Zero may not be over-endowed in the brains department, but this boy sure knows how to dig a hole. The cruel Mr. Pendanski says that's all he'll ever be good for, and though that's an unfair assessment, Zero is inarguably a skilled digger. Stanley's none too thrilled about this soul-destroying toil, so it's perfectly understandable that he should get Zero to dig his holes for him.
On its face, it sounds quite exploitative that Stanley's taking advantage of Zero. But the boys's burgeoning friendship isn't just a one-way street; in return for Zero's digging, Stanley agrees to help Zero with his reading. This reciprocity will form the basis of their relationship from here on, and in due course, the boys will show incredible bravery and selflessness in helping each other, and together they will break free from the camp's cruel system of control.
In the book Holes, by Louis Sachar, the main character, Stanley Yelnats, is sent to a juvenile camp, Camp Green Lake, where boys are forced to dig holes in order to build character. While he is there, Stanley makes an unlikely friend in Zero, the least popular boy at the camp. Zero is seen as odd because he rarely speaks. Stanley and Zero become unlikely friends when Zero helps Stanley by digging his day's hole for him. In chapter 22, their friendship further develops when they realize they can help each other get by at Camp Green Lake. Stanley knows Zero is illiterate: he cannot read. He proposes a deal in which Stanley will teach Zero to read, and in return, Zero will help him dig holes. Both boys benefit from sharing the work of these tasks. Later in the novel, it is revealed that there is one final task the boys must complete together: in order to break a curse on the Yelnats family, Stanley must carry Zero, who is really a descendent of Madame Zeroni, up a mountain.
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