As Gantos vividly gives an account of his life experiences, from his early adulthood to his time in prison, Jack Gantos is able to draw in the reader. After successfully pulling in the reader to his rich style of word articulation, Gantos is able to reveal a deeper meaning behind his autobiography; not only does the book entertain the reader, but it also teaches important life lessons centered around perseverance and overcoming obstacles. These lessons which Gantos instills into the reader are even able to be seen through the publication of the book. Gantos, an aspiring writer, has pushed through trials and tribulations from his days of drug dealing to the day he was able to publish his autobiography. Through Gantos's usage of a colloquial, casual tone and humor allows him to share his experiences in a way that is funny and entertaining, while also enlightening.
Along with Gantos's vivid details about his life, Gantos's use of a casual, colloquial tone establishes a more intimate and familiar connection between Gantos and the reader in order to both show his life story and share the lessons he has learned. Through the repeated use of "I" and colloquial words such as "dope", "joint", and "Feds", the slang and colloquialism used by Gantos creates a casual tone. This tone helps Gantos share his story in a way that is informal and more personal. Through using colloquialism, Gantos utilizes a casual tone that helps him entertain and inform the reader. Though the casual tone is light hearted at times, the colloquialism allows Gantos to be brutally honest in his thoughts and expressions. One example of this is seen when Gantos reveals his fears and anxieties of encountering danger in the prison with other prisoners. Sharing that "I was brginning to fill up with fear and wanted to put some distance between us...It was just twenty-four hours since I had been sentenced and I knew I was in way over my head" (153), Gantos's colloquialism and tone creates emotion and a more personal connection between the reader and the narrator, Gantos.
Gantos's use of humor while writing about a heavy topic such as his experiences in drug-dealing and time in prison aids Gantos in entertaining the reader while also teaching an important lesson. Many examples are able to be found throughout the entire autobiography. One example that particularly stuck out was when Gantos describes his face: "because the skin of my face was so messed up it was difficult ot shave properly, so my shaving became and exercise in landscaping-as if I were shaving around flower beds and trees and rocky outcroppings" (174). Not only does the usage of humor aid in establishing the entertaining, casual tone, but it also reflects the lessons and morals Gantos, himself, learns. Gantos repeatedly states that it is important to preserve and be the best version of oneself that he can be. The usage of humor, even while describing his time in prison, shows how Gantos is applying what he has learned from his experiences: continuing on, remaining optimistic, and being true to oneself.
Gantos's autobiography, Hole in My Life, is evidence of the power of perseverance and optimism. Though Jack Gantos hit rock bottom when he had to take all the blame for the drug transactions, Gantos continued to perservere through the obstacles in his life and do what he loved: write. By utilizing colloquialism to create a casual tone and humor to entertain while enlighten the reader, Gantos shares his experiences to teach and enlighten the reader. The story of Jack Gantos is a reminder to the reader that despite how dark and dim one's situation may be, the best possible thing one can do is persevere and continue on while enduring and overcoming trials and tribulations.
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