Stanley Yelnats
By Craig Crawford
The History of Stanley Yelnats
• The story begins in 19th century Latvia, when Elya Yelnats
made a promise to Madame Zeroni to take her up a mountain
after raising a pig and letting it drink from the stream. If Elya
failed to complete the task, his family would be forever
cursed.
• Madame Zeroni told Elya to go to America. He ended up going
to America, failing to complete Madame Zeroni’s task. Elya’s
successors lived with misfortune for their entire lives. For
Example, Elya’s first son made a fortune in the stock market
but was robbed by Kate Barlow on his way to California.
Stanley Yelnats the 3rd
•
Stanley was cursed when he got hit in the head by Clyde Livingston’s shoes, under a
highway overpass. After a trial, it was decided that Stanley would spend a year-and-ahalf at Camp Green Lake. There, he met kids who had actually deserved to be there,
and then he met a ward-of-the-state, Hector Zeroni- “Zero”. He was forced to dig
holes every day, 5 foot by 5 foot. He taught Zero how to read if Zero dug a part of his
hole. He was apprehended by the warden and many others, but continued to become
friends with Zero. After months at Camp Green Lake, he ran away with Zero. They
sought refuge on God’s Thumb. The same place that Stanley’s great-grandfather had
found shelter, food and water. On God’s Thumb, Zero confessed to Stanley that he
was the one who threw Clyde Livingston’s off the highway overpass. The two decided
to go back to Camp Green Lake to dig one last hole where Stanley had found Kissin’
Kate Barlow’s lipstick. He dug until they had found her treasure. They soon fell asleep
after they found the chest. In the morning, they woke up surrounded by yellowspotted lizard and numerous camp counselors. The warden had revealed to Stanley
that she was the grand-daughter of Trout Walker, an enemy of the Katherine Barlow.
Trout walker died digging holes in search of Kissin’ Kate Barlow’s treasure. The warden
had continued the search for Kate’s treasure and set up Camp Green Lake as a
scheme to do so. When Stanley’s attorney arrived, the attorney stated that Stanley
was free to leave. He took the treasure with him and also took Zero, being a ward-ofthe-state. With the treasure, and Stanley’s father’s invention, they bought a house
and Zero hired private investigators to find his mom. In the end, they lived happily
ever after.
Why Stanley Yelnats?
• Stanley Yelnats is the kind of person who lets thing falls into
place, instead of making them go where he wants to. For his
entire life, the events he faced had always done him wrong. If
he had someone to blame, his no-good-dirty-rotten-pigstealing-great-great-grandfather, then every made sense.
When Stanley was sent to Camp, he had an opportunity to
change how the events befell him. He met Zero and ran away
to the desert. It was that very moment that had changed his
life. That goes to show that any opportunity can change your
life. For better or for worse. I liked that quality about Stanley.
The Relations: Stanley and Treasure
• Stanley Yelnats represents a chest full of gold and treasure. If
you can open up the lock and pry the chest open you can
reach the gold and treasure inside. The chest represents the
misfortune he faced his entire life. The lock and strings
embodies the the choices he made when he had an
opportunity to change the outcome of events. The treasure
and gold symbolize the good things that could have, did, and
might happen to him if he chooses to open up the chest and
obtain the treasure inside.