information technology is July 8, his birthday. Stanley, who long ago lost track of the days, struggles to do the math to effigy out how long information technology has been since his arrival on May 24. Zip confidently says information technology is 46 days.

That day, every bit Stanley digs his hole, he tells himself the 45th hole is the worst. But information technology isn't true. His body is strong and resilient at present. Mr. Sir fills his canteen normally these days, but Stanley can get past on very picayune water.

The other boys continue to hassle Stanley well-nigh letting Cipher dig for him. In the extra discomfort of the humidity, their arguments eddy over, and Zigzag attacks Stanley. When Mr. Pendanski finds out, he orders Stanley to hit Zigzag back. Stanley tries, merely Zigzag beats him up easily. Then Zero attacks Zigzag and nearly kills him. As the other boys struggle to stop Zero, Mr. Pendanski fires his gun into the air.

All the adults run to aid. X-Ray tries to at-home anybody down, but the adults aren't happy to learn Nada has been helping to dig Stanley's hole. Stanley says pedagogy Zip to read is more important than digging, and anybody laughs at the idea of Zippo reading. They quiz Naught by having him sound out some words, and Zero does pretty well. But he hasn't learned the "h" sound nevertheless, and when he is asked to sound out h-a-t, he guesses "chat." Stanley thinks this is a smart guess, just the counselors laugh and telephone call Zero stupid.

Mr. Pendanski tells Zero to get dorsum to earthworks. "It's all you'll e'er be good for," he says. Without warning, Cipher swings the shovel at Mr. Pendanski's head. Mr. Pendanski collapses, unconscious.

The counselors point their guns at Zip, but the Warden tells them not to shoot. "The last thing nosotros need is an investigation," she says. Zero backs away, moving further and further. His canteen is by his hole, so the adults allow him go, figuring he will come dorsum to camp when he needs water. The Warden tells the counselors to guard all the water taps day and night and to bring Zero to her when they catch him. "It's most fourth dimension for me to paint my nails again," she says.

Then she says she still expects the boys from D tent to end 7 holes for the day.

Analysis

When thunderstorms reach the mountains virtually Camp Green Lake, they bring humidity and add to the boys' suffering. But they too bring Stanley a new insight. It comes during a lightning flash, when Stanley sees a distinct outline of the distant mountains for the first time. He notices one mountain shaped like a thumb and remembers his great-grandfather's story nigh finding "refuge on God's thumb."

Critics oftentimes accuse writers of poor technique when likewise many convenient coincidences bulldoze a plot. And at this bespeak in the novel, some readers might object to the growing list of coincidences in Holes. If Campsite Dark-green Lake's proximity to God's pollex were a coincidence, it would exist quite a stretch. So would the presence of a descendant of Madame Zeroni at the camp. But this is a story involving forces such as curses and punishments from God. It seems possible, in this context, that positive supernatural forces are besides at work. Maybe fate or some magical strength has placed Stanley at Camp Dark-green Lake, intentionally giving him just enough information to figure out how to relieve himself.

A disagreement has been simmering between Stanley and several other boys for days. When it boils over, in that location is no single clear cause. Humidity-related discomfort may contribute. Zigzag likewise seems especially on edge, both happy because it is his birthday and upset considering he is spending his birthday at Camp Light-green Lake. The kids at Camp Green Lake live under a nifty deal of stress, and some of them may be used to solving problems with violence. It doesn't take much to push them over the edge.

Few of Stanley's experiences at Camp Green Lake match his experiences in the outside world. But in both places he is physically harmed by boys who are smaller than him, and in both places adults seem to call back Stanley should be able to defend himself because he is bigger. Here at Army camp Green Lake, Mr. Pendanski fifty-fifty encourages Stanley to hitting back. Stanley'south attempt to obey is a marker of the change in his graphic symbol. But he isn't a fighter, and Zigzag easily beats him upwards.

Naught, who never fought dorsum when people picked on him, at present intervenes to protect his friend. This shows a type of loyalty, only the style he fights is likewise desperate and savage. People in fights sometimes follow unwritten rules about how far to get, but Zippo seems unacquainted with these rules. It appears he is prepared to kill Zigzag. Mr. Pendanski, who didn't seem worried near the original fight, reacts to Cypher's fighting manner with great alarm.

The scene that follows reveals a bully deal virtually the culture of Camp Light-green Lake. Readers see a hint of why X-Ray is the leader amongst the boys in D Tent. It is X-Ray who steps in to try to ease tensions between the gun-wielding counselors and the fighting boys. This is a risky move, and X-Ray conspicuously tries to be as unthreatening as possible while attempting to ease tensions.

The counselors, meanwhile, seem less concerned about the fight than about Zero helping Stanley dig. They say every boy needs to learn his ain lessons from earthworks. Their mental attitude appears to reflect concern for the boys' well-being; nonetheless when Stanley brings up the reading lessons with Zero, the thought of these adults as responsible caregivers is shattered. The counselors, especially Mr. Pendanski, mock the very idea of Zero reading. Fifty-fifty when Goose egg does well on their impromptu quiz, sounding out "sabbatum" and "fat" and making a practiced gauge on "hat," the counselors phone call him stupid and worthless.

Emotions are running high today. Zero has already fought to help a friend, and at present he is being mocked for trying to acquire to read. For a male child who has never had whatsoever opportunities, these reading lessons with Stanley must correspond a tiny shred of promise for the futurity. When the adults mock him, Nil goes over the border and attacks Mr. Pendanski, and then he flees.

The counselors don't hurt Zip or end him from running away, but their dialogue shows their lenience has nothing to do with kindness. They are just concerned virtually beingness investigated if they shoot one of their campers. They besides assume Aught will return to army camp when he needs water. They permit him run, assuming he is incapable of getting away for skillful.

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