Hector Zeroni is one of the main characters in the book ‘Holes’. Known as Zero, he was bullied in detention centre Camp Green Lake but gradually befriended Stanley. Their journey of wander started after they consecutively escape from the camp. Let’s also start the journey of exploring Zero’s character.
First of all, Zero was smart and independent. He lived on the streets when he was young. One day, he was abandoned by his mother without reason. Since then, he had become street-smart and learnt to take care of himself as he lived alone on the streets. When he wandered with Stanley outside Camp Green Lake, he didn’t demand Stanley to take care of him. In addition, he picked up reading and spelling very fast after Stanley taught him. His sensitivity in mathematics was also impressive- his mental calculation was quick and accurate. He used his talent to help Stanley calculate their days outside Camp Green Lake and the supplies they needed. In short, Zero was a smart and independent character.
Besides, Zero was tough. Not only was he able to survive the days without his mum on the streets, he also faced bullying from both campers and instructors in Camp Green Lake. Mr. Pendanski called him Zero because he thought Zero’s head was empty. Other campers also isolated Zero and treated him as an inferior camper- his position in the queue was always the last. In spite of all these bullying acts of name-calling and isolation, Zero stayed strong by turning his head from the others and minding his own business- learning and digging holes. He eventually made his own path. He also persevered and insisted on going to eh Big Thumb with Stanley and not drinking water for a very long time when water was not enough. These all show his toughness in the face of challenges.
Last but not least, Zero was a loving person. As the saying from the Bible goes, ‘Love does not demand its own way.’ Zero was humble and never tried to get over Stanley. Instead, he followed Stanley’s suggestions, such as going to the Big Thumb and returning to the camp. This shows that Zero does not demand his own desires and loves Stanley. He gave to Stanley in many other ways as well. He dug holes for Stanley to let him have more strength, even though he was physically a lot smaller; He ate as little food as possible to leave some for Stanley,
even though he was exhausted after hours of climbing; He cared for Stanley in his words in the camp when they were both lonely and drained… the list goes on. To sum up, Zero was selfless and caring.
In conclusion, Zero is smart, tough and loving. However, behind the scenes were dark and painful experiences-without his mum abandoning him, the holes awaiting him to dig, the bullying in the camp and Stanley going through the tough journey to the Big Thumb with him, Zero could not have become so independent, tough and loving. Even though the things he experienced seemed negative and discouraging, even though his life was rough, Zero eventually overcome these challenges with the growth in his character, This reminds me of what Mr. Pendanski said when Stanley first entered Camp Green Lake, ‘You dig holes to build character.’ Zero and Stanley dug holes not only to search for the hidden treasure, but also to uncover their character strengths. Let’s keep our heads up when we face challenges, because these ‘holes’ will bring us to exploration and uncovering of our character, which can be way beyond our imagination.