"Stand and Deliver" In the movie Stand and Deliver, double entendre ran.
During an Algebra lesson one day at the beginning of the school.
year, Mr. Escalante told Angel, a gang member, to "fill the hole". Not.
only was he referring to the hole as an illustration, but also to the hole.
in the students lives as a result of lack of education, the gangs, and in.
many cases, a poor upbringing. Mr. Escalante must have seen some.
potential in Angel and was trying desperately to fill the hole caused by a.
lack of education in his life. However, Angel, tied very deeply to his.
gang "family", would have none of it. Jaime wants Angel to pull a.
complete attitude reversal by learning and self improvement, but Angel,.
stubborn to the core, was not going down without a fight. Through.
seemingly endless struggles, Mr. Escalante endures hardships and insults.
to try and save the students and the school. Finally, he finds a handhold.
and clings to it as if his life depended upon it. In the end, Angel, as.
well as the other students, makes a huge stride by studying and passing.
the AP Calculus exam. In yet another interpretation of this seemingly.
meaningless statement, Mr. Escalante could be referring to the hole caused.
by discrimination. Jaime knows that because of their ethnic origin, they.
will have a constant struggle to overcome the hurdles life has already set.
for them. ETS questioning of the results of the first AP exam is just one.
of the many obstacles his students will encounter in their strive for.
success. Mr. Escalante is doing his best to fill the discriminatory holes.
for his students, even as life undermines his efforts. Analyzing the.
statement once again, it could be said that he is regarding the hole.
caused by low expectations. Mr. Escalante believes with all of his body.
and soul that the students will rise to the level expected of them. To.
the astonishment of the teaching staff, his methods begin to prove.
themselves.