The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War is a book written by Robert Cormier. It is about a teenaged boy named Jerry and his life as an individual at an all boys catholic school called Trinity. Every year the school sells chocolates to raise money. Every student is meant to sell fifty boxes, and they all do, except for Jerry. Jerry was forced not to sell the chocolates for 10 days by the Vigils, a school gang. At first that's what he planned to do, but as the 10 days went on, Jerry started to feel control over his life and decided to continue not to sell. By doing so, Jerry disobeyed the Vigils and made them look like a bunch of fools. Jerry is a fourteen-year-old freshman at Trinity. He is 5"9' and 145 pounds. He plays football for the school team. His mother just recently died of cancer and he lives alone with his father. While dealing with his mothers death, Jerry felt that he had absolutely no power or control over his life, that is until he stood up to the Vigils by refusing to sell chocolates.

Archie is a part of the Vigils. He plays the role of the assignor. For this job he has to select students and give them assignments. In this case, He assigned Jerry the duty of not selling chocolates for 10 days. Archie is a very powerful and manipulative person and he can turn someone against another in the blink of an eye; just like when Jerry prolonged his assignment. In the following paragraphs, it will be showed how Archie turned Jerry from a hero, to an outcast and finally, to a victim. Jerry became a hero to all in Trinity. A hero by definition being a man or boy admired for his bravery, great deeds or noble qualities. In this case they looked up to him for his bravery to stand up to Brother Leon and refuse to sell the chocolates, something they all had wanted to do, but never had the guts.

During attendance on the first day of the chocolate sales Brother Leon went through each boys name and they were to answer yes or no. Yes meaning they would sell the chocolates and no meaning they wouldn't. Every single boy said yes, except for Jerry, he said no. Brother Leon didn't just let him be, he put pressure on him, tried to make him feel badly about not selling, tried to make him feel guilty. It didn't work though; Jerry stood his ground and stuck be his original answer, NO. At first Jerry's motif not to sell the chocolates was just the assignment given to him by the Vigils, but soon after, that changed. Jerry started to feel control over his life, he started to feel like an individual for once. He also had become recognized by the school as a rebel, and as a leader. People he'd never talked to were looking up to him, he couldn't back down after ten days, nor did he want to, so he continued not to sell chocolates, even after his assignment was finished.

Jerry's fame didn't last long after he disobeyed the Vigils, due to Archie's ways. Jerry soon became an outcast, an Outcast by definition being a person or animal cast out from home and friends, friendless. When Jerry continued his refusal, he made a mockery of the Vigils, something no one else has ever done. He also unknowingly set the Vigils up for some trouble. The Vigils had made a deal with Brother Leon to support the chocolate sales, and with Jerry standing up for himself like that, things couldn't go on for the better. Other people were bound to follow in his footsteps and that wouldn't be a good thing.

Archie had to come up with something quick, so he decided to take charge put Jerry on the spot. The Vigils somehow made chocolate selling the "cool thing to do" at school and that made Jerry look un-cool. The Vigils also started to sell chocolates and put the sales under other students' names, until everyone had sold their fifty boxes except Jerry. The students stopped looking at Jerry as a hero, but more as a lazy guy who wouldn't do his part. They started to get frustrated and mad at the fact that he wasn't doing his part to help the school. Teachers and students started to ignore Jerry.

Harold Darcy tried to put Jerry on the spot in class one day. In class one day during attendance Darcy put up his hand, and when called upon said, "Would you ask Jerry why he isn't selling the chocolates like everybody else?" "Why do you want to know asked the teacher?" "I figure it's my right to know, the right of everybody to know." He looked around the room for support. Someone called out, "Right on!" Darcy said, "Everybody is doing their part, why isn't Renault?" "Would you care to answer that, Renault??" Questioned the teacher. Jerry was left with all eyes on him, waiting for an answer. Soon enough the ignoring stopped and the brutality began, Jerry was no longer an outcast, he was now a victim.

A victim by definition being a person or animal sacrificed, injured or destroyed. For instance, in football