Robert Cormier was born on January 17, 1925, in a French-Canadian neighbourhood of Leominster, Massachusetts, the town he fictionalized as Monument in many of his books. An outsider who read and wrote to escape, he attended Catholic school, where a nun encouraged him to become a writer. At nearby Fitchburg State College, a teacher submitted one of Cormier's stories to a magazine, and it became his published debut. Soon after college he became a reporter for local newspapers, and garnered several prestigious awards. He worked as a journalist for 30 years, publishing short stories in national magazines, until his profits from novels allowed him to focus full-time on novels. He became a highly renowned and award winning journalist. As soon as he was financially able he made the shift to writing full time. He then began to sell short stories to magazines, and then advanced to publishing novels.
Influenced in large part by other coming of age books such as Tom Sawyer, How Green Was My Valley, and Look Homeward Angel,
Cormier began to write about the complexities of growing up. The fact that he lived in the same city for all of his life gave him a window into his own adolescence, and make his time as a boy growing up much easier to remember and access. Cormier describes himself as an insomniac, and when his children would come home from dates he would be up writing. He had insights into their coming of age as well, and used that as fodder for his books.
Robert Cormier published his first novel in 1960 —an adult novel. His first couple novels were for adults, and while they garnered positive reviews he did not become famous until the publication of his first young adult book in 1974, The Chocolate War.
Since its publication, the book has been near the top of the most frequently censored books. The novel incited much protest from parents and teachers, who disapproved of the mature language and themes of a book that was supposed to be for teenagers. The book was considered inappropriate because of swearing, masturbation, violence and a depressing, dismal ending. Cormier spent much of his life after 1974 defending the book, and writing others along similar themes. According to Banned in the U.S.A.
by Herbert N. Foerstel, a book that documented the most frequently censored books according to public schools and libraries in the US between 1990
–
1992, The Chocolate War is number five, just under Huckleberry Finn.
Despite the negative attention garnered by the book, The Chocolate War also won high praise, named as one of the best books of the year by the New York Times, winning a Lewis Carroll award and being named to the "Best of the Best 1966
–1978" list by the School
Library Journal.
The Chocolate War was inspired by Cormier's son, who similarly refused to sell chocolates at a school chocolate sale, although without the negative repercussions of protagonist Jerry Renault. Cormier considers this particular book to be life changing, as he first broke into the young adult scene and the young adult readers first embraced him as someone who spoke to them.
Cormier's books extend beyond normal young adult books, confronting difficult subjects such as rebelling against conformity, dealing with and overcoming guilt, exploring violent and sometimes psychopathic teenagers and also dealing with ethical implications of some of the choices teenagers are forced to make.

Jerry Renault, a freshman at Trinity High School, has a confrontation with the school gang, The Vigils. The Vigils, headed by Archie
Costello, specialize in making assignments that other students have to complete. These assignments vary, depending on the person, and intend to inflict as much psychological injury as possible. Early in the book, Jerry's friend known as The Goober gets an assignment from The Vigils. He sneaks into one of the classrooms at night and unscrews desks, chairs and hinges, leaving the screws in by just a thread. The next day when students come to class, everything collapses and falls apart. The Goober suffers some serious emotional repercussions from carrying out the assignment and is never quite the same afterward.
Jerry gets called to carry out an assignment and he is to refuse selling chocolates at the annual school chocolate sale. Archie gives him this assignment despite the fact that Archie told Brother Leon, the teacher in charge of the sale, that he and The Vigils would support the sale and make sure it is a success.
At first, Brother Leon and the other students are shocked by Jerry's refusal. Eventually, it becomes common knowledge that Jerry's refusal is prompted by a Vigils assignment. Brother Leon, at first outraged, looks forward to the assignment ending, since after ten days, Jerry is supposed to accept the chocolates and begin selling them. After the tenth day, Jerry fully intends to accept the chocolates. When Leon calls his name during the chocolate roll call, however, Jerry blurts out "no." When The Goober asks Jerry why he refused, Jerry does not have an answer. He is rebelling against The Vigils and Brother Leon. Inspired by the poster in his locker that reads: "Do I dare disturb the universe?" and Jerry decides that that is precisely what he will do.
The Vigils consider Jerry's refusal to sell a defiance of their assignment. They call Jerry into a meeting and ask him to sell the chocolates the next day. The next day, Jerry still refuses. Soon, he is somewhat of a hero in school as other students consider refusing to sell their chocolates too. The sales figures dip, and Brother Leon gets upset. The school treasurer overhears him telling another teacher that he spent unauthorized money to buy the chocolates and that to break even he has to sell them all.
Archie and Brother Leon have a meeting in which Brother Leon accuses him of sabotaging the sale by creating Jerry's assignment.
Archie decides that the best thing to do is to make the sale popular and make Jerry an outcast. Soon, the chocolates are selling like hotcakes, and boys who really have no sold boxes are getting tallies as if they have. It is obvious that The Vigils are selling all the chocolates. Meanwhile, Jerry still refuses and The Vigils are making his life hell. They are calling him at all hours of the day and night, and then hanging up. They are swiping his homework assignments, and trashing his locker. He even gets beat up by a gang of kids after football practice.
Finally, all of the chocolates except Jerry's have been sold. Archie wants to get back at Jerry and get something out of all the work he put into the chocolate sale. He schedules a student-only assembly to raffle off the tickets. The raffle is a special one, however, which pits Jerry against school thug Emile Janza. The students who buy raffle tickets get to write on them a boxing move, directing Jerry to hit
Janza or vice versa, and where. During the fight, Jerry and Janza are hitting each other as directed. Janza is much stronger, and his punches have much more staying power even though Jerry lands a good hit of his own. Then, a member of The Vigils draws a raffle ticket that tells Janza to hit Jerry in the groin. Jerry blocks the punch, and the warfare begins. Janza decides not to abide by any rules, and punches Jerry over and over. Finally, after Jerry collapses, the lights in the stadium go off. Brother Jacques is there, stopping the ceremony. Brother Leon is also there, and has been from the beginning, watching. He makes sure that Archie is not punished.
Jerry has a broken jaw and possibly some internal injuries. As he is waiting for the ambulance he tells his only friend, The Goober, not to disturb the universe
—that it is not worth it. The book ends as Archie displays no remorse for the past, and Jerry no hope for the future.

Jerry Renault - The protagonist of the story. Jerry decides that he dares to disturb the universe. He single-handedly takes on the biggest bullies in school
—both a gang of kids and a crooked teacher. Jerry does not complain or rat on the people making his life hell.
Rather, he deals with them quietly, with his own silent protest. He is an admirable character that shows strength and individualism, but in the end pays for those qualities.
Archie Costello - Archie is the antagonist of the novel. Archie specializes in designing psychological punishments for students. He is revered and feared, and gets away with everything and anything. In this book, a teacher asks for his help, thus lending credence to
Archie's power and giving him immunity from consequences arising from his cruel actions. Archie displays many psychopathic tendencies: he has no loyalties, he does not discriminate and is arbitrary when deciding whom to give an assignment, he shows no remorse when his actions result in danger or damage and he does not seem to care about anyone except himself.
Emile Janza - A thug who operates using his own form of cruelty
—physical as opposed to mental. Archie uses Janza as a thug to back up The Vigils and to beat up Jerry. Blackmailing him with a photograph, Archie gets Janza to participate in a lopsided boxing match in which he brutally beats Jerry.
The Vigils - A gang of kids who run the school by scaring, commanding and torturing other students. Archie is the leader of The
Vigils.
Obie - Secretary of The Vigils. Obie is perhaps the only one who understands that Archie is horribly cruel. At the assembly he tries to orchestrate Archie's downfall, but fails.
Carter - President of The Vigils. Carter provides some physical back up to the group. He doubts Archie when Archie gets involved with the chocolate sale, and threatens to kick Archie out of the group if his plan does not work.
Brother Leon - The corrupt head administrator of the school. Brother Leon gets entangled in the sale by borrowing unauthorized funds and spending them all on the chocolates. He is so desperate to cover himself that he asks The Vigils for help, thus sanctioning their methods and means. Leon and Archie demonstrate eerie similarities and work as allies toward the end of the book.
Roland Goubert - An amazing runner and plays football with Jerry. Even though Goober is not there for Jerry at critical points throughout the book, he is Jerry's only ally. Victim of a Vigils assignment himself, he responds with fear and helplessness to his own and Jerry's downfall.
Brian Cochran - The school treasurer who keeps Brother Leon informed of the sales figures of the chocolate. Brian is afraid of
Brother Leon and Archie, and keeps quiet the fact that most of the boys have not sold their chocolates but are getting credit for doing so.

Jerry Renault
Jerry's actions speak louder than his words. In fact, for a protagonist he is very quiet. What he does, however, speaks volumes. His refusal to sell the chocolates and his silent protest against both The Vigils and Brother Leon demonstrate a defiance and strength that are belied by his reticence. Jerry is full of surprises, and he does not always appear to be as strong as his actions suggest. He is beaten up and traumatized, and never says a word. He could have called the police when the phone calls continue incessantly, or he could have called the police after the first time Emile Janza beat him up. He never does, however. He does not complain about the situation he is in and he does not even tell his father. Instead, he takes what happens to him stoically.
Jerry's sudden decision not to accept the chocolates when The Vigils assignment is over begins his downward spiral. The action is brave and it comes from within. Jerry did not anticipate refusing the chocolates, he just does. He feels good about himself for a while, and the other students admire him too. The poster in his locker is a beacon of hope for him, and throughout the book affirms his decision to go against the tide. Jerry knows that he is standing up for what he feels is right, but he never knew how difficult it would be to do so. Most of the time there is backlash when someone decides to do his own thing, but the punishment Jerry undergoes is beyond that. His privacy is shattered, his home life disrupted, his homework stolen, locker trashed and his safety is compromise. The Vigils strip him of everything he has, except his decision not to sell the chocolates. This is the reason he clings so tightly to that decision, even though he knows that simply accepting the chocolates would stop The Vigils from harassing him anymore. Jerry wants to keep control over one thing in his life, whether or not he sells the chocolates.
Jerry's last decision is to take part in the boxing match. It is not clear if he does thing simply to get the whole situation over with, or whether he fails to realize the potential danger of the situation. Perhaps Jerry feels that if he refuses he will eventually be drawn into a similarly unfair fight. At the end Jerry realizes it is not worth it to resist or refuse and that he has learned that the easiest and best course of action in life is to do that which he is expected and told to do.
Archie Costello
Archie's cruelty reaches levels that are quite unbelievable. He demonstrates that cruelty without abandon, using it to manipulate anyone who stands in his way, or anyone he simply decides it would be fun to manipulate. He manipulates everyone in The Vigils to supporting his plans, he manipulates every student who gets an assignment, he manipulates Brother Leon and he manipulates the entire student body. Archie's supreme understanding of people comes from an unknown source, but his talent lies in determining what will hurt a person most. Perhaps he assigned Jerry to the chocolates because something told him that this would grow to be bigger than originally planned. Perhaps he envisioned Jerry's strength and ability to resist conformity and knew that he could extend the fight.
The fact that Archie undertakes the sale as a cause and makes someone refuse the chocolates is interesting, as it seems as if he is making it more difficult to fulfill his responsibility. What he is really doing, however, is setting up both Jerry and Brother Leon for a tragic downfall. Knowing their personalities and vulnerabilities, he can alternately plot against both of them by using the sale. Perhaps the single most frustrating element of Archie's approach is he uncanny ability to escape punishment. Everyone knows he is behind the destruction of Room nineteen, Jerry's initial refusal to sell the chocolates and the boxing match. But he does not receive as much as a slap on the wrist for any of these actions. He manipulates Brother Leon into standing up for him —not only because he is helping
Brother Leon with the sale, but also because he knows that Brother Leon recognizes the similarities between himself and Archie.
Brother Leon
Brother Leon is ever bit as evil as Archie, and he is somewhat of a prototype for an adult Archie. He is just as manipulative and just as unconcerned with the consequences of his actions. Like Archie, he out for number one, which is part of the reason he goes to Archie to ask for The Vigils support in the sale. Archie uses Brother Leon for power and protection, but Brother Leon uses Archie too for exactly the same reasons. He knows that with The Vigils behind the sale, he will be protected from the fact that he illegally spent school money. He also knows that with The Vigils acting on his behalf, his power over the students and the sale is greater. It seems as if
Brother Leon actually enjoys watching Archie traumatize and control the students. Similarly, Brother Leon taunts and controls the teachers and administrators, as well as the students. Brother Leon grows angry with Jerry, even though he knows that Jerry's refusal was initially due to Archie's assignment. Archie bits Leon against Jerry, thus clearing the way for Archie to punish Jerry however he wants with Leon's blessing. Leon exhibits many of the psychopathic tendencies that Archie does but uses them not just to arbitrarily punish people, but also to advance himself and his control over the school.
Obie
Obie is the one member of The Vigils who doubts what they are doing. He does not want to involve Jerry because he feels sorry for the fact that Jerry's mother recently died. Obie hates Archie and hates what he does to people, but he is not strong enough to speak out against Archie. Perhaps he is afraid, and simply wants to avoid the fallout that would result if he defied Archie or voiced his opinions against him. Obie could have blown the whistle on Archie at any time, but does not, perhaps because he feels it would be useless, or perhaps because he fears that he would then become Archie's next target. Obie's one attempt to get back at Archie comes at the end, with the black box. The only reason Obie can get away with it is because all the students are watching, and Archie cannot back out.
However, Archie handles it easily, and it ends up making Archie even stronger. Obie is outsmarted by Archie at every turn and knows it. That knowledge seals his involvement with The Vigils and Archie.

