Holes — Chapter 20

About This Passage

This passage is the very beginning of Chapter 20. Stanley is walking with Mr. Sir up to the Warden's cabin, and he knows he might be in the worst trouble of his life. But instead of being filled with fear, he is noticing how nice it is to walk in the shade. He even compares himself to a man on his way to the electric chair — a very serious comparison — who would notice small good things in the world for the very last time. Copying this passage slowly helps a young reader see something important about being brave: sometimes the bravest thing is not to pretend you are not scared, but to keep your eyes open for the small good things (the shade, the trees, the breeze) even when something frightening is about to happen. The chapter is a scary one, but it opens with a boy looking up at two oak trees and noticing they are beautiful.

Narration Prompt

Retell Chapter 20 in five parts: (1) Stanley walks with Mr. Sir up to the Warden's cabin and notices the trees, the shade, and the many strange holes dug close to the cabin; (2) Stanley tells the Warden that HE stole the sunflower seeds, but Mr. Sir tells her he thinks Stanley is lying for the other boys; (3) the Warden has Stanley bring her a flowered makeup case and she begins painting her nails with a dark-red polish whose secret ingredient is rattlesnake venom; (4) the Warden steps over and strikes Mr. Sir across the face with her freshly-painted wet nails, leaving three long red marks; (5) Mr. Sir falls to the floor in terrible pain while the Warden tells Stanley to go back to his hole and assures him that Mr. Sir will not die.

Discussion Questions

1. What in the story tells you that Stanley is very scared about what might happen inside the Warden's cabin, even before anyone opens the door?
2. What in the story tells you that the Warden actually believes Stanley is covering for the other boys, even though she pretends she might believe his lie?

+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide