Anglais Bac Pro : "Holes", roman de Louis Sachar : l'obligation

HOLES BY Louis SACHAR  (

Bloomsbury

Children, ISBN : 0439244196)

OBJECTIFS : faire découvrir une œuvre de littérature de jeunesse, enrichir le champ lexical de la prison, être capable d’exprimer une obligation.

[Ce roman a été traduit en français sous le titre Le Passage ou encore

La Morsure

du lézard. Il est publié aux éditions L’Ecole des Loisirs, collection Médium.]

DEROULEMENT

1.      Description de la première de couverture :

                                                                     

What can you see on the front cover ? I can see the title of the book/novel and the author’s name. In the foreground I can see a boy’s face in profile. He’s got blue eyes. He is wearing a red cap back to front. In the same shot behind him I can see holes (connection between the title and the picture). There is a shovel in one hole.

I can see holes in the far distance.

Why do you think the boy is wearing a cap ? Because it’s hot and sunny, to protect himself from the sun.

Can you see any vegetation ? Imagine where the scene takes place. Perhaps in the desert.

Who digs the holes ? Is it the boy ? Why ? Perhaps he is looking for a treasure.

[The inset on the right suggests the metal suitcase Stanley and Zero dig out in chapter 44.]

2.      Lecture de la première partie du texte.

HOLES BY Louis SACHAR

Stanley Yelnats’ family has a history of bad luck, so he isn’t too surprised when a miscarriage of justice sends him to a boys’ juvenile detention centre.

Chapter 4, part I

Stanley

felt dazed as the guard unlocked his handcuffs and led him off the bus. He’d been on the bus for over eight hours.

« Be careful, » the bus driver said as

Stanley

walked down the steps. « Thanks for the ride, »

Stanley

answered. His mouth was dry and his throat hurt. He stepped onto the hard, dry dirt.

The land was barren and desolate. He could see a few rundown buildings and some tents. Two tall trees were the only plant life he could see. There weren’t even weeds.

The guard led

Stanley

to a small building. A sign on front said, YOU ARE ENTERING CAMP GREEN LAKE JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY. Next to it was another sign which declared that it was a violation of the Texas Penal Code to bring guns, explosives, weapons, drugs, or alcohol into the centre.

The guard led

Stanley

into the building, where he felt the welcome relief of air-conditioning.

A man was sitting with his feet up on a desk. He turned his head when Stanley and the guard entered. Even though he was inside, he wore sunglasses and a cowboy hat. He also held a can of soda, and the sight of it made

Stanley

feel even more thirsty.

He waited while the bus guard gave the man some papers to sign.

There must have been a small refrigerator behind his desk, because the man in the cowboy hat produced two more cans of soda. For a second

Stanley

hoped that one might be for him, but the man gave one to the guard and said the other was for the driver.

« Nine hours here, and now nine hours back, » the guard grumbled. « What a day. »

Stanley

thought about the long, miserable bus ride and felt a little sorry for the guard and the bus driver.

The man in the cowboy hat walked around the desk to

Stanley

. « My name is Mr. Sir, » he said. « Whenever you speak to me you must call me by my name, is that clear ? »

Stanley

hesitated. « Uh, yes, Mr. Sir, » he said.

Part 2

Stanley

had to take off his clothes in front of Mr. Sir, who made sure he wasn’t hiding anything. He was then given two sets of clothes and a towel. Each set consisted of an orange jumpsuit, an orange T-shirt, and yellow socks.

He was also given white sneakers, and an orange cap. He got dressed.

Mr. Sir told him he should wear one set to work in and one set for relaxation.

« You have to dig one hole each day, including Saturdays and Sundays. Each hole must be five feet deep, and five feet across in every direction. Breakfast is served at 4 :30. »

« No one is going to baby-sit you, » he added. « The longer it takes you to dig, the longer you will be out in the sun. If you dig up anything interesting, you are to report it to me. When you finish, the rest of the day is yours. »

Stanley

nodded to show he understood. Mr. Sir led him outside into the blazing heat.

« Take a good look around you, » Mr. Sir said. « What do you see ? »

Stanley

looked out across the vast wasteland. The air seemed thick with heat and dirt. « Not much, Mr Sir », he said.

