Holes — Chapter 24

About This Passage

This passage is the chapter's opening shock — the first time Stanley (and the reader) sees the physical evidence of the Warden's attack from Chapter 20. The comparison 'the size of half a cantaloupe' turns a scratch into something visible across the room, and the sentence about the other boys' 'good sense' teaches young readers that silence at Camp Green Lake is not cowardice but survival. Copying the passage lets students feel how a single simile can make a wound loud without any character speaking.

Narration Prompt

Retell Chapter 24 in order, beginning with Stanley half-asleep in the breakfast line, through the choking of the boy from the other tent, to the scene where Mr. Sir pours Stanley's water onto the dirt instead of into his canteen.

Discussion Questions

1. The chapter opens with Stanley 'half asleep' and immediately 'awakened' by the sight of Mr. Sir's face. Why does Sachar open the chapter on the exact moment of Stanley's awakening, and what does the choice of that word tell us about what this chapter will show him?
2. When a boy from another tent innocently asks, 'Hey, what happened to your face?' Mr. Sir grabs him by the throat. Why does such a small, ordinary question provoke such a violent response, and what does Mr. Sir's reaction reveal about what he is really angry about?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide