Who you are to me? by Tiera

Who you are to me? by Tiera - April 2014 Scholarship Essay

Character is defined as the combination of qualities or features that distinguish one person, group or thing. I will be choosing a character portrayed in an artistic piece. The character that made an ever lasting impact on my life and brain is Stanley Yelnats from the novel Holes. I read this novel in middle school and have stuck with me through my entire child hood and adulthood. It was simply the resemblance of his character to me. Stanley Yelnats if you notice is the same name spelled backwards. He was the main character in the novel Holes. It was a novel about a young boy who had gotten taken away to camp because he had been accused of stealing a pair of shoes. Although, this was not of his character he had made a silly mistake that landed him a life time lesson. He blames it on bad luck and curse, although he happened to be at the wrong place and wrong time.

Stanley is a character of courage and faith. He is a young teenager who was accused of stealing a pair of sneakers that had been donated to a local children’s orphanage. Stanley was a kid who grew up around his family and gained the love and support of them. After, being sent away because of wrongfully accused of stealing sneakers, Stanley was sent to Camp Green Lake, where there was no green or lake. It was a dried out lake in the middle of the desert in Texas. Through his time there, Stanley had gained personal relationships with his tent mates. His best buddy was a guy name Zero. Stanley and Zero gained a forever bond. Not knowing, Zero had been the reason Stanley was sent away. Stanley Yelnats was a good kid who had been punished by having to dig holes in the complete hot sun from sun up to sun down. Stanley was not a complainer; he did what he had to do. He made sure the job got done. Was he the fastest no but was the smartest, yes. That is another reason why I choose Stanley because brains are everything. We cannot let our minds go to waste. The mind is a terrible thing to waste, when it can do so much.

Stanley Yelnets character was pure and innocent. He was a kid of no wrong doing. He listened and stayed out of people way. He minded his own business and handled his own business. He made a deal, Zero was the best digger and Stanley was the best teacher so why not. In exchange for digging services, Stanley taught Zero how to read and write. Why not? I don’t see anything wrong with it. Some are advanced physically and some are advanced mentally. I myself see myself in Stanley because he used his brains to gain knowledge and time.

That is why I choose Stanley Yelnats as the character who has influenced me. I choose Stanley as my influencer because of his persona. He remains calm and peaceful while at a deserted camp for something he did not do, let’s talk about a man of good character. I constantly refer back to him in my life and my doings because if you are at the wrong place and wrong time it can drastically change your life forever.