Disturbing the Universe
Essentially, this is what Jerry does throughout the book. The universe here is the world created by school and The Vigils
—the seemingly natural order of things. The Vigils are strong enough to impact that natural order, and a large part of their power grows from the fact that what they say goes. Defying them is to defy something huge and it creates giant waves and disturbs the universe. The goal of The Vigils is to create their own universe that all of the students must follow the rules that they've set. Eventually, The Vigils end up creating a universe so powerful that no one dare defy it, until Jerry comes along.
Jerry disturbs the universe and, for a while, wakes up many of the other students to the point where they too question the order The
Vigils have imparted on the school. That period of questioning The Vigils does not last long and soon Jerry becomes an outcast for having disturbed the universe. Ultimately, this is what makes the boxing match possible and why the students chant for fighting, even for Jerry to be killed. They are so entrenched in The Vigils universe that they find themselves wanting blood for the person who disturbed it, even if it had no direct impact on them.
Psychological Warfare
Archie is distinguished from the typical school bully and from people such as Emile Janza because of his penchant for psychological warfare. He does not often resort to flat out fighting or physical bullying because cuts and bruises heal too quickly. He wants to punish students in a way that they cannot forget for a long time. The Goober is an example of the success of Archie's psychological tactics.
The Goober is traumatized by what The Vigils force him to do, and he cannot forget it. He feels guilty about being the reason Brother
Eugene is on sick leave, and he eventually feels so terrible about what he did that he stays home sick for the better part of a week.
Archie puts Jerry into a situation where he can either acquiesce or be punished. Perhaps Archie has a sense of the fact that Jerry is thinking about disturbing the universe, and sets him up to give him a chance to do so. Archie knows that if Jerry defies him or The
Vigils that they have free reign to make him pay for it. The phone calls, the incident with Jerry's locker and homework are all meant to make Jerry not feel physically scared, but to feel as if someone is following him and watching him. Archie wants to make Jerry feel paranoid, because paranoia is not easily laid to rest and prevents Jerry from sleeping or gaining any peace of mind. These are the punishments that Archie thinks are most fitting; they are the ones whose implications last far longer than a physical beating.
The Power of Fear
Everyone in the school, including members of The Vigils, is afraid of Archie. Most loathe him, but first and foremost they fear him, which ensures that Archie will remain in control. Simply issuing a summons to a student makes him tremble in his boots. Fear is the reason The Goober took apart Room nineteen. Fear is the reason people do what Archie says. During the boxing match, some students might have derived joy from witnessing the violence, but for the most part the students participate because they must. Even if they have contemplated disturbing the universe they are simply too afraid to. This sets Jerry apart from the rest of the people in the high school. The Vigils undoubtedly scare him, but he does not let that fear dictate his actions. This is the reason The Vigils are so threatened by Jerry, and why they plan his downfall in the most cruel and dangerous way possible.
Manipulation
Both Archie and Brother Leon are experts at manipulation. Manipulation encompasses and utilizes the power of fear. Brother Leon manipulates students when he feels like it, or just for kicks. The same is true for Archie. Archie even manipulates people such as Emile
Janza, lying to get Janza to do whatever he wants. Brother Leon manipulates Archie into helping with the sale —not through fear, but through recognition. Archie is so flattered by Brother Leon's request for help that he does not think through the implications of signing on with the sale, but simply relishes Brother Leon's acknowledgement. He manipulates Brother Leon back, however, using Jerry and the assignment to refuse the chocolates. He makes what would have been a fairly simple situation a complex and highly volatile one.
At the end of the day, Archie manipulates for his own amusement and to get ahead —the exact reasons Brother Leon manipulates his students.
Assignments
Ironically, the word that Archie uses to do his deeds, "assignments," is the same as the word that teachers use when giving out homework. The word elevates Archie to a status higher than the students, and makes it such that an assignment is not a request, but an order to be followed. The assignments are tailor-made, and reflect everything that Archie is about: fear, manipulation and following orders. Just as in school there is a consequence for not finishing an assignment, there is a consequence to not completing an assignment from The Vigils. Once an assignment is given, the recipient is stuck and either he completes the assignment or he suffers as Jerry suffered.

Football
Cormier sets a number of scenes during football practice. At first, these scenes set up Jerry's inner strength. Again and again, Jerry is tackled and hit, but he keeps getting up and trying. Eventually he gains some success as a quarterback. It is his dream to make the football team, and his relative ease in turning this dream into a reality is a foil for his difficulties in dealing with The Vigils. The Vigils use football practice as a way to strip away Jerry's achievements in the sport. They get Carter to tackle him, and they get other players to gang up on him. The Vigils force the team to drop all of Jerry's passes, thus getting Jerry dismissed early from practice, and setting him up for a beating by Janza. At the beginning of the book, football is an innocent activity that Jerry wants to succeed in and works hard for, but by the end
—especially after Goober quits—The Vigils have stripped football of its joy as well.
Roll Call
The chocolate roll call provides a moment of tension for all the students every day. It highlights the fact that Jerry is disturbing the universe. Everyone else whose name is called says yes to the chocolates and everyone else announces how many boxes he has sold.
Brother Leon insists on the roll call even when it is not necessary to make Jerry feel like an outcast. This roll call eventually ensures that the other students become annoyed and/or angry with Jerry. The roll call is also a subtle threat from Brother Leon to Jerry. Each time Jerry says no Brother Leon stares him down as if to tell Jerry that he will pay for his refusal.
Symbols
Jerry's Poster
Jerry's poster presents the theme of the book in a simple way. At first, Jerry does not quite understand the poster, but he knows it appeals to him. It is only after he has begun refusing the chocolates and suffering the consequences that he realizes what it means to disturb the universe. Each time he opens his locker he is reminded of what he is doing, and of the fact that refusing the chocolates takes strength and bravery. The reader wants Jerry to abide by that poster, and one of the reasons the ending is so dismal is Jerry's realization that the poster is wrong
—that one should not dare to disturb the universe because it simply is not worth physical damage to stand up for what you believe in.
The Chocolates
The chocolates themselves are so insignificant that it is amazing to think that they began the whole, huge mess. The chocolates become a symbol for defiance and nonconformity, not just for Jerry but for the entire school. For a while, other students think that
Jerry's refusal to sell the chocolates is simple and beautiful. Then the chocolates become symbolic of war
—people believe that Jerry thinks he is too good to spend the time and energy selling them. The students rally around the chocolate cause in order to find a reason to be angry with Jerry and support The Vigils. The chocolates are the reason for the boxing match and ultimately solidify
Archie's control over Jerry, Brother Leon and the rest of the school.
Room nineteen
The collapse of Room nineteen is a harbinger for what is to come in the rest of the book. The Vigils make someone else take it apart and leave it just at the edge of falling down. Then, the rest of the students push it over the edge, tipping over chairs and desks, delighting in destroying a classroom. The students help the assignment come to fruition just as they help the boxing match and raffle come to fruition. The collapse of Room nineteen also signals the collapse of The Goober and Brother Eugene —two people that might have been strong allies for Jerry had The Vigils not taken them out first.

