How does the character of Stanley Yelnats change in "Holes"?

How does the character of Stanley Yelnats develop within the novel? Throughout this essay I am going to show how Stanley's character develops within the novel. 'Holes' is about a boy called Stanley who is sent to a Young Offender's Institute, wrongly accused of stealing a pair of trainers. During his stay lots of things happen like making new friends, running away and even finding some treasure. Also digging lots of holes! At the beginning of the novel, we find out early on that Stanley is overweight, because it is mentioned that , "He was overweight and the kids at middle school often teased him about his size." Because of this, he is very sensitive and self-conscious. Later on in the book, however, the reader discovers that Stanley has lots a lot of weight by the time he has found Zero under the boat. We know this because Louis Sachar writes, "A couple of months ago, he would never have been able to fit through. He'd lost a lot of weight." This shows that his experiences digging holes and eating smaller meals from cans have made him thinner and fitter. His fitness has improved throughout the novel. Stanley and his father have always been very discouraged with luck, sometimes so much that they became, "so discouraged that they actually started to believe in the curse." Stanley relies on the curse as an explanation for all of his bad luck. The curse has

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To Kill a Mockingbird: How Harper Lee presents the character of Atticus Finch

To Kill a Mockingbird was a book written in 1960 to portray the corruption in the USA's southern states specifically the state of Alabama. The book is a microcosm reflecting a wider range of thought in America in the 1960's. The book is a 'Bildungsroman', it follows a girl called Scout Finch who tells us about growing up in Maycomb county, a fictional county in Alabama. A 'Bildungsroman' is usually a book written in an autobiographical style and follows a specific characters rite of passage. The book is told in circular narrative the author Lee uses this to emphasise certain themes throughout the book. The book is told from a mature Scout's perspective describing her life's events. In this essay I will further discuss how Lee represents Maycomb County and discuss the methods and techniques used by Harper Lee to present the character of Atticus Finch. Arguably the most important aspect of Atticus is his maxim. His maxim is that if you attempt to stand in another's shoes you will be able to understand their point of view, this eventually leads on to appreciation and tolerance rather than prejudice and discrimination. "Atticus, when they finally saw him... he was real nice."This quote shows that Scout realises when you get to know people without judging them beforehand they are nice people. This is also shown when the children discover Arthur Radley is a normal person the

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Aftermath - creative writing.

Aftermath BANG! I woke. I opened my eyes but was unable to see. The dust had settled like concrete boulders into the corners of my eyes! Everything was deadly still. The wind fiercely gave a shout. A black cloud stood dominating the demolished town. I moved my hands to wipe my irritated eyes, boulders, brickwork, broken furniture and complete devastation stood before me. A ray of light appeared through cracks of the rubble. The boulders took on features like monsters and ogres - making my chest tighten with fear. I vociferated for help. No one was around. I was scared: Petrified. I managed to pull my achy bones out from the debris, the pain was horrific. I could feel the cold misty wind stroke my face. In the far distance I could hear low voices that became louder and louder: hysterical screams. I attempted to crawl my way towards the noise - in hope for help. Shards of glass dug into the palms of my hands. Warm blood trickled down my knees, my throat tightened with the dirty dense dust. I could taste the fear. Behind me I heard a crackle. I turned. The flames of fire danced before my eyes. The heat scorched my face like the hottest sauna could. The smoke was a ferocious lion ready to pounce. I moved as quickly as I could, using all the energy I had. Slowly crawling like a young baby. I felt hopeless: disconsolate! The further I crawled the louder the low voices

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'Do you think that Lady Macbeth is a good wife to an ambitious husband? You should refer in some detail to her words and actions.'

'Do you think that Lady Macbeth is a good wife to an ambitious husband? You should refer in some detail to her words and actions.' Lady Macbeth from my point of view is an excellent wife for an ambitious husband; we can see much evidence of this in the play Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most famous and frightening female characters. When we first see her, she is already plotting King Duncan's murder, and she is stronger, more ruthless, and more ambitious than her husband. Lady Macbeth is a controversial figure. She is seen by some as a woman of strong will who is ambitious for herself and who is astute enough to recognise her husband's strengths and weaknesses, and ruthless enough to exploit them. They see her in her commitment to evil and in her realisation that the acquisition of the Crown has not brought her the happiness she had expected, and finally, as one who breaks down under the strain. Others see her as a woman ambitious for her husband whom she loves. She recognises the essential good in him, and feels that, without her, he will never win the Crown. Lady Macbeth wants to throw out her morality for the sake of gaining a title. With the help of invisible sprits, she wants to make herself able to commit a murder to make her dreams of the royal life come true, without having reservations or remorse. She approaches Macbeth with the idea that she

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Are Movie Stars' Weddings Too Extravagant?

2009 UE Section B Q.2 Dear Editor, Noticing the trickles of extravagant weddings sta+ged by movie stars in recent years, I cannot help suspiring how millions of dollars could have been better spent instead of being squandered on events that could have been just as beautiful and memorable if the budget was cut half. I am therefore writing this letter to express my serious concern over the despicable behaviour of these public figures who clearly have little idea of what it really takes to have an unforgettable wedding. It is not exactly inconceivable why movie stars tend to spend profusely - that they wish to garner media attention and show off their wealth and affluence to the world. But as often as we learn of star wedding news, equally frequently are we aware that they divorce a few years - or more outrageously a few months - after marriage. I have to say I am surprised at how marriage could be as disrespected as such. I am doubly surprised at how forgetful these people are, obviously having no memory of their vows and commitments on their lavish wedding day. It is henceforth a headache think of marriage being treated as a ridiculous game. With this in mind - that marriage is now nothing more than an empty concept that lacks respect and dignity - one comes to the conclusion that it is simply pointless in holding wedding parties at exorbitant prices. Name any loving

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George Orwell ResearchEric Arthur Blair was born in 1903 at Motihari in British-occupied India

George Orwell Research Eric Arthur Blair was born in 1903 at Motihari in British-occupied India. While growin up, he attended private schools in Sussex, Wellington and Eton. He worked at the Imperial Indian Police untill 1927 when he went to London to study the poverty stricken. He then moved to Paris where he wrote two lost novels. After he moved back to England he wrote Down and Out in Paris and London, Burmese Days, A Clergyman's Daughter and Keep the Apidistra Flying. He published all four under the psuedonym George Orwell. He then married Eileen O'Shaughnessy and wrote The Road to Wigan Pier. Orwell then joined the Army and fought in the Spanish civil war. He became a socialist revolutionary and wrote Homage to Catalonia, Coming Up for Air, and in 1943, he wrote Animal Farm. It's success ended Orwell's financial troubles forever. In 1947 and 48 despite Tuberculosis, he wrote Nineteen Eighty-Four. He died in 1950 (Williams 7-15). This essay will show and prove to you that George Orwell's life has influenced modern society a great deal. BIOGRAPHY In 1903, Eric Arthur Blair was born. Living in India until he was four, Blair and his family then moved to England and settled at Henley. At the age of eight, Blair was sent to a private school in Sussex, and he lived there, except on holidays, until he was thirteen. He went to two private secondary schools: Wellington(for one

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The poem Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan, by Moniza Alvi, is about a girl who has emigrated from Pakistan to Britain

Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan The poem "Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan", by Moniza Alvi, is about a girl who has emigrated from Pakistan to Britain. In the poem, she describes the presents her Pakistan aunts send her, and how she left her home country at a young age. It is set in England in the present day. The form of the poem seems to be quite random - the stanzas are irregular and there is a mixture of short and longer lines. The poet makes use of dashes to indicate pauses when reading aloud, along with regular full stops. There are many different types of language used in the poem. An imaginative simile is "glistening like an orange split open", in reference to the girls' salwar kameez. This conveys an image of brightness and freshness. If an orange was cut in half, you would be able to see all the juice inside, shining and sparkling. This could perhaps relate to decorative jewels on the salwar kameez. A metaphor is used when the girl speaks about a war involving her country - she refers to it as "a fractured land". The word "fractured" is usually used when talking about broken bones. The girl may feel that although it is her country that is broken, she feels broken inside. In the first sentence, "snapped" is onomatopoeia - it creates an effect of something actually being snapped through what the word sounds like. Rhyme is not used in the poem, but repetition

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A Foreboding Night. Ian sat on the curb, his hands buried deep inside the pocket of his jeans.

