Stanley was grateful that there were no racial problems at Camp Green Lake. What is the irony in this situation?

The dirt, which is the physical manifestation of the hard labor they perform, minimizes the differences between the boys - at least in Stanley's eyes. Sachar's narration tells us that "Stanley was thankful that there were no racial problems. X-Ray, Armpit, and Zero were black. He, Squid, and ZigZag were white. Magnet was Hispanic. On the lake they were all the same reddish brown color – the color of dirt." Annette Wannamaker writes that "Stanley is portrayed as a naive white boy who is oblivious to racism and the 'racial problems' that exist, whether he is aware of them or not." In any case, dirt is an important recurring image in the novel, underscoring the hard work that the boys do in the inhospitable setting of Camp Green Lake.