Chapter 1
The book begins as Jerry Renault is being beaten at a football tryout. He takes a beating on the field, tackled and smashed over and over, but the coach is impressed by Jerry's will and asks him back the next day. Although he becomes ill after practice, throwing up in the school bathroom, Jerry dreams of making the team.
Chapter 2
This chapter begins by introducing Obie, who Cormier describes as bored, disgusted, and tired. Obie mentions that most of all, he is sick and tired of Archie Costello. Obie and Archie sit in the bleachers having a fairly hostile conversation in which Obie tells Archie that he should not be receiving communion in church. Obie hates arguing with Archie, primarily due to Archie's inability to be defeated and his brilliance. Archie is the leader of a gang called The Vigils, and is known for ordering classmates to carry out cruel assignments.
In this scene, Archie is attempting to think of the next ten kids he wants to use for assignments, and Obie is taking notes. Archie has to think of two more people. He chooses a classmate known as "The Goober," who is also trying out for the football team. Lastly, he chooses Jerry. Obie protests
—Jerry's mom recently died, and he does not think it appropriate to give Jerry an assignment now. Archie thinks of the perfect assignment for Jerry, and tells Obie to assign Jerry to the chocolates.
Chapter 3
Jerry thumbs through a pornographic magazine at a store, wondering why he feels so guilty doing it when most of the boys he knows buy and stash the same kinds of magazines. Once Jerry bought one, spending all of his allowance, but when he got home, he was not sure what to do with the magazine. He finally grew tired of worrying that his mother would find it, and threw it away. The magazine had made Jerry wonder if a girl would ever love him.
Jerry makes his way to the bus stop, and from across the street a man calls out to him, accusing him of staring. Jerry and the anonymous man have a brief back and forth, ending with the man calling Jerry a "square boy." This resonates with Jerry, as he thinks of the people who do not do much with their lives. He looks out the bus window and sees an empty advertising board on which someone has written: "Why?" and someone else has responded: "Why not?"
Chapter 4
Archie and Brother Leon have a conversation about the upcoming chocolate sale. Brother Leon tells Archie that the school must sell
20,000 boxes. Leon calls the sale "special," and refers to the massive profit the school could make if each boy sold fifty boxes. Archie is not sure why Brother Leon has called him to talk about the chocolates. Brother Leon is an anomaly at the school —a riveting teacher with a cruel twist. He is sarcastic and power-hungry, often making fun of students in class for no particular reason other than that he can.
After a lengthy conversation about what the chocolate sale could mean for the school, Brother Leon asks for Archie's help. Archie pretends he has no idea what Leon is talking about. No one actually mentions out loud Archie's affiliation with The Vigils, but the knowledge of the gang is universal. Brother Leon asks Archie to get "behind the sale." Archie decides to play with Brother Leon, asking him what he could do as a single student who is not involved in student government or sports. Leon replies only that Archie knows what he means, and refuses to elaborate any further. Archie, thrilled to be asked for help by a teacher and a Brother, says out loud that the
Vigils will help.
Analysis
The first scene in the book is one in which the protagonist, Jerry Renault, receives blow after blow at a football tryout. Immediately,
Cormier casts Jerry as the underdog —he is not a big kid, or naturally gifted at sports. Rather, he is skinny and unassuming, but works hard and exhibits determination. The reader learns about Jerry's personality through this painful scene on the football field, especially as Jerry perseveres through the pain, getting back up and running plays over and over. Jerry is also set up to be a dreamer. He walks home from practice thinking that he'll make the team: "I'm going to make the team. Dreamer, dreamer.
Not a dream: It's the truth."
Jerry's teetering self-confidence is evident here as well, as he tries to convince himself that what he wants and dreams about is actually possible.
Chapter 2 introduces Obie, Archie, and The Vigils. Instead of first introducing the gang and what they do, Cormier begins by describing
Obie's hatred for Archie. Despite this hatred, Obie admires Archie for his cleverness, his diabolical plans, and he continues to act as
Archie's secretary. Archie's control over Obie —someone who despises him—illustrates his power. If he can maintain power over someone who hates him, it is easy to imagine how easy it is for Archie to maintain control over other kids, especially those afraid of him.
Cormier describes Archie not just as mean, but also as psychologically brutal and cruel. Archie possesses psychopathic tendencies evident in this earlier chapter. He can change in a flash from the person who plots the demise of others to someone who seems

concerned or even caring
—"…he could be a wise bastard one minute and a great guy the next." Archie decides that he wants to give
Jerry an assignment
—the chocolates. He does not care that Jerry's mother has just died, in fact, he is even further motivated by that detail to perfectly tailor-make an assignment for Jerry.
Cormier uses Chapter 3 to remind us that this is a story largely about coming of age. Jerry looks through pornographic magazines, but his motivation is slightly different than that of other boys his age. He is not even sure what to do with one of the magazines when he buys one. Instead, he succumbs to guilt, especially when thinking of his mother finding out. In this instance, Jerry looks at the women in the magazine and wonders if anyone will ever love him. Pornographic magazines become a fascination at some point for most boys, but in using this typical example, Cormier shows us an untypical boy. Jerry possesses more sensitivity than most boys, and even when looking at Playboy, Jerry thinks of the possibility of love. Cormier juxtaposes this scene with the previous scene involving Archie and
Obie to set up an opposition and an impending conflict between these characters.
Archie's conversation with Brother Leon illustrates his supreme power. A teacher actually asks for his help, not just Archie's help, but also the help of The Vigils. Instead of punishing The Vigils, teachers at the school simply refused to acknowledge their existence. In this chapter, Brother Leon not only acknowledges the existence of this gang, but also condones it as long as the gang can help him. In asking for The Vigils' help, Brother Leon joins the conspiracy. Immediately, Leon appears lacking in scruples, sanctioning the means as long as it leads to the right end. He also is consumed with profit, upping the cost of the chocolates from previous years and taking on many more boxes than before. When the conversation ends, it is clear that Archie has the upper hand —not only over the student body, but over the teachers and school as well. Brother Leon grants him ultimate power, and as the chapter ends the reader wonders exactly how cruel Archie can be.
Chapter 5
Goubert, otherwise known as The Goober, receives an order to attend a Vigils meeting to receive his assignment. They are in a room behind the gym, with only one door and no windows. Carter, president of The Vigils and a gang thug, maintains order at the meetings.
Obie, on the other hand, is only a lackey, a messenger. Archie gives Goober his assignment: Goober is to sneak into Brother Eugene's room after school and unscrew everything such as desks, handles, chairs, and doors. He must loosen all the screws until they are barely in the hole, so that when the students come in and sit down, everything will fall apart.
After the assignment, Archie has to face the black box. The black box is a mechanism to keep the leader of The Vigils in check. Inside the black box there are six marbles
—five white and one black. If Archie draws the black marble, he must do the assignment himself. In three years, Archie has never drawn the black marble, and this time is no different. Archie draws the white marble and Goober has his assignment.
Chapter 6
This chapter takes place in Brother Leon's classroom. Jerry watches Leon pace around with his pointer in his hand. Typically, Leon uses the pointer to push, flick, tap or jab students. Ten minutes before the end of class, Leon calls on Bailey, the smartest kid in class.
He makes Bailey go to the front of the classroom, and in front of everyone, Leon accuses Bailey of cheating. Leon wonders how else
Bailey could always get such great grades. Bailey protests, saying that he does not cheat and never has, but Leon is relentless, accusing him then of lying as well as cheating. Leon gets Bailey to admit that he is not perfect, and twists his words to make it seem as if Bailey is then admitting to cheating. Jerry watches this exchange in horror and finally someone says to leave him alone. The bell rings, and Brother Leon asks them all to wait a minute. He then compliments Bailey on his bravery, and berates the students for watching the exchange and for enjoying it. Leon turns the tables, saying that the others were really the cheaters because they doubted
Bailey.
Chapter 7
Emile Janza is the school thug, and despite he and Archie's mutual hatred for one another, they work together. Archie sees Janza siphoning gas out of someone's car. Janza, a proud troublemaker, sits in the front of classrooms instead of the back, openly provokes people and asks for trouble, largely because he knows most people attempt to avoid it. One of the only people Emile respects is
Archie, and at the end of their conversation Emile asks Archie about the picture. Archie ignores him and walks away.
Chapter 8
The Goober is known for his running and this is one of the reasons he plays football. He loves to run, and runs all the time, anywhere and everywhere he can. He thinks about running as he works with his screwdriver in Brother Eugene's room. He has been unscrewing for six hours and is still not even close to done. Finally, two people in masks come to help Goober finish the job. All told, it takes nine hours.
Analysis
Chapter 5 gives the reader the first glimpse into how The Vigils actually work. The entire progression of their meeting rests on intimidation. Goober answers the invitation and shows up at the appointed time and place because he feels he must. He fears that

otherwise, he would be injured, embarrassed or worse. Goober calls Archie "sir" because of the respect Archie commands through intimidation. The rest of the members of The Vigils fulfill their obligations at each and every meeting because they feel they must. The
Goober will carry out his assignment because he is scared. The nature of the assignment itself is symbolic, since the goal of the assignment is to make everything fall apart. The objective of The Vigils is to create their own order by making everything and everyone else collapse. The irony and cruelty of the assignment rests in the fact that Goober is the one who has to cause this collapse.
As if the evil nature of The Vigils is not enough, in Chapter 6 a new source of evil is revealed: Brother Leon, a teacher, a supposed role model. Brother Leon's likeness to Archie is startling, as he engages in the same kind of psychological warfare Archie displays. In a sense, Brother Leon and Archie are competitors who each attempt to gain power over others, and remain largely unchecked. They each have the potential to affect each other, however, so their interplay is cautious and calculated.
Leon delights in humiliating his students. Leon first humiliates Bailey, then the rest of the class. He uses the same method as Archie: intimidation. In a sense, he completes his own assignment by both thinking of and delivering the punishment. Also like Archie, Brother
Leon chooses a completely innocent victim. Bailey is the subject of this particular encounter not because he's done something wrong, but because he never does anything wrong at all. Perhaps he does too many things right. Goober, too, has not done anything wrong, has not done anything to deserve punishment.
Emile Janza is a somewhat mysterious addition to the plot. He and Archie are not exactly friends, but share a mutual respect for each other's power. Janza asks about a picture that Archie has, leaving the reader wondering exactly how the picture affects the balance of power between them. Janza does not have the brainpower Archie has, but he has brute strength. His idea of power and cruelty differ from Archie's, but each of their ways is effective. Chapter 7 sets up a dynamic between Archie and Janza that will be significant later, and we wonder whether Archie and Janza work together, or against one another.
The completion of Goober's assignment is as bad as its eventual success. Nine hours of punishment, nine hours of having to follow orders intended to humiliate and injure. Goober tries to think about running, his favorite thing in the world, but it does not help. The two helpers who join the Goober are interesting: in a sense, it is a helpful gesture that makes the job quicker and easier. On the other hand, it is a gesture reflecting a lack of confidence in Goober and his ability to actually finish the job. Sending help in there is purely for insurance reasons, so that the assignment does not fail. A failed assignment would reflect not only on Goober, but on The Vigils as well.
Chapter 9
This chapter breaks from the plot progression and focuses on Jerry remembering his mother's illness and death. She was a hardworking, passionate woman, and it was incredibly difficult to watch. During her illness, Jerry and his dad grew estranged. Jerry felt his father was sleepwalking through that period of time. Cormier describes a scene at Jerry's mother's funeral in which Jerry and his father shared their first and last moment of emotion, crying and hugging at the cemetery.
These memories surface as Jerry watches his father sleep on the couch. When his father wakes up, Jerry asks him how his day was.
His father answers, "fine." According to Jerry's father, almost everything is "fine," and Jerry thinks to himself that just once he wants to hear his father describe something as great, or horrible —anything except fine. Jerry's father is a pharmacist, and Jerry asks him if he ever wanted to go medical school. His father says no, and Jerry doubts the answer and is reminded of the previous day when someone called him "square boy" at the bus stop. Looking in the mirror that night, Jerry sees his father's face superimposed over his, and thinks that he wants to do something, even if it is just joining the football team.
Chapter 10
The chocolate sale begins at school. Brother Leon puts up a chart in the auditorium with each boy's name and a box, to fill in the number of boxes they sell. The other members of The Vigils are less than thrilled to be involved with the sale, but Archie says they should be proud because Brother Leon needed their help. Archie plots for the sale of his own boxes, trying to figure out whom he should make sell them.
Chapter 11
It is the next morning, in Brother Eugene's room and "It was as if somebody had dropped The Bomb." The students come in, brush against desks, try to sit down and everything begins to fall apart, even Brother Eugene's chair. A student credits the event to The Vigils.
Brother Leon hears the commotion and comes over, accusing Archie of orchestrating the destruction of the room. Leon gets rough with
Archie, pushing him up against a wall and yelling at him. Archie, while angry and somewhat embarrassed at having people see him get worked over by Brother Leon, smiles as he sees Brother Eugene surveying his classroom, crying.
Chapter 12
This chapter brings the reader back to football tryouts. Again, Jerry is being manhandled on the field. They try a play over and over, but
Carter, president of The Vigils, keeps tackling Jerry. Finally, on the seventh try, Jerry gets off a pass to The Goober, who runs it in for a

