Stanley's Changes

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change themselves can’t move forward.”(George Shaw) Stanley goes through a lot of change throughout the story. Through the book, Holes Stanley changes from insecure to loyal and truthful.
Stanley at the beginning of Holes was insecure about these events. Holes describes Stanley as an overweight insecure teenager. “Stanley weighed three times as much as the other boys.” ( Sachar 7) This quote shows how Stanley was insecure about how he weighed more compared to the other boys. In the text, stanley was insecure about teaching Zero. “All this time he thought Zero was reading over his shoulder. Sorry he said. I don’t know how to teach.” ( Sachar 82) In this text evidence, this shows how he was not loyal to Zero and insecure about

teaching him. This following text shows how he’s liked by the other boys. “ but X-Ray told him to get behind Magnet and in front of Zero.” (Sachar 63) This text shows Stanley’s importance to the boys and how he was insecure and went with the flow. These pieces of text evidence shows how Stanley was at the beginning of the book and how he was insecure about everything.
Zero has made Stanley more loyal as a person through the middle of the book. Stanley shows loyalty by taking the time to say, “Stanley never thanked him. But now sat on his cot and waited for Zero to return from the shower room. Thanks, he said to Zero.” ( Sachar 95-96) Stanley shows loyalty in this text evidence toward Zero by thankful for him digging his hole. Showing in this quote is how Stanley stood up for Zero when he could have been silent. “ Isn’t it more important to learn to read.” (Sachar 131) When Stanley stood up to the Warden he showed loyalty toward Zero and when he could have been quiet he stood up and talked. Stanley proves how he is loyal by teaching him to read. “I’ll try to teach you to read if you want, Stanley offered.” (Sachar 96) Proving how at the beginning he said no but now under the influence of Zero he is showing loyalty by saying yes. In the middle of the book, Stanley shows loyalty from Zero’s influence and it helps his character from the beginning.
At the end of the book Stanley shows confidence through the end.

Confidence is shown when Stanley thought this. “ No one liked him and the truth was he especially didn’t like himself. He liked himself now.” (Sachar 186) This shows how he can be honest and confident with himself and showing how he didn’t like himself but he does now. Stanley confidence when he was about to leave and how he said, “ I can't leave Hector, Stanley said.” (Sachar 219) He was confident when he stood up to the warden and backing out Zero. Proving confidence he finally shows how he could show his math teacher a lesson. “Stanley’s former math teacher, might want to know the percent change in Stanley’s weight.” (Sachar 230) This text shows how he can prove to his math teacher how much he’s lost since she used to pick on him. Throughout the story, he changed from being insecure to confident.
Last of all throughout the story Stanley at the beginning showed insecurity, in the middle loyalty, and at the end confidence. Zero helped him be the person he is in the middle and at the end. In Holes, the lesson is to trust friendship and learn that all people aren’t what they seem, and it changes us for the

better.