"Holes" By Louis Sachar first chapter analysis

dry, dusty desert; the lake has long since dried up and it is swelteringly hot.                                                                                      “The temperature hovers around 95 degrees”, by using the verb ‘hover’, the author lets us know how unbearable the heat was; this technique is effective because it is an extreme temperature and adds tension to the setting. The reader can assume that there are strict rules at the “camp” because we are presented with the simple sentence: “The warden owns the shade”, There is obviously not much “shade” at this camp because of the lack in plants and trees. The noun ‘warden’ implies that “Camp Green Lake” is a prison, and its inmates are the campers.                                        Sachar then writes:                                                                                “you will die a slow and painful death”, this is a grim, melancholy, miserable statement which repeats the emphasis on the negative storyline; the adjectives “slow and painful” give a detailed account of what fate will befall someone, should they ever enter “Camp Green Lake”. Although the chapter is written with mostly simple sentences, Sachar uses his words to create detailed explanations and descriptions, which capture the reader’s attenion. Finally, Louis Sachar ends the first chapter with:                                                                                                                                      “There is nothing anyone can do to you any more”. This sentence implies that the campers at “Camp Green Lake” have had a hellish experience there and the bite from “a yellow-spotted lizard” is the final straw, after all of the torture and hardships they have been through, that’s it for them. This sentence is a dark, mysterious and foreboding end to a chapter and it is a provides a cliffhanger.  Although Louis Sachar gets straight to describing Camp Green Lake, he doesn’t introduce Stanley Yelnats, the protagonist in “Holes”, until the next chapter; This gives Sachar the chance to introduce the setting, theme and genre for the story.                                                              Throughout the first chapter, Louis Sachar uses one word sentences like “Always” to create suspense and stand out in the text. These simple sentences are repeated throughout the chapter, to create a structure within the text which resembles a set of strict rules. Sachar does this to emphasize the austere and strict tone of Camp Green Lake. Despite the fact that Sachar writes very simple sentences and short paragraphs, the way he uses his words still creates the effect of longer, complex sentences. He uses a particular word order which sets a negative tone and ties in with the simple structure of the book.  From the first chapter, we can clearly work out the setting, and the mood for the book is set from the first sentence, but the plot and characters don’t appear until the second chapter, which builds tension. The title of “Holes” is vague; we don’t find out why the book is named that until the second chapter, but the one word, simple title is eyecatching, enticing and full of mystery, making readers want to pick up the book.