touchdown. The coach congratulates Jerry, and finally feeling triumphant, he finishes practice. Afterward, there is a note from The
Vigils on his locker, summoning him to receive an assignment.
Analysis
Cormier compares Jerry's father and mother in Chapter 9, even though Jerry's mother is dead. She was a woman once full of life and passionate —in direct opposition to Jerry's father. Her death was, in a sense, the death of boy of Jerry's parents because since then
Jerry's dad has acted like a zombie. Nothing is great or terrible, even good or bad, but everything is simple fine, and it makes Jerry crazy. Jerry longs for some kind of genuine feeling, even if it is negative. His father's apathy and general lack of passion and enjoyment scares him, and he vows not to be like his father. Cormier employs foreshadowing here, as Jerry will soon show his strength and passion, and consciously make waves.
Brother Leon is almost frighteningly invested in the chocolate sale. He announces it in the school with much hoopla, egging on the boys, telling them they each must sell fifty boxes. The degree to which he pushes the sale raises some question as to whether the sale is legitimate, or whether Leon has ulterior motives. The other members of The Vigils may sense this, as they grow uncomfortable with being involved in the sale. Archie assures them that their involvement is recognition of their power. This sets up a potential conflict between The Vigils and Brother Leon, or perhaps The Vigils and Archie, depending on how the chocolate sale progresses.
The destruction of Brother Eugene's room could not have happened any faster or any more perfectly. The entire place falls to pieces in less than one minute. There are actually two breakdowns that occur here: the physical collapse of the classroom, and the collapse of power and order. The students of Room Nineteen actually laugh as desks and chairs fall apart, "watching with glee as they fell apart, and toppling the stubborn pieces of furniture that refused to go down without help." The assignment works more perfectly than anyone could have predicted, which is how Brother Leon knows immediately who is behind it. Brother Leon and Archie's confrontation expands their relationship into a new dimension, and sets them up as antagonists, even though they have teamed up for the chocolate sale.
Chapter 12 provides a brief respite from The Vigils. Cormier revisits a recurring motif: the football tryout. Whereas twice before Jerry has been pummeled in practice, this time he is successful. Interestingly enough, the Goober catches the touchdown pass. That pass is a physical connection between the Goober and Jerry. The Goober's interaction and assignment from The Vigils lay in the recent past, and Jerry's lay in the very near future. Jerry's triumph is somewhat ironic, as it is clear an evident more difficult challenge waits just ahead of him. He must triumph again, only it will be more difficult this time. Cormier mixes the success of the practice with the suspense of the note from The Vigils, and arouses two different, strong emotions simultaneously.
Chapter 13
The chocolate sale has begun, and Brother Leon calls roll, asking the kids whether they are willing to participate in the sale, and everyone says yes. He gets to Jerry, and Jerry pauses, and finally says no. Leon is upset, and angrily tries to convince him to agree to participate in the sale. Jerry still refuses. Goober is shocked —he, like everyone else, agreed to sell the chocolates. Cormier describes
Goober as depressed after the collapse of Room Nineteen, even though he had become a kind of underground hero in school.
Chapter 14
John Sulkey, master of sales chocolate and otherwise, thinks about his selling strategy. He sold the most raffle tickets at school last year, and won a prize. He wants to sell more chocolates than anyone else. He decided to make a list of all the people he would ask to buy the chocolates. Sulkey is pleased about the fifty box quota because it means most of the other boys would have a hard time making that quota. There is a jump forward in time, to a role call a few days later. As the names get closer to "R" the class gets tense.
Leon, as he does every day, calls for Renault, and Renault says no. Goober sees Brother Leon's hand trembling as he marks in his book, and "he had a terrible feeling of doom about to descend on all of them."
The second section of the chapter introduces Tubs Casper, who is desperately trying to sell his chocolates so he can buy his girlfriend a bracelet for her birthday. The bracelet is $19.52 including tax, and as he meditates about wonderful she is, he plans on how he can sell enough to buy the bracelet.
The third section of the chapter focuses on Paul Consalvo's unsuccessful attempts at selling the chocolates. He cannot find anyone willing to buy them, and he pities the people he sees as he goes door to door, especially the people who are "stuck in their houses and tenements with kids to take care of and housework to do." Paul pities his own parents, believing that they do not have much to live for.
Chapter 15
In a conversation between Emile Janza and Archie, Cormier finally reveals the nature of the mysterious photograph. Janza asks Archie how he can get that photograph, and Archie says that although it is not for sale, when the time comes he will give it to Janza. One day
Archie went into the boys' bathroom, opened the door to a stall and found Janza inside, masturbating. Archie pretended to take a picture, and ever since has blackmailed Janza, not letting on that the picture does not actually exist. On the way to class, Janza stops a freshman and orders him to buy Janza a pack of cigarettes. There is something about Janza that chills even Archie, despite having the picture as a trump card.

Chapter 16
This chapter shows Brother Leon at his worst. He is talking with one of the best, straight-A students at the school, Caroni. Caroni, for the first time ever, has received an "F" on a test, and wants to know exactly what he did wrong. Brother Leon leads him in circles for a while, telling him that teachers sometimes make mistakes, but sometimes on pass/fail tests if a student is not exactly right, he may fail.
Caroni struggles to make sense of the conversation until Brother Leon brings up Jerry, and mentions what a troubled kid Jerry must be to refuse selling the chocolates. Caroni tells Brother Leon that Jerry's refusal is because of The Vigils —he is to refuse the chocolates for ten days, and then accept them. Brother Leon checks his calendar and realizes that the ten days are up tomorrow. He tells Caroni that he will review the "F" at the end of the semester, and depending on what happens, might or might not change it.
Analysis
The Vigil's assignment is especially effective, as it punishes both Jerry and Brother Leon, whom they are supposed to be helping. The class is shocked when Jerry does not take the chocolates, and Brother Leon is irate. The situation sets up a confrontation between The
Vigils and Brother Leon, except Brother Leon does not know it and he perceives Jerry as the enemy. Cormier describes Goober's reaction because, since having just carried out a Vigil's assignment himself, he is particularly empathetic. Like everyone else, Goober is perhaps even more shocked than the rest of the students. He has not yet recovered from the trauma he withstood by carrying out his own assignment.
Chapter 14 is primarily a montage, showing how various students are handling the chocolate sale. Cormier does not bring up Tubs
Casper or Paul Consalvo again, but they provide insight into the sale and how and why boys are selling the chocolates. Cormier reminds the reader that these are still boys —one of them takes selling seriously, another wants to sell to use the money for his girlfriend's present. Compared to Archie and The Vigils, these students seem quite innocent. They carry on with the sale in their own way, for their own purposes, oblivious of what is happening with The Vigils, Jerry, and Brother Leon.
Meanwhile, the roll call has become somewhat of a game. Brother Leon refuses to skip Jerry's name, and Jerry still refuses the chocolates. This makes everyone uncomfortable, and during the roll call there is a palpable tension as Leon gets near the "R"s. This puts Jerry in an even worse spot, as he could alleviate that tension simply by taking the chocolate, but he cannot because of his assignment. The Vigils have put him in a no-win situation.
Archie's relationship with Janza is a perfect example of someone keeping his friends close, but his enemies closer. Archie realizes that
Janza could be a threat to him. In order to keep Janza at bay, he decides he needs something to hold over him, like a picture. Archie does not even really need the picture, he just needs Janza to think he has it. When Archie tells Janza that he can have the picture for free, both Janza and the reader know there is a catch. Cormier subtly prepares us for an event in which Archie and Janza team up.
In Chapter 16, Brother Leon's character seems even more similar to Archie's. Brother Leon in effect also blackmails someone for assistance. In this case, instead of a photograph, he uses a grade. He arbitrarily gives a student an F because he knows the student would do almost anything to get rid of that F. Eventually, Leon gets what he wanted, which is information about why Jerry refuses the chocolates. The school and the students are akin to Archie's gang. They all do what Brother Leon says, even when he is cruel, wrong, or engages in activities such as blackmail. This chapter sets up a future confrontation between Brother Leon and Archie, as Leon learns that Archie is sabotaging at least one boy's role in the sale.
Chapter 17
Finally, the day has come when Jerry is supposed to accept the chocolates. The Goober is relieved, as he recently learned that Jerry was refusing because of an assignment, and he almost looks forward to the roll call and the ending of the tension in the classroom.
Brother Leon is looking forward to it, since this is to be the end of Jerry's refusal, and would signal a unity in the chocolate sale.
However, when Leon calls out Jerry's name, Jerry, stunning even himself, says no.
Chapter 18
Jerry struggles to understand exactly why he refused the chocolates. He cannot sleep, the moment keeps replaying in his head and he feels like "both interrogator and suspect." He thinks about death, and what happens to people and their bodies when they die. Over and over, Jerry keeps coming back to the fact that he does not know why he refused the chocolates. He considers it being about Brother
Leon and how he tortures students, and wanting to stand up to him but Jerry knows there is more to it than that. All he wanted was for his life to be normal again
—no more assignments, no more Vigils, no more refusing the chocolates. But, for reasons he cannot grasp, he denied himself that normalcy.
Chapter 19
The next morning, Jerry feels hung over —he is achy and nauseous. On the bus, a junior at school sits next to him and tells him he "has guts" for standing up to Leon that way. The student congratulates Jerry for thinking of something so simple and effective as refusing to sell the chocolates. Jerry appreciates being admired, but dreads the roll call. The roll call is tense, and when Leon calls Jerry's name

