How did Jack's childhood affect his goal of wanting to go to college?
Jack was always constantly moving and never had a chance to adapt to his surroundings. He could never get used to one school because sooner or later he would move. Also with money being very tight for his family he was forced to have work come first, then school, therefore he was never able to concentrate on his studies.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
As much as Jack wanted to become a writer his school and home life steered him towards a criminal life. He didn't grow up in the greatest of homes as money was always tight and they were constantly moving. He could never concentrate on his writing because he was too busy working. When the opportunity came up of earning ten thousand dollars, even if it did mean breaking the law Jack pounced on it.
If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
No, Jack was living a fine life at Davy's up in till then and was planning on going to St. Croix to work with his father. He only did the operation because he wanted to go to college so badly, otherwise he could have just worked with his dad and not worried about college.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Yes, Jack's sentence was extremely fair. If anything he got off lucky with his sentence. They said many times that his drug bust was one of the biggest in a long time. He was lucky to be young and get off easy.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
Jack's love of books helps him through prison because he reads them to help give him writing ideas. He would then jot down his experiences inside the books as if it were a journal. Outside of prison books have a similar effect as they help give him ideas to write about.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
No, because Jack would never be able to relax and just write like he was able to do in his hospital cell. He would have to always worry about a fellow prisoner bothering him or taking away his books. He was able to have peace and quiet in his hospital cell.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
Yes, they show what really happens behind those bars. That people are really out to get you if you are not careful. He is basically warning you, that if you make the same mistake he did, you will suffer in prison, that it is no walk in the park.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
Each chapter title show the reader of what kind of challenge will be facing in the upcoming chapter. The titles give you enough clues so you can figure out what kind of challenge that may be.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
Each of the three sections were a different part of his life/struggle. The struggle of childhood, the struggle of the smuggling and the struggle of prison. He did this to show how each affected what he is today.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
A mistake is when you disobey a parents order, something small, but a mistake is not smuggling a ton of hash into New York. He makes it sound like it wasn't that big of a deal. If he were not to be caught, would it have even mattered? He probably would have thought of it has a great choice of his if he weren't caught. Phrasing it as a "mistake" just doesn't look like it matters enough to him as if could or should. It just makes me wonder whether he really regrets it or not.
Chris Formisano
Hole in my Life by Jack Gantos
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This is a student-friendly place to discuss your summer reading assignment with your peers. Use this Blog only for matters related to the book – this is not a social networking outlet.
As you respond to the questions and postings related to the book you are reading, keep in mind that all blog postings will be monitored. If you use inappropriate language you will be reported.
This is for English class; therefore, you must write in full sentences and use correct punctuation and grammar. Please avoid texting or IM language, abbreviations, slang, emoticons, etc. In order to receive credit, blogs must be well thought out and at least three sentences in length.
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