A Foreboding Night Ian sat on the curb, his hands buried deep inside the pocket of his jeans. Puddles of rain filled the gaps between the uneven concrete, reflecting the eerie glow of the streetlamps. The oppressive night air never failed to release its grasp on him. The hairs on his arm tingled as the chilling wind breathed into his face, whispering unnerving secrets into his ear. He glanced at his wristwatch. At last, with its headlights flashing, a taxi broke through the end of the street. Ian sprang up and waved frantically at the car. The tires screeched as it skidded to a halt. Ian opened the door and felt a rush of relief as he plopped himself onto the worn-out leather seat. A faint yellow glow emanated from the lights on the peeling ceiling. The taxi driver peered at him through the rearview mirror. His eyes were bloodshot, devoid of all emotions. "Where to?" he rasped. Ian glanced around uneasily. "Where do you want to go?" the driver repeated. The harshness of his tone struck Ian into silence. His throat felt tight as he struggled to think of a place. Sweat began to trickle down his neck. Something wasn't right. Trees, bushes, and streetlamps whirred by as the car sped along the streets, its headlights piercing through the wilderness of night like the eyes of a wolf. Spilling out its light onto the ribbon of slick concrete, the crescent moon followed the car and

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"this dead butcher, and his fiend-like queen". Are these words by Malcolm an appropriate epitaph for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth?

"this dead butcher, and his fiend-like queen". Are these words by Malcolm an appropriate epitaph for Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? Malcolm says this epitaph after Macduff has severed Macbeth's head and walks into the castle. Macduff then informs his companions to proclaim "Hail, King of Scotland!" signifying he is King, which all of his companions declare. Then Malcolm states that he and everyone else will not waste their time. Malcolm also says to his Thanes and Kinsmen to be hereby known as Earls, which is what the British Thanes were called. In the same speech he exclaims that the people that fled to England (himself, Malcolm, and his brother, Donalbain) knew what Scotland had produced and he describes Macbeth as a "butcher" and Lady Macbeth as a "fiend-like Queen", but is this true? Macbeth Malcolm describes Macbeth as a "butcher" as he feels he mercilessly killed people. Below are some points that support Malcolm's view of Macbeth. The first sign of Macbeth becoming a "butcher" is when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth plan to murder King Duncan whilst he is sleeping; this occurs in Act 1 Scene 7, although it is Lady Macbeth that persuades him to do it. In Act 3 Scene 1, we can see the first steps that Macbeth is becoming a "butcher" as he plans the death of Banquo and Fleance whilst they travel on horseback. He tells the murderers to take revenge on Banquo because it is

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Discuss the significance of Act III sc. iii with particular reference to how Shakespeare creates dramatic tension

Othello coursework Discuss the significance of Act III sc. iii with particular reference to how Shakespeare creates dramatic tension Act III sc. iii is one of the most important acts in the play because in one scene, Othello goes from being a happily married man, at the start, to being, by the end, a man who isn't in control and is getting confused and doesn't know what's going on. In this scene we also witness a devastating display of manipulation of Othello by Iago and the downfall of Cassio. One of the ways in which Shakespeare creates dramatic tension is by Othello using very short questions such as "What dost thou say?" and "What dost thou think?" and "What dost thou mean?" which indicate that is he slowly becoming more and dependent on Iago and relying on what he is thinking as he has no previous experience of Venetian society-this is shown where Iago says "In Venice, they do let God see the pranks they dare not show their husbands" which is a reference that Venetian women go behind their husband's backs a lot and their husbands don't know about it. Othello also uses a lot of short sentences such as "O misery" and "Ha?" and could indicate anger and also that he is not thinking clearly and that, because he is black and a 'moor', not fluent with the language and feels ill at ease and he can't fit in with the rest of society and feels an 'outcast' and so might be more

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