Jerry thinks about how easy it would be to say yes, and to accept the chocolates, but he does not. Again he refuses, and feels an intense sadness on saying the word no.
At school, The Goober asks Jerry why he refused the chocolates, and Jerry tells him he does not know. As students are drifting into their classrooms, many of them congratulate Jerry on his refusal. Goober implores Jerry to take the chocolates, but Jerry says he cannot because he is "committed now" and explains that now it is not about The Vigils, but about him. Jerry meditates on the poster in his locker, which says: Do I dare disturb the universe?
Chapter 20
For a week now, everyone in Brother Jacques class jumps up and dances insanely every time Jacques says the word environment.
Brother Jacques is a new teacher, and easy prey for The Vigils. It does not seem that Brother Jacques has figured out what triggers the sudden, outrageous behavior. If Jacques did not naturally say the word "environment," it was Obie's job to ask some kind of question that would elicit the trigger word. Brother Jacques begins using the word over and over, making the boys get up and dance until they are exhausted. Obie notices a smile on Brother Jacques lips and realizes that Archie has tipped the teacher off, turning the tables once again.
Analysis
Something takes over in Chapter 17, shocking even Jerry. Something inside him does not allow him to accept the chocolate, even though he was planning on it and even looking forward to it. Cormier tips off the reader to the fact that this is perhaps the single most important moment in the book, by writing, "Cities fell. Earth opened. Planets tilted. Stars plummeted. And the awful silence." This is a moment in which Jerry exercises his own decisions, his own feelings. He defies expectation, he defies Brother Leon and he defies The
Vigils. In a sense, he defies his own previous definition of himself, which means that for the rest of the book, all bets are off.
Before being confronted by Leon or Archie, Jerry must first confront himself. His body repels against him, as does his mind. He feels sick and he cannot sleep. He knows that what he has done is significant, and he knows that he will probably pay a price for it. He doubts his decision to prolong the ordeal, and part of his pain and insomnia is due to simple fear. Turning it over and over in his head, he finds no answers, only that unsettling feeling in the bit of his stomach that will not go away.
Jerry's decision is polarizing. While Brother Leon and Archie are angry at his defiance, other students at school admire him. This does not make the fear or the doubt subside, though, as Jerry realizes that his refusal has taken on a whole new meaning. Goober is particularly upset, and Jerry tells him: "It's not The Vigils, Goob. They're not in it anymore. It's me." The poster inside of Jerry's locker sums it up perfectly: Do I dare disturb the universe?
Disturbing the universe of the school is precisely what Jerry is doing, and at his own volition, although he does not know exactly for which purpose yet. All he knows is that the way things are, with Archie and Brother
Leon controlling, manipulating and terrorizing students is wrong. Jerry once again refuses the chocolates during the roll call, taking it upon himself to, somehow, make the world a different place.
The Vigils and Archie are still at work, issuing assignment, traumatizing students and teachers. In Chapter 20, Archie's loyalties come into question. Although he conceived of the assignment to plague Brother Jacques, he also betrays The Vigils and his own assignment, giving Brother Jacques the means to get revenge. It is clear that Archie will do anything to cause chaos or problems, even if it is helping a teacher get the best of The Vigils. To Archie, it is all a game, and he changes sides in conjunction with his whims and in accordance with what he thinks is most amusing. The reader is left to wonder how Archie will react upon hearing that Jerry has defied him and that for the first time, a student has not obeyed an assignment. By now, the reader knows that to Archie, nothing is sacred, which means that the consequences for disobeying him could reach new and dangerous heights.
Chapter 21
Chapter 21 again focuses in on various students' progress in the chocolate sale. Kevin Chartier is on the phone with his friend Danny, complaining that he has been unable to sell any chocolates. They begin talking about Jerry, saying that perhaps he has the right idea after all. Kevin mentions that it used to be a "Vigil's thing," but that now it was "something else." Next year, Kevin will be a junior, and perhaps in line to become a member of The Vigils. Danny is curious about what Kevin thinks of the situation with Jerry. Kevin speculates that The Vigils might take some action, but adds that he does not care what happens, so long as he is done selling chocolates soon.
The chapter shifts to two more students, Howie Anderson and Richy Rondell. Howie tells Richy that Jerry has the right idea, and that he is going to stop selling the chocolates as well. Howie's declaration is surprising, since Howie is a high honors student, a varsity football player, and a respected student at school. Howie says that on principle, Jerry is right on, and that saying "no" is the simplest and best response. Richy says that he is with Howie, and will not sell chocolates either, but Howie tells Richy to do his own thing, and not to sell or refuse to sell based on what anyone else is doing.
The next scene cuts to the gym, where Obie has asked Archie to meet him. Obie tells Archie that Jerry still refuses to sell the chocolates. At first, Archie does not react, but then seems to appreciate the fact that Jerry's revolt is infuriating Brother Leon. Obie tells
Archie that the sale is a farce now, and that many students are refusing to sell the chocolates. Obie suggests that now, Jerry is defying
The Vigils, especially since The Vigils agreed to help Brother Leon with the sale. Archie, ready to devise a plan, leaves the gym.

Chapter 22
The sales figures for the chocolates drop sharply, and the treasurer for the sale, Brian Cochran, worries about what Brother Leon will do. Brian tells him, and Leon reacts in anger, making Brian read off the names of everyone who has fulfilled his quota. Leon then rants about how Jerry's refusal to sell chocolates has "infected" the boys with "apathy." Leon repeats Jerry's name over and over, contemplating a way to "cure" the infection.
Chapter 23
The Goober announces that he is quitting the football team. Jerry is upset and asks Goober why. Goober launches into an explanation about what happened in Room Nineteen and how ever since Brother Eugene has been on sick leave. Goober explains that there is something "rotten in that school. More than rotten." Jerry suggests that it is The Vigils, and Goober says it is, but also there is something more
—plain evil. Goober does not want anything to do with the school, does not want to give anything back to the school.
Chapter 24
The confrontation between Brother Leon and Archie finally takes place. Leon yells at Archie, telling him that the sale is failing, and that
Archie is not doing a very good job promoting the sale. Archie has a trump card up his sleeve since earlier that morning, Brian Cochran told him about a conversation he overheard between Brother Leon and Brother Jacques. Jacques was accusing Leon of abusing his power and spending too much of the school's money in advance for the chocolates. Leon was $20,000 in the hole, and needed at least that much to break even on the sale.
Brother Leon asks Archie why he is not using his influence and tells him that Jerry's assignment has backfired. Archie mentions that last year, the quota was half as many boxes for a price of half as much, and suggests that the increased prices and quota are responsible for the failure of the sale. Leon suggests that The Vigils make Jerry sell his chocolates, and "throw their full weight behind the sale." Leon threatens Archie and says, "if the sale goes down the drain, you and The Vigils also go down the drain."
Analysis
Jerry is becoming a kind of underground hero at school. Other students consider doing what he is doing. The point Howie makes in this chapter is important, though. Richy agrees that Howie is right, and he says that he will not sell chocolates either. But Howie tells Richy not simply to agree with him, but to make the choice for himself. This is what Jerry has done. At first he refused only because of The
Vigils, but now he is refusing to sell the chocolates because of himself. Based on Richy and Howie's conversation, the possibility of a school-wide revolt becomes real. Obie clues into this, and is worried that The Vigils are in a lose-lose situation. Jerry has defied the last part of their assignment, and now the rest of the school is beginning to follow in Jerry's footsteps, thus undermining The Vigils, especially in the eyes of Brother Leon. Archie understands the precariousness of the situation, and exits the scene, leaving the reader to wonder what he is concocting.
In Chapter 22 Archie contemplates how to solve the problem of Jerry. At the same time, Brother Leon thinks about how to stop Jerry or make him accept the chocolates and boost the sale. At first, when Jerry refused to sell the chocolates Brother Leon and everyone else blamed The Vigils. But now, Jerry is on his own
—he cannot claim that his actions are because of anyone or any assignment. Brother
Leon knows this, and has trouble swallowing the individualism Jerry has brought to the classroom and the sale. Jerry becomes a singular target for both Archie and Brother Leon. Now, Cormier introduces the possibility of a union between the two cruelest characters in the book, Leon and Archie, both of whom see Jerry as their central problem.
Goober has decided to act for himself and only himself. In Chapter 23 he decides to quit the football team, and quit running for the school. Despite the fact that he must attend the school, he wants to distance himself from it as much as possible. He is the first person to actually say what has been going on for much of the book
—that something is wrong at the school, and it extends beyond The Vigils.
He calls it "rotten," which is quite accurate, since the school is rotten to the bone, all the way to its core administrators and teachers who have since teamed up with The Vigils. Goober does not know how to affect change, so he reacts passively, quietly, without jeopardizing himself or drawing attention to him. While Jerry is in the thick of it, Goober withdraws, not wanting a part of anything at the school. Jerry is now officially alone in the mess around him, while his enemies are gaining in number.
Brother Leon's previously inexplicable obsession with the sale is finally explained in Chapter 24. He has in effect spent $20,000 of the school's money that he was not authorized to spend, and if he does not sell the chocolates he will be personally responsible for that debt. Leon confronts Archie about his duplicity, simultaneously presenting obstacles to the sale while having promised to help. Archie has information that could hurt Brother Leon, so in essence he has the upper hand. Now, he has information to blackmail Brother Leon, and he has the motivation to go after Jerry. Because of Leon's intense involvement in the sale, Archie knows that he can do anything to
Jerry or do anything to promote the sale, and Brother Leon will not punish him. In fact, Brother Leon would probably sanction any action Archie takes against Jerry. With any possibility of punishment out of the way, Archie can plot against Jerry without any fear, sparing no expense.

Chapter 25
Jerry gets a summons from The Vigils. Archie, sitting at a table in the gym, offers him a chocolate. Jerry refuses, and Archie asks him how many boxes of chocolates he has sold. Jerry says zero, and then Archie begins asking everyone else in the gym how many boxes they have sold. Archie begins delivering a speech about how as a freshman, Jerry should possess enough school spirit to sell chocolates. Archie asks why Jerry is refusing, and Jerry tells him that it is personal. Archie tells him that with The Vigils, nothing is personal. Finally, Jerry says he does not want to sell the chocolates. Archie points out that everyone must do things he does not want to do. Archie tells Jerry that his new assignment is to say yes during tomorrow's roll call, and to accept the chocolates. Archie tells him that instead of punishing him, they are giving him a chance to make amends. Obie notices Archie's exact words: "We're just asking you to take the chocolates tomorrow," and realizes that Archie must be frightened if he used the word "asking."
Chapter 26
Jerry calls a girl he has seen at the bus stop. She has smiled at him, and he decides that now is the time to call her. The phone call does not go well. First she mistakes him for someone named Danny, and then she thinks that the caller is a pervert. Jerry meditates on this for a while. He knows he is not a sexual pervert, but acknowledges that in other ways he is a pervert. He thinks that not selling the chocolates indicates perversion, as well as his defiance of The Vigils. For the first time, saying no actually felt good.
Chapter 27
The Vigils have picked a junior, Frankie Rollo for their next assignment. Unlike most of the others, he is not afraid of The Vigils, and rags on Archie throughout the meeting. Carter, president of The Vigils, reacts in a way he previously has not before and he begins to beat Frankie up. Carter says that when someone like Frankie challenges The Vigils, they know something is wrong. Carter suggests that they are the ones who are wrong, because they got involved with the chocolate sale and because they let Jerry defy their assignment.
Obie shows them a poster he pulled down from the wall earlier that says: "Screw the chocolates and screw The Vigils." Carter says this is evidence that Jerry's defiance has spread. Archie says that they cannot just beat everyone up. Archie says they must make selling chocolates a popular thing to do, and make Jerry look bad for not being involved. Archie says that the situation with Jerry will resolve itself. Carter says that it better, and that Archie is on probation until the sale is finished.
Chapter 28
This chapter begins again at football practice. This time, Jerry's role in the drill is to try and tackle Carter, who is much bigger and stronger than he is. After a few tries, Jerry lands an impressive tackle on Carter. After the play is over, Jerry gets viciously tackled from behind. He wonders who attacked him like that. At home, Jerry begins receiving prank phone calls. He answers, but there is silence on the other end, followed by laughing. It happens repeatedly, even in the middle of the night, waking Jerry's father.
The next day when Jerry opens his locker, he sees that his poster has been ruined and that his new gym shoes are slashed up. He knows that the vandalism, phone calls, and the attack at football are a message. In art class, Jerry has to turn in a landscape. The day before he left it on the teacher's desk, but now the teacher cannot find it. The teacher threatens to fail Jerry if it is not turned in by tomorrow. Upon leaving for the day, Jerry opens his locker again and looks at the ruined poster. He then grasps the meaning of it.
Analysis
The Vigil's meeting with Jerry in Chapter 25 is strangely ineffective. This is the first time The Vigils have not made their point or have come off as desperate rather than threatening. They do not do anything to Jerry physically, and they do not even threaten him. As Obie notices, they "ask" him to follow their directions. This is a tip off that Archie is in a tight spot, and the easiest resolution for him is to get
Jerry to behave, quickly and quietly. Archie does not want anyone realizing that he used the word "asking." It is unclear if Jerry notices, but Obie does notice. This momentary weakness foreshadows a conflict between Obie and Archie at the end of the book.
In Chapter 26, Jerry wonders if he is a pervert. Cormier uses the word interestingly, first in regard to a phone call and the possibility of a sexual pervert, but then as someone who diverges from the norm. In that sense yes, Jerry is a pervert, both in regard to The Vigils and to the sale. The question is whether in this instance being a pervert is good or bad. Also, there is a possibility that Jerry can, at least in his situation, redefine what it means to be a pervert. Perhaps defying The Vigils and fighting the "evil" of the school will soon not be a perversion, but the common way. Now is the time for Jerry, the school, his schoolmates and The Vigils to decide what is abhorrent, what is a perversion and what is natural and right.
The Vigils seem vulnerable in Chapter 27. First, the student they pick for their next assignment is not scared of them, and is not willing to blindly and fearfully obey them. Jerry's refusal to comply with his assignment has given other students strength to stand up to The
Vigils. The purpose of The Vigils is undermined if students do not fear them; The Vigils rely on being feared to function. Carter, knowing that this is a turning point for them, decides that the best remedy is to invoke good, old-fashioned fear. The meeting is indicative of their declining power, and they all know they must regain control immediately. Archie suggests that beating people up is not prudent and again he chooses psychological warfare. Carter challenges Archie, saying that the decision to become involved with the sale was a

