Holes

Holes

by

Louis Sachar

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Holes: Part 3, Chapter 50 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
The narrator says that, despite the fact that Stanley's mother doubts that there was ever a curse, it's true that Stanley's father invented his foot odor cure the day after Elya Yelnats's great-great grandson carried the great-great-great grandson of Madame Zeroni up the mountain. The Warden was forced to sell her family's land after the Attorney General closed Camp Green Lake. It's slated to become a Girl Scout camp.
Here, the narrator confirms the reader's suspicions: Stanley's journey absolutely mirrored that of Elya Yelnats, and by carrying Zero up the mountain, he broke the family's curse. In turn, this seems to have also made up for the atrocities committed at Green Lake in the 1880s given that the Warden, Trout Walker's descendent, loses control of the land.
Themes
Fate and Destiny Theme Icon
Cruelty vs. Kindness Theme Icon
Justice Theme Icon
Power, Money, and Education Theme Icon
Man vs. Nature Theme Icon
The contents of the suitcase turned out to be several low-quality gems and a stack of old stock certificates and deeds of trust from the first Stanley. Stanley and Hector each got a little less than a million dollars. Stanley bought his family a house, and Hector hired private investigators. As a final offering, the narrator recounts a scene that takes place a year and a half after Stanley and Hector left Camp Green Lake.
When the narrator shifts to calling Hector by his given name, it suggests that the novel itself now recognizes Hector as a full person, deserving of kindness and recognition. It's telling that both boys do nice things for their families with their money; this suggests that they truly internalized what they learned about the power of kindness.
Themes
Cruelty vs. Kindness Theme Icon
Power, Money, and Education Theme Icon
On Super Bowl Sunday, there's a party at the Yelnats house. Stanley and Hector are the only teens in attendance. As a commercial comes on, everyone stops to watch. It shows Clyde Livingston, who's also sitting in Stanley's living room, playing baseball. He explains that his nickname is Sweet Feet, but his feet didn't used to actually smell good. He pulls out a can of something called Sploosh and says it cured his foot smell. Everyone at the party claps their hands as Clyde Livingston's wife makes jokes about how bad her husband's feet used to smell.
Clyde Livingston's presence in Stanley's living room, and the fact that he's the spokesperson for Stanley's dad's invention, suggests that he and the Yelnats family were able to make up for Livingston's heartbreaking testimony against Stanley during his trial. Now, Stanley has money, proximity to fame, and a robust, loving family—all things that are only available to him after breaking the curse.
Themes
Fate and Destiny Theme Icon
Cruelty vs. Kindness Theme Icon
Power, Money, and Education Theme Icon
Stanley turns towards Hector, who's sitting on the floor in front of a youngish woman. She looks weathered and weary, as though she's seen too much. As Hector's mother runs her fingers through Hector's hair, she sings a song her grandmother used to sing to her—a version of the song that Stanley's family has been singing for generations.
The presence of Hector's mother indicates that he hired an investigator to find her with his money, thereby putting what he has of his family back together. This suggests that Stanley breaking the curse has also freed the Zeronis; it provided relief for all.
Themes
Fate and Destiny Theme Icon
Justice Theme Icon
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