The warden called Stanley by
his nickname, Caveman.
All of the boys are called by nicknames
instead of their real names at Camp Green Lake. The warden is less interested in the boys
development than finding buried treasure. When the warden addresses Stanley by his nickname,
which the boys have given him, she is catering to the boys in a way. She wants them to find her
treasure.
Stanley does not even realize that he is Caveman at first. He is
one of the bigger boys.
"The Caveman's one tough
dude," said Squid, and he lightly punched Stanley's arm.Stanley leaned
back against the torn vinyl upholstery. Despite his shower, his body still radiated heat.
"I wasn't trying to start anything," he said. (Ch. 9)
He says he doesnt want to get into a fight with Caveman, because Caveman is kind of a
scary nickname. It isnt until he realizes that the boys are talking to him and calling him
Caveman that he understands that is his nickname. It sounds tougher than Stanley.
Stanley decides he likes his nickname. Having a nickname means that he is one of the
guys. It isnt even that bad of a nickname like Barf Bag. The nickname means "they accepted
him as a member of the group."
When Stanley finally meets the warden,
everything about her surprises him. First of all, he had no idea she was a woman. She is also
meaner to the counselors than the boys, and seems to be more interested in treasure than
character-building.
The Warden turned to Stanley.
"Caveman, will you come here, please?"Stanley was surprised she
knew his name. He had never seen her. Until she stepped out of the truck, he didn't even know
the Warden was a woman. (Ch. 13)
When the Warden calls
him over to fill his canteen with water, she is making a point to Mr. Pendanski. This is one of
the reasons she used his nickname. She was being sweet to the boy and mean to Mr. Pendanski.
He contradicted her when he said that he had just filled the canteens, and she did not like
being contradicted. Stanley found the whole incident unsettling.
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