mistake
—that decision was unilaterally Archie's. Not only is the future of The Vigils as a gang on the line, but the future of Archie as its leader is as well.
The way The Vigils infiltrate Jerry's life is reminiscent of the way the mafia might get revenge on an enemy. They are there are football practice, waiting to hit him with excruciating tackles, they call him at all hours of day and night, they break into his locker and trash it, they snatch his homework assignments and dispose of them. There is no refuge and no asylum. They are an invisible enemy, and even though Jerry knows who they are he cannot do anything to prevent them from trying to scare him. The Vigils elevate their offensive to an intangible level, giving them a distinct advantage because Jerry cannot see or hear them, and does not know when or where to expect them. The Vigils attempt to instill a pervasive fear in Jerry's life, making it simply not worth it for him to continue refusing to sell the chocolates. Jerry's resolve is tested more than ever, and the question for the remainder of the book is whether he will stand up to the abuse from The Vigils and if not, how he can fight it.
Chapter 29
When Brian Cochran adds up the totals, he is astounded and cannot wait to tell Brother Leon. For the past few days the chocolates have been selling like hot cakes, and although he does not understand why, he is relieved that he has good news to report. He has heard rumors that The Vigils were behind the sale, and he has noticed The Vigils whispering to people in the hallways, making threats, and taking off after school with boxes of chocolates in their cars. He thinks it eerie that everyone is being credited with the sales, and that the numbers for each person's individual sale tally is climbing whether that person has sold any chocolates or not. Carter approaches Brian with money from the sale. He tells Brian whom to attribute the boxes
—he looks at the roster and attributes some of the sales to boys who have not sold many boxes. When Brian posts the tally at the assembly meeting, he receives a round of cheers from his fellow students.
Chapter 30
Brother Leon insists on conducting the chocolate roll call, even though most people bring their money and report directly to Brian. Leon congratulates boys for selling their chocolates even though everyone knows they were not responsible for the sales at all. Leon calls on
Jerry, and as always, Jerry says no. Then, a student named Harold Darcy raises his hand and asks Brother Leon why it is that Jerry is not selling the chocolates. Harold says that he and everyone else have the right to know, since they have all been selling chocolates since day one. Brother Leon asks Jerry to answer the question. Jerry replies: "It's a free country," but Brother Leon says that answer is not good enough. Jerry then confirms that the sale is indeed voluntary, and that he does not have to sell the chocolates. Harold asks
Jerry if he thinks he is better than everyone else, and Jerry says no, but that he still refuses to sell the chocolates. The tension in the room mounts and is finally broken by the bell. When The Goober goes into the assembly hall that afternoon, he is met with applause.
Someone announces that he has sold his fifty boxes, and Goober is shocked since really he has sold only twenty-seven boxes. His feeling that something is rotten at the school is confirmed, and he tries not to think about what it means.
Chapter 31
As Jerry leaves school, someone stops him, asking in a menacing voice: "What's your hurry, kid?" It is Emile Janza, who banters with
Jerry for a few minutes, trying to intimidate him. Jerry looks around, hoping that someone is in view, but no one is. He was dismissed early from football practice because he had not completed a single pass. As he left the field, he noticed the other players looking at each other, laughing and smirking, and he realized that they had purposely missed his passes. Instead of practicing, Janza had been waiting for Jerry.
Eventually, Janza says that Jerry "lives in the closet." When Jerry asks what Janza means, Janza says that Jerry "is a fairy. A queer.
Living in the closet, hiding away." Jerry gets extremely upset, and Janza goes on a rant about how Jerry is poisoning the school. While they argue, Jerry notices a group of boys coming out from behind bushes and corners, and they descend on him simultaneously. Jerry curls in a ball and takes the beating, eventually throwing up and driving the boys away.
Chapter 32
Jerry makes it home, painfully and quietly, not wanting anyone to see him. He washes himself, and lays in the dark, wishing his mother were there. His father is at work on the night shift. As Jerry lies in bed, the phone rings. He answers, but again, hears only cackling.
Soon, the phone calls change and instead of laughing, the voice on the other end says things like "come out and play, Jerry." Jerry looks out the window and sees figures in the darkness and threatens to call the police. The phone rings through the night, and eventually Jerry's dad takes it off the hook. Jerry decides not to tell his father what is going on as he does not want his dad involved at all.
Analysis
Brian is slow to realize that the rejuvenation of the sale in Chapter 29 is due to The Vigils. Perhaps he does not want to believe it, and would rather believe that everyone suddenly is more invested in the sale. He finally acknowledges it, however, but is strangely unconcerned. Brian concentrates on the bottom line, perhaps a quality he picked up from Brother Leon. So long as he can report good news, and so long as Brother Leon is happy with the totals, Brian is happy. He plays dumb when Carter approaches him, and attributes

boxes of chocolates to boys he knows did not sell them. In a way, Brian is an accomplice in the rottenness of the sale, silently acquiescing to both The Vigils and Brother Leon. He demonstrates the ways in which the path of least resistance is the easiest and safest route, and despite having some moral objection to both Brother Leon and The Vigils' manipulation of the sale, he goes along with it because in so doing, he eliminates any personal risk. Brian is a foil for Jerry, who constantly fights the path of least resistance, and does that which causes serious risk to himself both emotionally and physically.
Once again, The Vigils' plan is working perfectly. The general student support for Jerry had been picking up and some kids also considered refusing to sell the chocolates. In spite of The Vigils, for a few days, Jerry had become a kind of revolutionary hero. The
Vigils had to do something not only to sell the chocolates, but also to turn the popular sentiment against Jerry. Cormier does not describe exactly how The Vigils enacted their plan, and how they sold all the chocolates and made the sale popular, but by this chapter it is clear that whatever they have done is working. Perhaps Cormier is vague about the details because, like the mafia, The Vigils work quietly and do not give away their secrets.
Harold Darcy, an average, fairly anonymous student at the school publicly questions Jerry, demonstrating that popular feeling has swung from support to resentment of Jerry. Jerry's response in class is inadequate, as Brother Leon explicitly tells him, and the dissatisfaction of the other students implicitly tells him. Jerry is even more on his own now, as the other students feel that Jerry's refusal to sell the chocolates is indicative of his belief that he is better than the rest of them.
The Vigils attack on a physical level as well in Chapter 31. Emile Janza is their front man in the assault against Jerry, probably because
Archie has used the picture to make sure Janza is involved. Janza first makes Jerry vulnerable emotionally by calling him a queer.
Cormier clues into the fact that as a high school boy, being called a queer can be worse than being called anything else, and that it can strip a boy's confidence. Janza taunts Jerry with this idea, and Jerry responds exactly how Janza wants. Then, when Jerry is emotionally vulnerable a group of boys descend on him, making him physically vulnerable as well. The Vigils attack from all sides and angles, making nearly every aspect of Jerry's life hellish. Physically, Jerry cannot fight back. Despite having been attacked on multiple fronts, Jerry does not appear to be weakening. He also makes the conscious decision to fight alone, and does not tell his father what is going on.
Chapter 33
Archie berates Janza for what he did to Jerry —Archie says it was not supposed to involve a gang of kids. Janza says that being beaten up by a gang of kids is more psychologically damaging. Archie asks if Janza used the "queer pitch" on Jerry, and Janza says it worked perfectly. Archie tells Janza to cool it, and that he will have his chance to finish up later. Janza asks again about the picture and Archie says: "Suppose I told you there was no picture. Emil? That there was no film in the camera that day…." Janza is relieved, but is not quite sure that he can believe it. Janza wonders if he will become part of The Vigils.
Chapter 34
Jerry realizes that he has become invisible. No one looks at him, talks to him, or even acknowledges his existence. Jerry smiles at a classmate who simply stares at him, past him, through him. When Jerry opens his locker he finds the mess and everything else gone.
Even the teachers seem to ignore him. Jerry becomes almost grateful for the respite. He looks for Goober, because he knows that
Goober will talk to him, but Goober is not in school. After his last class, as he goes down the stairs he is pushed from behind. He grabs the railing and prevents himself from falling, and hears laughter behind him.
Brian Cochran tells Brother Leon that they have all the returns from the chocolates but that Jerry still has not sold any chocolates and they are exactly fifty boxes short. Brian says that they have never sold all the boxes before, nor have they ever collected the exact amount owed from the chocolates. Leon is not concerned with the details. Obie has Jerry's fifty boxes. Archie tells him that they will be having a special assembly tomorrow, and to make sure the entire student body comes to the athletic field for the assembly. Archie tells
Obie that he is going to make Jerry raffle off his chocolates.
Chapter 35
The stadium is filling up, and students are buying raffle tickets. The Vigils put an old boxing ring in the stadium that afternoon. Jerry and
Janza stand in the ring and Archie marvels at the ease with which he was able to talk Janza and Jerry into doing this. Archie had called
Jerry and asked him if he wanted to get even for the chocolates. Archie told Jerry that he could fight Janza in the ring in a boxing match, and that after the fight everything would be all over. Jerry knows he was wrong to agree to come and knows that Archie has beaten him again. Archie tells Jerry and Janza the rules, and although Jerry is shocked and scared, Janza agrees. The stadium is full and neither can back out now.
Chapter 36
Archie looks at one of the raffle tickets. It says: "Janza/Right to Jaw/Jimmy Demers." Jerry and Janza have to fight according to the tickets. Carter is blown away by the success of the plan, and considers putting down Jerry for a hit in his own raffle ticket, but at the last minute changes his mind. Archie tells Carter that this plan works because "people are two things: greedy and cruel." Brian Cochran reports to Archie that all of the tickets have been sold.

