Hole In My Life

Part 1, Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. Drug smuggling (Part 1, Chapter 1)

2. Survival (Part 1, Chapter 1)

3. Writing (Part 1, Chapter 2)

Short Answer

1. Jack says his face is greasy and unattractively pockmarked due to the poor conditions in prison and his anxiety. (Part 1, Chapter 1)

2. Gantos believes that he needs to have exciting experiences to be a good writer. (Part 1, Chapter 2)

Part 1, Chapters 3-4

Reading Check

1. Davy Crockett (Part 1, Chapter 3)

2. The Piggly Wiggly (Part 1, Chapter 3)

3. A prison (Part 1, Chapter 3)

4. Tim Scanlon (Part 1, Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Gantos begins to romanticize criminal activity and lewd behavior. He states it is “sexy” to envision himself in prison, and the crude behavior of detectives and perpetrators interests him. (Part 1, Chapter 3)

2. Gantos mostly writes by imitation, but he often fails to write even while cultivating experiences to do so. (Various chapters)

Part 2, Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. Making shipping crates (Part 2, Chapter 1)

2. The Black Revolutionary Headquarters (Part 2, Chapter 1)

3. A blank ship’s log (Part 2, Chapter 2)

Short Answer

1. Gantos wants to escape racial tensions and violence in St. Croix. (Part 2, Chapter 1)

2. Gantos describes Hamilton as having a drinking habit and unstable behavior. (Part 2, Chapters 1-2)

Part 2, Chapters 3-4

Reading Check

1. Sake (Part 2, Chapter 3)

2. New York (Part 2, Chapter 4)

3. Woodstock (Part 2, Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Hamilton believes the items serve as evidence of their crime in smuggling hash. (Part 2, Chapter 3)

2. Gantos admits that he does not feel guilty about smuggling hash, but instead is more concerned about the consequences of getting caught doing so. Gantos’s realization of his lack of remorse could point to his decline in morality. (Part 2, Chapters 3-4)

Part 3, Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. His father (Part 3, Chapter 1)

2. His face (Part 3, Chapter 2)

3. In Central Park (Part 3, Chapter 2)

Short Answer

1. Initially, his lawyer thinks he will escape major jail time because of his age and culpability as a drug smuggler; but after the district attorney produces evidence of Gantos’s involvement, he is less confident. (Part 3, Chapter 1)

2. Gantos admits he doesn’t feel guilty, just stupid. (Part 3, Chapter 1)

Part 3, Chapters 3-4

Reading Check

1. 2 months to 6 years (Part 3, Chapter 3)

2. The ship’s log (Part 3, Chapter 3)

3. Ashland Federal Prison (Part 3, Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Gantos is granted the “yellow cell” because there is an outbreak of lice in the prison. He can keep the cell to himself when he agrees to volunteer in the medical ward. (Various chapters)

2. Gantos pretends not to be afraid even when he experiences the violence around him. (Part 3, Chapter 4)

Part 3, Chapters 5-6

Reading Check

1. 2 years (Part 3, Chapter 5)

2. His prison report (Part 3, Chapter 6)

3. The prison psychiatrist (Part 3, Chapter 6)

Short Answer

1. Gantos has been labeled as a possible sociopath, showing no remorse for his actions. (Part 3, Chapter 6)

2. Gantos’s father and uncle visit him drunk and Gantos worries it will reflect badly on him and possibly extend his prison sentence. (Part 3, Chapter 6)

Part 3, Chapters 7-8

Reading Check

1. Mr. Casey (Part 3, Chapter 7)

2. Graham Junior College (Part 3, Chapter 7)

3. Christmas trees (Part 3, Chapter 8)

Short Answer

1. Mr. Casey, unlike some of his other mentors, champions and encourages him. (Part 3, Chapter 7)

2. Gantos begins to write children’s stories. He realizes he had the stories and experiences he needed all along. (Part 3, Chapter 8)