Mr. Sir laughed. « You see any guard towers ? »

« No. »

« How about an electric fence ? »

« No, Mr. Sir. »

« There’s no fence at all, is there ? »

« No, Mr. Sir. »

« You want to run away ? » Mr. Sir asked him. « If you want to run away, start running. I’m not going to stop you. »

Stanley

didn’t know what kind of game Mr. Sir was playing.

« I see you are looking at my gun. Don’t worry. I’m not going to shoot you. This is for lizards. »

« I’m not going to run away, »

Stanley

said.

« Good thinking, » said Mr. Sir. « Nobody runs away from here. We don’t need a fence. Know why ? Because we’ve got the only water for a hundred miles. You want to run away ? You’ll be buzzard food in three days. … You thirsty ? » asked Mr. Sir.

« Yes, Mr. Sir, »

Stanley

said gratefully.

« Well, you’re going to be thirsty for the next eighteen months. »

VOCABULARY :

miscarriage of justice = a situation in which an innocent person is punished by justice

dazed = shocked

handcuffs = 

barren = sterile

rundown = ruined

weeds = wild plants

relief = soulagement

can = metal container

to produce = to show

to grumble = to complain

miserable = very sad

two sets = two groups

jumpsuit = suit (a shirt and trousers)

sneakers = sport shoes

one foot = 30,

48 cm

he nodded = he moved his head

blazing = burning

wasteland = desert

fence =   

buzzard =

Part I : What’s the boy’s name ? How many other characters are there ? There are three : the bus guard, the bus driver and Mr. Sir.

Where are they : country, state, building ? They are in

Texas

,

USA

, in a detention centre.

Activity 1 : Number the places where

Stanley

is, in chronological order :

outside – on the bus – inside a small building

Activity 2 : Finish the sentences :

Stanley

felt dazed because . . .

He felt thirsty because . . .

He felt sorry because . . .

he hadn’t drunk for several hours and it was very hot.

he was tired after such a long bus ride.

the guard and the bus driver had to travel nine hours back.

Activity 3 : write down the phrases showing

Stanley

was thirsty :

His mouth was dry and his throat hurt. The sight of [the can] made

Stanley

even more thirsty.

Stanley

hoped that one [can] might be for him.

3. Lecture de la deuxième partie du texte.

Activity : Right or wrong ? Justify your answers.

·       

Stanley

is allowed to wear his own clothes.

·        He needn’t dig holes at the week-ends.

·        Boys start digging early because the weather’s cooler.

·        The detention centre is equipped with a security device.

·       

Stanley

is going to stay in the centre for a year.

4.      Activités portant sur l’ensemble du texte :

Description of the area : fill in the grid :

VEGETATION	BUILDINGS	WEATHER	ANIMALS
hard dry dirt; The land was barren and desolate; Two tall trees were the only plant life he could see. There weren’t even trees; the vast wasteland	a few rundown buildings and some tents	sunglasses; the hottest part of the day; the sun; the blazing heat; the air seemed thick with heat	lizards, buzzards

Conclusion : tick the adjectives that best describe the place :

› hostile   › welcoming   › wet   › dry   ›  infertile  › luxuriant

Tick the sentences that best describe the common points between Mr. Sir and the place :

The place is as unwelcoming as Mr. Sir.

The place is as friendly as Mr. Sir.

Mr. Sir is as hard as the place.

The place is as depressing as Mr. Sir.

Take down the phrases expressing an obligation :

·        it was a violation of the

Texas

penal code to bring …

·        you must call me by my name

·        had to take off his clothes

·        Mr. Sir told him he should wear …

·        You have to dig one hole each day

·        Each hole must be five feet deep

·        you are to report it

[There must have been …] indiquant une déduction ne doit, bien évidemment, pas être relevé.

PRL sur l’expression de l’obligation : périphrase, obligation interne, externe, conseil insistant, be to …

3.      Production écrite :

Stanley

hasn’t respected the centre’s rules and Mr. Sir makes him copy them fifty times. Imagine the text he has to write. (Copy it only

   once !)

CAMP

GREEN

LAKE

DETENTION CENTRE  RULES

Boys have to …

get up

have breakfast

dig

call Mr. Sir

take off

wear

(other rules …)