Carter stands in the ring and Archie ready to begin when Obie comes forward with the black box. Archie is shocked, but in front of the school, most of whom know about the black box, he cannot refuse. Archie is furious, but acts calm and cool in front of the other students. Archie decides to get the process over with as quickly as possible, so that the students cannot really tell what is happening.
Archie reaches out quickly and grabs a white marble. Obie wants to slow it down, make Archie nervous, but he cannot. Archie reaches out again and grabs the second marble, holding it out in his hand. He waits, takes a dramatic pause, smiles and opens his hand to reveal a second white marble.
Analysis
With Janza on his side, Archie's warfare has now embraced the physical. Janza's approach assaults Jerry from all angles. First, he uses the "queer" tactic on Jerry, baiting and taunting him, making him angry and emotionally vulnerable. Then Janza uses his own technique then, using a bunch of his friends who would "beat up their own grandmothers for a quarter." Archie finally reveals to Janza that there is no picture, knowing full well that Janza would not know whether to believe him. Archie seals his manipulation of Janza by making a comment about Janza's future with The Vigils. Archie knows that the ultimate situation for Janza would be one in which he could enforce the ideas of others, and be used as brawn, not the brains, but have the benefit of both.
Jerry's experience of being "invisible" in Chapter 34 is somewhat surreal. He experiences the world as if he is not there
—as if he has been eliminated by The Vigils. It is unclear exactly how The Vigils got the students and the teachers to ignore Jerry. Showing Jerry that his existence is relatively unimportant is another kind of psychological punishment. Jerry almost welcomes it, because it is less brutal than being beaten. He looks for the one person who can ground him, but The Goober is not in school. Jerry is once and for all on his own, without a single friend to stand by him. Not even Brother Leon recognizes Jerry anymore, as he does not care that Jerry's chocolates are unsold.
In Chapter 35, Cormier tells the reader that there is an assembly at the stadium without describing what it is about. Like Jerry, we do not realize what is going to happen until it actually does. It is not clear why Jerry accepts when Archie calls him —Archie tells him that he and Janza will be boxing in the ring. Jerry cannot think that he can actually beat Janza in a fight. Perhaps the prospect of the whole ordeal being over is what Jerry is after, no matter what the cost. It is easy to understand why Janza would accept, as he gets to beat someone up in front of the entire school. Janza has nothing to lose, and in a sense Jerry does not either. He has been beaten up physically and emotionally for some time, and if it ends here at the assembly, for better or for worse, at least it ends.
The raffle is actually a write-in series of commands for Jerry and Janza. The students get to dictate who strikes whom and where. The fact that the tickets sell out only confirms The Goober's statement that something is rotten at the school. None of the students seem to have qualms about what is happening there. They all show up, and none of them protest the events, nor do they blow the whistle and call an administrator. Archie's statement about people being greedy and cruel is dead on and the students prove Archie right. Jerry's last chance is the black box. Obie wants to sabotage Archie, and wants to stop whatever it is about him that is unspeakably cruel. Obie knows that if Archie draws a black marble, the whole event is over, perhaps even The Vigils as a society. But Archie, always lucky and always in control, draws two white marbles without skipping a beat or sweating a bead.
Chapter 37
The Goober arrives at the stadium just in time to hear the rules: "...the kid whose written blow is the one that ends the fight, either by knockout or surrender, receives the prize..." He had been out of school sick for a few days
—sick either physically or emotionally, he was not sure. He had heard about the fight between Jerry and Janza and had forced himself from his bed to see it.
The fight begins. Carter draws a slip of paper from a cardboard box, and it directs Jerry to hit Janza in the jaw. Jerry pauses, the crowd gets impatient and Janza taunts him. Jerry swings, but the blow only glances off Janza's jaw. Janza smiles. Carter grabs the next slip of paper, which directs Janza to hit Jerry on the jaw. Jerry readies himself for the hit, and Janza hits him as hard as possible. Jerry feels pain throughout the length of his body, and although he knows Janza is strong, Jerry is surprised at the intensity of the blow.
Before Jerry can recover, Carter picks another slip that directs Janza to hit Jerry in the stomach. The next ticket directs Jerry to hit
Janza, and Jerry hits him in the face harder than either of them thought he could. Taking out his frustrations against Janza, Archie, the chocolate sale and the entire school, Jerry throws himself into the punch like he never has before. Then, Janza is directed to give Jerry an uppercut.
Students are calling for more action, getting into the fight. Carter draws a card that commands Janza to hit Jerry in the groin. Carter and Archie realize that they made a mistake, since they never said that the groin was off limits. Janza moves to strike Jerry and Jerry blocks the punch. The crowd gets angry, as it happened too quickly for most of them to realize, and they just saw Jerry block a punch.
Janza, also angry, decides that all bets are off and begins wailing on Jerry. The students urge Janza on as he pours blow after blow upon Jerry, who is curled up trying to defend himself. Janza gets tired, and while he pauses to catch his breath Jerry strikes at him, knocking Janza off his feet. Janza, really angry now, smashes Jerry in the temple. The Goober counts the punches —sixteen in the row.
The crowd chants for Janza to kill Jerry. Just as Jerry passes out, Obie sees Brother Leon in the stands and realizes he was there the whole time. Suddenly the lights go out. As Archie goes looking for the electric cable, Brother Jacques stops him.

Chapter 38
The Goober goes to Jerry and tries to wake him up. Goober calls out to him, scared, and finally Jerry comes to. Jerry is in bad shape, and Goober asks Obie to call for a doctor. Jerry tells the Goober what he has realized —that it is best to just do what they ask and not to disturb the universe. Brother Jacques asks Archie why he did it. The ambulance is just leaving the field and Jerry has a broken jaw and possibly internal injuries. Jacques tells Archie that the situation could have gotten even more out of hand. Archie tells him that the chocolates all got sold, and that this was his payoff. Brother Leon joins them, and tells Jacques that "boys will be boys" and tells Archie that he knows Archie did it for the school. Archie realizes that he is in the clear, forever —he, Brother Leon and The Vigils.
Chapter 39
Obie tells Archie that someday, he will get his. Archie reveals that he tipped off Brother Leon, calling him before the assembly because he figured "he would enjoy himself. And I also figured that if he was here and part of the proceedings, he'd also be protection for us if anything went wrong." Archie also tells Obie never to pull anything like what he did with the black box ever again.
Analysis
The fight is gruesome and it is ever bit as bad as the reader could imagine. Janza has no mercy, nor do the students who at once point even urge Janza to kill Jerry. Jerry is alone out there, at the mercy of the students who recently decided that he was not a revolutionary at all, but rather someone who considered himself better than them. Jerry gets in a couple of good punches, but he simply cannot hold his own against Janza. Brother Leon watches the whole thing —once again, Archie is right in guessing that Leon would have enjoyed himself. The fight now silently sanctioned by Leon, Archie knows he cannot get in trouble.
The Goober is there for Jerry after it is all over, but this single gesture of friendship is too little and too late. The Goober shows up to the fight because he cannot stay away. He knows what is going to happen, he knows the rules, and he knows Jerry is going to be punished. Why The Goober does not blow the whistle on the fight is unclear
—one call to Brother Jacques revealing the true nature of the assembly and Jerry would never have been so brutally beaten. The Goober goes to Jerry's aid at the end, so at least Jerry does not have to lay there bloody, beaten and alone. Jerry believes he has figured out the secret and wants Goober to know: "They tell you to do your thing but they don't mean it. They don't want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too. It's a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don't disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say." These statements are admissions of a final and deep defeat. Before, even when Jerry had been picked on and beaten up he could say that he was still strong enough to disturb the universe and do his own thing. In Chapter 38 he realizes that it simply is not worth it to oppose people like Archie and Brother Leon. He learned the hard way, and does not want The Goober to have to learn the same lesson.
Even after Jerry's beating, Archie feels no remorse at all. He does not apologize, not even to Brother Jacques. Strangely, Brother
Jacques does not require an apology or issue any kind of punishment at all. This is where Brother Leon comes in, shortcutting the conversation and in essence preventing Brother Jacques from coming down on Archie. The union of power between Leon and Archie is sealed.
Archie warns Obie never to pull a stunt like he did with the black box, but he also enjoys the moment for its dramatic effect. Archie prides himself on the psychological punishment and in understanding people well enough to tailor the perfect assignment. Once again, he reveals that he actually does possess an understanding of people, but uses it for a cruel purpose. Cormier does not revisit Jerry in the last chapter, leaving the reading with a dismal feeling about Jerry's future. We do not know the final prognosis of Jerry's injuries, nor do we know how this traumatic series of events will shape Jerry's future. The reader can hope that Jerry will prevail, but the tone at the end is bleak, suggesting that Jerry's recovery will be long coming, if ever.

1) Archie disliked violence —most of his assignments were exercises in the psychological rather than the physical. That's why he got away with so much. The Trinity brothers wanted peace at any price, quiet on the campus, no broken bones. Otherwise, the sky was the limit.
Explanation for Quotation 1 >>
In Chapter 2, Cormier describes The Vigils and how they work. This is the first time the reader has a chance to learn about The Vigils and gain insight into how their work. Cormier makes it immediately clear that the tactics they utilize are primarily psychological rather than physical. There are a number of reasons for this
—first, because it is much easier to escape detection and punishment from teachers and administrators. Secondly, psychological damage can last longer and having more far-reaching and unpredictable consequences than physical damage. Archie believes that any thug can beat someone up, but that it takes a true master to think of an assignment or punishment that hurts someone in a way less tangible and simple than physically.
2) Was life that dull, that boring and humdrum for people? He hated to think of his own life stretching ahead of him that way, a long succession of days and nights that were fine, fine —not good, not bad, not great, not lousy, not exciting, not anything.
Explanation for Quotation 2 >>
This quote from Chapter 9 accompanies the reader's first introduction to Jerry's father. Jerry's father plays a curiously small role in the book, and this quote helps explain why. This quote also exemplifies the reason Jerry ultimately decides to disturb the universe. His father is an example of someone who does not and will not disturb the universe. His father goes about each day in the same way, working, coming home, and napping. There is nothing to celebrate or be happy about, but there is nothing to bemoan or be upset about. Jerry feels that his father lives in this strange stasis between emotions, and that makes him slightly less than human. Despite that condition preventing his father from feeling much pain, that condition makes the life Jerry's father is living not much of a life at all.
Even though Jerry knows that disturbing the universe might result in bad days, painful times and difficult consequences, he chooses to do it simply because it reflects that he is alive and can think for himself.
3) "My name is Jerry Renault and I'm not going to sell the chocolates," he said to the empty apartment. The word and his voice sounded strong and noble.
Explanation for Quotation 3 >>
This statement in Chapter 26 reflects Jerry's strongest moment in the entire book. He has just gotten off the phone with a girl he had seen at the bus stop. Even though the phone call did not go particularly well, he is proud of the fact that he was able to summon the nerve to call her. He becomes proud of the fact that he is resisting the chocolates, and understands and appreciates the fact that the refusal has begun to define who he is. Unlike at the end of the book, here Jerry is cognizant and proud of disturbing the universe.
4) "You see, Carter, people are two things: greedy and cruel. So we have a perfect set up here. The greed part —a kid pays a buck for a chance to win a hundred. Plus fifty boxes of chocolates. The cruel part —watching two guys hitting each other, maybe hurting each other, while they're safe in the bleachers. That's why it works, Carter, because we're all bastards."
Explanation for Quotation 4 >>
Archie's quote from Chapter 36 explaining how he knew the raffle and the boxing match would be a raging success is perhaps the most nihilistic and depressing quote of the entire book. Archie says something about the student body at school that we as readers desperately do not want to believe —both for Jerry's sake and our own sake. We believe deep down that there is good in people, and that people are generally not driven by cruelty and greed. We want to believe that it is Archie who is driven by those principles, not an entire cluster of students. Archie's statement is proven correct, however. Not only do all the students show up to the assembly, but they purchase all the raffle tickets. Students willingly pay for the chance to dictate the fight. No students blow the whistle, and none demonstrate any discomfort or qualms about what is happening. Even The Goober, who is afraid of what is going to happen at the assembly shows up and does nothing to try and help Jerry. At the assembly it becomes clear that the students are more like Archie than they are like Jerry. Jerry, the only person who does not let cruelty or greed dictate his emotions, suffers and suffers alone.

