A Comparison Between Gilgamesh and Holes
By Claire Lu
At a glance, a story from Ancient Mesopotamia about half-gods battling monsters would have no similarities to a modern book about a young boy erroneously accused of crime. In spite of that, Gilgamesh translated by Stephen Mitchel and Holes by Louis Sachar are comparable in numerous ways. They are similar in the way that their leaders abuse their power and the large role myths and curses play, while they differ in the main plot of the story.
In both Gilgamesh and Holes, there is a leader who everyone obeys and follows, even when they abuse their power. The citizens of Uruk follow gods and will go to them for advice. Since Gilgamesh is half-god, people automatically follow in his steps, and will continue to respect him even when he makes mistakes. As an example, when Gilgamesh abuses his power, the citizens of Uruk say, “Gilgamesh, as noble as he is, as splendid as he is, has exceeded all bounds”. But even after, they continue to respect him, follow his orders and even still say that he is “a man who equals his strength and courage”. In Holes, nobody in Camp Green Lake dares to disobey the Warden. Even though the Warden clearly abuses her power repeatedly and mistreats the kids, they still continue to comply. In both Gilgamesh and Holes, the leader abuses their authority but still continue to be obeyed.
Gilgamesh and Holes are both significantly affected by gods, myths, and curses. Gilgamesh prays to gods and goes to them whenever he needs help or wants good luck. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu are going into the Cedar Forest, Gilgamesh insists that they must “pay a visit to [his] mother’s temple and speak to the lady Ninsun...the wise, the all-knowing...ask for her blessing and her advice.” Ninsun prays for them and blesses them on their journey. After visiting her, Gilgamesh and Enkidu are more confident. The main plot of Holes is almost completely based on a curse Madame Zeroni placed on Stanley’s family. Stanley’s great-great-grandfather broke a bargain with Madame Zeroni’s family, and it wasn’t until Stanley and Zero escaped Camp Green Lake that the curse was broken. The misfortunate events that Stanley had to go through was because of the curse, which also means it impacted most of the story. Curses, gods, and myths have a substantial impact on Gilgamesh and Holes.
However, Gilgamesh and Holes differ in the plot of the story. Gilgamesh has a relatively straightforward plot, and the goals of the story are evident. Gilgamesh and Enkidu want to be known in Uruk as courageous warriors, so they go on risky journeys to kill monsters and save their land. There aren’t many plot twists, and the story is fairly predictable. The plot of Holes, on the other hand, takes unexpected turns and twists, and there are many sudden events. Stanley goes from simply being a kid sent to a juvenile camp for committing a crime to escaping the camp, breaking a curse, and more.
Gilgamesh was written before the lightbulb existed, while Holes was written just a few years before I was born. Books have clearly evolved over time, but nevertheless, Gilgamesh and Holes are both alike and different. They are similar in their leaders abusing their power and the large role myths and curses play, while they differ in the main plot of the story.
