Hujaynah Asad

Throughout the novel “holes”, we meet two young boys who we know as Stanley and Zero. Stanley,
the protagonist, enters Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp, for his crime against stealing
Clyde Livingston’s sneakers. In this monstrous prison, Stanley befriends several people, one of them
named X-ray. The friendship we experience with X-Ray is not honest or unselfish, but based on
rewards and threats. Though successfully, Stanley does build a strong and genuine friendship with
someone else in the story.

Though the first time Zero, who is uneducated, asks Stanley to teach him to be literal, he is rejected,
the two do befriend each other. While Stanley is brought to see the warden for stealing sunflower
seeds, Zero finishes digging Stanley’s hole. Zero states that Stanley is completely innocent in both
thefts, the sunflower seeds or the shoes, and whether this be an act of persuasion or an act of
loyalty, Stanley does change his perspective towards Zero and offers to teach him to read and write.
They make a deal in which Zero digs Stanley’s hole for an hour, so Stanley won’t be tired and
exhausted when he teaches Zero to read and write. Although this may be just a deal which gives
mutual benefits, it develops into an honest friendship. This gives a chance for the boys to get to
know each other better.

As the friendship between the boys becomes stronger and stronger, it causes a sense of jealousy
between the boys and threatens X-ray's power. As a result, they taunt Stanley for having a slave
digging his holes which leads into a fight between Zigzag and Stanley. Zero comes to Stanley’s
rescue, almost killing Zigzag. Eventually Armpit breaks them up. When the reason of the fight is
heard, Mr Pendanski scolds Zero for his stupidity. To this, Zero slams the shovel in Mr Pendanski’s
face leaving a startled but worried Stanley. Stanley thinks of every idea to help Zero and drives Mr
Sir’s water truck into a hole. This implies how Stanley would do anything to help a friend, Zero.

In my understanding Zero and Stanley would sacrifice their lives for each other, indicating their true
friendship and loyalty to each other. This development of friendship is extraordinary, demonstrating
that even if you don’t know one another, you can end up almost dying for each other.