"God damn,"" And other cuss words are her primary means of communication with the submissive youths. "A lot of people don't believe in curses. A lot of people don't believe in yellow-spotted lizards either, but if one bites you, it doesn't make a difference whether you believe in it or not."" Here, Sachar portrays the uncomplicated, and rather primitive language used by Stanley. However, through her awareness of the figurative and literal definition of words, she translates this simple sentence into a profound truth. The combination of influential characters, as well as the intricately designed conflicts which govern the story line, prompt Stanley's immeasurable growth.
In a chapter book such as Holes, many minor conflicts lead up to the novel's climax. Holes is a novel in which parallel internal and external conflicts arise. Stanley's internal conflicts are those which pertain to his emotions such as his necessary adaptation to a life without the love and support of a family, and being surrounded with pessimism as well as a life, which is by all standards, hard. Stanley's external conflicts pertain to his physical challenges, such as the arduous task of digging a 4' by 4'hole every day, enduring the scorching hot sun, and his days in the desert following his escape. The parallel conflicts which Stanley faces are the essence of the plot. "His muscles and hands weren't the only parts of his body that had toughened over the past several weeks. His heart had hardened as well."" In this quote, the mature voice of the omniscient narrator chronicles Stanley's development. The four months he spends at Camp Green Lake are times of incredible emotional and physical growth. It is the sequence of internal conflicts, coupled with external conflicts that together, amount to this unbelievable change in Stanley. Sachar's complex design of parallel conflicts build up to the novel's powerful, and emotionally striking climax.