Stanley has not always been so wealthy, in fact he was probably the unluckiest boy in town. It was all because of the family curse which was caused by Stanleyś no-good-dirty-rotten- pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. At the beginning of the novel Stanley was unfortunate, but because of carrying Zero up the mountain and undoing the curse, he is no longer misfortunate by the end of the novel. Before Stanley carried Zero up the ¨Big Thumb¨ his family was always at the wrong place at the wrong time. ¨I was walking home and the sneakers fell from the sky,¨ he had told the judge. ¨One hit me on the head.¨ (Sachar 23) No one believed Stanley when he told them that the sneakers fell from the sky. Therefore, Stanley was proven guilty even when he
Stanley is Eugene's 18-year-old, older brother. Stanley can be described as a person who stands up for his principles. Eugene is constantly looking to him for advice with his pubescent "problems". Stanley had to work young to support the family. We later see him losing his paycheck from gambling and almost joining the army.
He has an idea to be rich, and he wants it fast. Being nine year old, he starts out looking for jobs in his neighborhood. After doing two jobs, he earns a nickel, a quarter and two peaches. He has money, and he can do whatever he wants. So with a friend and his sister, they go swimming. Money, to him at this age, affects him greatly already. From his own family, he learns that without money, they'll always be poor and working class. He has the need to be higher in social class and he wants to be like rich people.
The Stanley family consisted of Jackie, the mother, Claude, the father, two daughters, Nicole and Omega, son Keith, and two twin boys, Claude and Claude (Frontline Video, 2013). With a large family such as the Stanley 's, financially supporting everyone in it is difficult with a stable economy, let alone during a period of struggling (Frontline Video, 2013). During this time, the middle class was in poverty, meaning people in poverty originally, are far financially worse (Frontline Video, 2013).
Stanley Yelnats, a boy who has bad luck due to a curse placed on his great- great-grandfather, is sent to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention camp, for a crime he did not commit. Stanley and the other boys at the camp are forced to dig large holes in the dirt every day. Stanley eventually realizes that they are digging these holes because the Warden is searching for something. As Stanley continues to dig holes and meet the other boys at the camp, the narrator intertwines three separate stories to reveal why Stanley's family has a curse and what the Warden is looking for.
Stanley repeatedly gets what he wants by using any means possible. In addition, the person whoever threatens the existence of his poker game receives a beating, in this case his wife. This scene demonstrates Stanley’s viscous animal-like traits with such violence. If what happened here was repeated in today’s society, he would find himself in a jail cell with a pending divorce.
He, however never seemed satisfied with any of this, he did not want to remain poor, he wanted to work and he pleaded with his boss to rehire him to the grocery store in which he had just been fired from. Grant felt a desire and need to support his wife and his young girl. By all accounts he was a loving man, someone who seemed to care deeply about those around him, but like many poor black men in America, he faced a harsh reality, one of unemployment, economic insecurity, fear of crime, and previous run ins with the law. Many may be quick to judge his character for being an immoral or deviant person, but with the given context, it is clear Grant never wanted to sell drugs as he had in his youth and almost fell back into in his final days, he simply wanted to support for his wife and daughter, to make sure they had food on the table. This did not make Grant happy at all, ultimately he decided against falling back into a life of selling drugs on the street and would look for a better way to provide for his family. This struggle is not unique, in places like Oakland’s impoverished neighborhoods, there is little investment in the communities and few jobs, also a poor education system. Good people, like
He said “Pig-Polack-disgusting-vulgar-greasy…Remember what Heuy Long said-“Every Man is a King!” And I am the King around here, so don’t forget it! My place is cleared! You want me to clear your places?”(Williams131). This proves that Stanley has a violent and disrespectful character. He claims that he is the man of the house and no one else can take his place even temporarily. Every time his dominance is doubted by someone else he feels challenged and impulsive. Especially with women, he gives them no respect but expects their respect and shows a deep desire for control. This relates to the thesis because he talks and acts with women in a very violent way, which makes them emotionally hurt. This scene is also very ironic because Stanley states that he is not an animal and that he is a hundred percent perfect American but in reality he has an inhuman behavior and he is savage, which is portrayed in the way he talks, eats , and acts with
Facing reality is seen as a strength while living in illusion appears as a weakness in the comparison between Stanley and Blanche. Stanley is one who seeks truth and reality, which is why he desires to break down the illusions Blanche tries to create in his household. On the other hand, Blanche tries to create an illusion about her life and her appearance so that she can create a life that she wants. Stanley has the power because he has nothing to hide and has no fear of reality because he is already facing it. Blanche’s built up lies make her weak because the other characters can easily expose her lies and force her to face reality when reality is too hard for her to bear without becoming mad.In the end, Stanley’s ability to stay in reality
... that she is cheating him out of money. His desire to move up in social class and not be oppressed by the higher class leads him to this. The oppression of the lower working class like Stanley by the higher class like Blanche is a key factor in Marxism and bases the foundation of the Marxist society.
The use of this dramatic irony is made to give a hint of suspense to the reader because they are aware that Stanley is around meanwhile Stella and Blanche do not. Blanche continues to speak her mind about Stanley saying that he appears to be “sub-human” and have animal like qualities. Stella lets Blanche have her time to rant about Stanley even though she does not have a problem with him. When Stanley finally enters the room, he grins through the curtains at Blanche and stares at her. Blanche now realized that he was listening to her whole conversation meanwhile the audience had known the whole time.
By the end of the plot, Stanley gets overwhelmed with people who have warmed up to him, which at the introduction was only a fantasy of his. The most compelling evidence that proves this statement declares that the characters like Stanley. The author wrote, “‘ Good to see you, man’” from Armpit to Stanley (Sachar 220). From the middle to the end, the other characters became friendly to Stanley, making him feel like he belongs. Before Stanley and Zero became friends, Stanley’s strength had very limited power. However, after they became associates, Stanley was empowered with strength. It is revealed that Zero boosts Stanley’s confidence level when Sachar declares, “He felt strong” (180). In other words, Zero is Stanley’s empowerment of strength to keep moving forward. In the final analysis, Stanley conquers his deepest fear by standing up for his opinion. Without delay, Stanley’s determination to help Zero goes forward. The author clarifies Stanley’s action by adding, “He… climbed quickly inside the truck” (147). Stanley’s drive to save Zero’s life emphasis that Stanley changes over the course of his journey. After all Stanley has been through, he comes out of the other end changed into a superior
Imagine that somebody was on a street and they have nothing. The story of “Not Poor, Just Broke”, tells a story, written by Dick Gregory. The story is about a little boy, named Dick Gregory, who lived in the city slums of New York in the 1930s. There are several reasons that cause his hardships knowing he has no dad to help his mom, his environment is not great and his background of being an African American.
In the story Stanley needs to show that after each day he can prove that he is gaining strength. He also has to prove to the judge that he has the strength and responsibility. And to be able to come back to society. Stanley must be able to have the strength to dig holes. “Your hands will get
In the beginning of Stanley’s journey, he starts off to be fearful. “‘Hey watch it!’ Said an orange lump on the chair. ‘You watch it!’ Muttered Stanley. ‘What’d you say?’ The lump said. ´ ‘Nothin,’ said Stanley… he poked his fat finger in Stanley.” (Sachar 44-45). Stanley didn't want to start a fight
“Stanley was from a poor family so he did not know what it was like at camp”(Pg:5). Louis Sachar acknowledges that Stanley would be having a hard time living life without any money or barely any food for one person in their family.