In Holes by Louis Sachar, Stanley is a boy who is accused of stealing a pair of runners from a homeless shelter. Because of this Stanley has to make the decision to either go to jail or to Camp Green Lake. When Stanley gets to Camp Green Lake, he faces challenges and soon learns that a strong friendship is a very important ingredient in someone’s life.
One reason why friendship is so important is that you can’t do everything all by yourself and friends can be there to help you. One of the first boys Stanley meets at Camp Green Lake is Zero, a boy who doesn’t talk until Stanley comes. Zero’s real name is Hector, but all the boys call him Zero because they think he doesn’t know how to talk. Zero doesn’t know how to read or write so when he sees Stanley writing a letter to his mother, he asks if Stanley could teach him how to read and write and at first Stanley is hesitant, but then Zero offers to dig half of Stanley’s hole everyday and Stanley agrees to teach Zero. This act of true Friendship helps Stanley and Zero in one of their risky adventures.
Another reason why friendship is so important is that sometimes you need a friend that has your back and will stick up for you when you need it. When Stanley is leaving Camp Green Lake with his lawyer, he refuses to leave camp without Zero. Zero says he will be fine, but Stanley doesn’t back down. When Stanley’s lawyer finds out that Zero has no files, she finally gives in and agrees to let them both come. This is a moment where Stanley had Zero’s back and made sure that Zero made it out of Camp Green Lake.
A final reason why friendship is the most important ingredient in someone’s life is like when Zero runs away from Camp Green Lake because he is sick of digging holes. After a couple of days, Stanley realizes that Zero can’t live without water or food in the dry Texas desert, so Stanley decides to leave the camp and go find Zero. Stanley eventually finds Zero under a boat but Zero is in rough shape from not having any food or water.Stanley and Zero decide to climb to the top of a nearby mountain that looks like god’s thumb. Halfway up the mountain, Zero gets sick and very weak. Zero is too weak to make it to the top, so Stanley carries Zero all the way up even though Stanley is just as tired as Zero. This shows that sometimes you need a friend’s strength to support you in hard or tricky times.
Without friendship people can feel really alone and scared, but with good friends you can make it through tough times. Two people working together is always better than working alone.
“When your whole life living in a hole,the only way you can go is up.”
Holes p.g. 160
