Holes is an extremely well-crafted story. Its very story-ness is one of the first things that strikes me as good and pleasing. Louis Sachar develops his characters and his plot carefully, even meticulously. He reveals to us the history of Green Lake and Kate throughout his account of Stanley and Zero in such a way that we feel the impact of the two stories more powerfully than if we just knew the older story of the lake as background knowledge. Instead, Kate's experience and the emotion we feel from hearing it is tied to the story of the camp. Sachar is also incorporating the stories of the Yelnats family. All of the connections between these stories has a revelatory impact, which I think then inspires us to seek more revelations and insights into these stories. When we are emotionally struck through powerful storytelling we are more encouraged to dig deeper into the text and the story to see what else is there that hasn't been as directly revealed. Sachar's storytelling reminded me of the book A Prayer for Owen Meany, which also tells several stories that seem unrelated but the ending powerfully ties them all together. I think Sachar also uses this interweaving technique to great effect.
We also see the power of stories in this novel because much of Stanley's beliefs about himself and his family is built upon the stories of his ancestors. He thinks he is unlucky because of a family story, and this belief discourages his confidence but also connects him to his family. Zero is reluctant to tell his story and his knowledge of his family is limited. His lack of story profoundly affects his life and how others view him.
Did you have an emotional response to Sachar's storytelling? Why are stories so powerful? Or perhaps you disagree, are stories powerful/important?
Molly, thanks for this posting. It helps clarify soemthing many of us were struggling with in class on Tuesday regarding its allure: its craft in telling a story (and its exploration of the way story (and literary art--the lullaby is a kind of lyric poem) shapes and motivates our lives. It some ways, it's a kid's version of McEwan's Atonement, in that it's also a cautionary lesson about the negative influence of narrative: story has the capacity to shape one's destiny, for both good and ill.
ReplyDeleteI love stories that intertwine (especially when you don’t expect that they will end up doing so)! Oh! I just read Dr. Steele’s comment about Atonement as I was writing this, and I totally agree! (Cool comparison!) Back to my other thought… I also agree with what you say, Molly, about how the history of Kate and the lake is more powerful because we actually relive the history alongside those characters, instead of just getting the facts as told by the narrator or a history buff type of character in the book. I definitely think storytelling is important! The joys of a good story take me back to when I was little and my mom would read to be before bedtime, which honestly, was the only reason I could be persuaded to go to bed at all as a kid! Those stories that I read or had read to me have stuck with me so much more than a lot of what I have read since that time in my life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the intertwining of stories is what makes this story so likable. It also makes me realize that, although this is such a easy read, it must have been extremely hard to write in a way that the reader understands which stanley is being talked about and which story we are currently in. This blog makes me applaud the authors meticulous writing style more than when I just read the book as an easy read.
ReplyDeleteMolly, your blog has helped me view Holes in a new way! I do think that one's "story-ness" governs one's cultural capitol and defines one's role within society. Looking at Holes with this focus helps me to see that it really was very well done, and perhaps worthy of its awards. I did not interface with this text well, and it is reassuring to be able to revisit it with a new perspective.
ReplyDeleteGreat insights as to the importance of story-telling for children! I will have to agree with your point:
ReplyDelete"All of the connections between these stories has a revelatory impact, which I think then inspires us to seek more revelations and insights into these stories."
This is actually one of the main things I liked about the book, Holes. The way in which Sachar transitions from one point to another somehow made a lot of sense to me, though I realize how confusing constant flashbacks can be. I think the flashbacks helped me to understand and gather a bigger picture of the meaning going on in the current story. I don't know if there is a word for this, but the way Sachar narrates seems to reflect my own thought processes, or the way I think about things in my head. I don't know how to explain this, but it allowed for me to follow him very easily.