read this excerpt from holes
stanley's great-great-grandfather was named elya yelnats
he was born in latvia when he was fifteen years old he
fell in love with myra menke.
(he didn't know he was stanley's great-great-grandfather)
myra menke was fourteon she would turn fifteen in two
months, at which time her father had decided she should
be married
o
o. it makes it clear that stanley has never met or heard of
is great-great-grandfather
lt explains to the reader that elya was indeed stanley's
great-great-grandfather
• it is a funny way of pointing out that stanley and elya
are clearly not living at the same time
it is a silly way of letting the reader know that elya and
stanley are not really related to each other