5) They tell you to do your thing but they don't mean it. They don't want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too. It's a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don't disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say.
Explanation for Quotation 5 >>
This quote from Chapter 38 demonstrates Jerry's real downfall. The physical beating he has suffered in the previous chapter is brutal and horrible, but he is not truly beaten until he takes back everything he has done. The times when he was proud of himself for being an individual and for resisting the rotten tide at the school are now forgotten. That pride and distinction was not worth it, Jerry tells The
Goober. Nothing is worth it because people like Archie beat you down and eventually make it impossible to go against the grain. It is believable that eventually, Jerry could have been killed simply for deciding not to sell the chocolates. The difficulties he encounters after he decides to do his own thing are so extreme that it is understandable that Jerry comes to this conclusion. This ending is dismal
—the reader hopes for Jerry's strength and autonomy to result in the "right" ending, or a "good" ending, but it does not. We know that the novel ends and the wrong people win and the right people suffer, and there is no real resolution for that. The reader, along with
Jerry, is left in limbo and not in control of his or her own destiny. Jerry tries to determine his own fate but The Vigils are so powerful that not only can they get people to perform assignments, but they can infiltrate someone's life so much as to determine its path. Jerry, rocked and beaten out of his own universe is exhausted and beaten, and as a demonstration of his loss accepts that he is not the master of his own universe.
Cormier, Robert. I Am the Cheese.
Pantheon Books, 1977.
———.
Beyond the Chocolate War. Laurel Leaf, 1986.
———. The Bumblebee Flies Anyway.
Laurel Leaf, 1991.
———. Fade.
Delacorte Press, 1988.
———.
We All Fall Down.
Delacorte Press, 1991.
———.
After the First Death.
Pantheon Book, 1979.
Keeley, Jennifer. Understanding I Am the Cheese (Understanding Great Literature).
Lucent Books, 2000.

FULL TITLE
· The Chocolate War
AUTHOR
· Robert Cormier
TYPE OF WORK
· Novel
GENRE
· Young adult, Fiction
LANGUAGE
· English
TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN
· Written in 1974 in Leominster, Massachusetts
DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION
· 1974
PUBLISHER
· Dell Laurel-Leaf
NARRATOR
· There is a third person narrator.
POINT OF VIEW
· The point of view is from a third person omniscient narrator who skips from character to character, revealing a number of characters' thoughts and actions.
TONE
· The tone in the book is largely serious and very perceptive. While Jerry is the protagonist, we get into the minds of other characters as well. The tone during passages about Brother Leon and Archie becomes sarcastic and pessimistic. The tone at the ending is dismal and hopeless.
TENSE
· Past tense
SETTING
TIME
· It is unclear, only to say that it is a relatively modern time period
SETTING
PLACE
· Trinity school (an all-boys school), with a few scenes at Jerry's home.
PROTAGONIST
· Jerry Renault
MAJOR CONFLICT
· Jerry's refusal to sell chocolates at the school chocolate sale.
RISING ACTION
· Jerry's refusal after the first ten days and The Vigils' subsequent punishment of that choice.
CLIMAX
· The assembly at which Jerry fights Emile Janza for the chance to get back at everyone who has punished him for his decision not to sell the chocolates.
FALLING ACTION
· The ending of the boxing match and Jerry's subsequent realization that it is not worth it to disturb the universe.
THEMES
· Disturbing the universe; psychological warfare; the power of fear; manipulation; nonconformity; perversion; corruptness.
MOTIFS
· Assignments; football; roll call
SYMBOLS
· Jerry's poster; the chocolates; Room nineteen
FORESHADOWING
· The Goober's disintegration after carrying out his assignment, the beatings Jerry takes during and after football practice, Jerry looking at his poster and pondering the meaning of it.

Study Questions
Why does Jerry refuse to sell the chocolates?
Answer for Study Question 1 >>
Initially Jerry refuses to sell the chocolates because The Vigils tell him too. At first, Jerry abides by their order because it is the easiest and most natural response. After the ten days are up, something in him does not allow him to accept the chocolates. Not selling the chocolates is more than simply defying Brother Leon, the sale, and The Vigils, and Jerry struggles to figure out why he refused the chocolates. He even tosses and turns in bed, and has trouble answering The Goober when he asks Jerry why Jerry continues to refuse. Eventually, Jerry looks at the poster in his locker and it clicks —this is Jerry's chance to disturb the universe. Jerry wants to make his own decision and to register his own protest. He does not want to obey Brother Leon, The Vigils or the school, but rather for the first time wants to obey himself.
Why does Brother Leon ask Archie for help in the chocolate sale?
Answer for Study Question 2 >>
There are a number of reasons Brother Leon decides to ask Archie and The Vigils for help. First is his own desperation, since he took funds from the school without authorization and knows he will be in big trouble if he does not pay them back. Secondly, as the teacher in charge of the sale he wants the sale to succeed to reflect on himself and his own success as an administrator. Third, he and everyone else in the school are aware of The Vigils and their power over the students. Leon knows that a little manipulation from a powerful source could push the students to sell more chocolates. Finally, Leon to some extent wants to pair up with Archie. He knows that The Vigils run the school from the students' standpoint, just as he runs the school from the teacher's standpoint. He knows that joining forces could make both he and Archie even more powerful, even after the sale is over.
Why does Jerry agree to participate in the boxing match?
Answer for Study Question 3 >>
There is no definite answer to this question. Jerry must know that he will end up losing the fight. Emile Janza is one of the strongest guys in school, and he has already succeeded in beating Jerry up. Jerry might want to get back at Janza, but he has to know that chances are that Janza will beat him up again. Jerry is in the situation up to his ears by the time Archie decides to have the assembly, however. He cannot really say no
—not if he is trying to stand up for his right to make waves in the universe. To display cowardice at the key moment would be to undermine much of what Jerry has already done and fought for. He relishes the opportunity to somehow get back at Archie, but he knows that the whole episode will last even longer if he does not attend the match. Who knows how many more phone calls or ambushes he would undergo if he refused to attend? Jerry follows through to the end, demonstrating impressive bravery. Facing Janza in the ring he had to be frightened and know that it would take a miracle for him to win the fight or even emerge unscathed. This is Jerry's last chance to disturb the universe and finish what he started.
Suggested Essay Topics
Why does The Goober pull back and not help Jerry during his ordeal with The Vigils?
Does Archie have an intention of making Janza a member of The Vigils?
Why does Obie silently acquiesce to Archie's demands even though he knows they are wrong? Why does he suddenly decide to try and dethrone Archie at the end of the book?
Why don't any of the other teachers at school insist on punishing Archie for Room nineteen or the boxing match?
What is the significance of the fact that the high school in the book is an all- boys school? What does the lack of female characters suggest?

Who is the president of The Vigils?
(A) Archie
(B) Obie
(C) Carter
(D) Emile Janza
Who is the leader of The Vigils?
(A) Carter
(B) Archie
(C) Emile Janza
(D) Obie
How does Janza become involved with The Vigils?
(A) Archie asks him
(B) He hates Jerry
(C) Archie blackmails him
(D) He is training to be a Vigil for next year
Why is Obie against Archie selecting Jerry for an assignment?
(A) Jerry is a freshman
(B) He and Jerry are friends
(C) Jerry's mother has recently died
(D) He dated Jerry's sister
What happens to Brother Eugene after his classroom falls apart?
(A) He takes sick leave
(B) He gets very angry and punishes Archie
(C) He decides to seek another career
(D) He goes on a mission to find the person responsible
Jerry's father does what for a living?
(A) He is a doctor
(B) He is a nurse
(C) He is a psychiatrist
(D) He is a pharmacist
What position does Jerry try out for on the football team?
(A) Tackle
(B) Quarterback
(C) Guard

(D) Running back
Who is Jerry's only ally throughout the book?
(A) Obie
(B) Ellen Baxter
(C) His father
(D) The Goober
Why is Brother Leon so intent on selling the chocolates?
(A) He wants to demonstrate school spirit
(B) He bought the chocolates with money he was not supposed to use
(C) He is keeping the profits himself
(D) He wants the school to rally around an event
How does Brother Leon find out that Archie is behind Jerry's refusal to sell chocolates?
(A) Jerry tells him
(B) Knowing Archie, he figures it out
(C) Brian Cochran tells him
(D) The Goober tells him
Why is Archie's position as leader of The Vigils threatened by the sale?
(A) The others are angry that he promised The Vigils would back the sale
(B) Jerry refuses to accept the chocolates
(C) Brother Leon watches The Vigils like a hawk
(D) The Vigils have to sell their own chocolates
How does the poster in Jerry's locker relate to the chocolate sale?
(A) It stands against commercialism
(B) It advises to do as one is told
(C) It suggests that one person out of many does not have much control
(D) It highlights the concept of going against the grain
Why doesn't Jerry tell his father about The Vigils?
(A) He's afraid his father will take matters into his own hands
(B) He feels sorry for his father and does not want to trouble him
(C) He is afraid his father will call the police
(D) His father will try to talk to Brother Leon, which would backfire on Jerry
Why does Archie agree to help Brother Leon with the chocolate sale?
(A) Because the other Vigils wanted him to
(B) Initially he intends to steal some of the returns from the sale
(C) Brother Leon's acknowledgement of The Vigils gives them even more clout
(D) He likes Brother Leon
Which one of these was NOT a reason for schools and administrators banning The Chocolate War?

(A) The ending of the book was depressing
(B) The book featured some brutal beatings
(C) The book included swearing
(D) A theme of the book embraced non-conformity
Why do The Vigils begin calling Jerry and hanging up?
(A) To make him afraid, all the time
(B) To annoy him
(C) To remind him about the chocolates
(D) To wake up his father
Why is Archie regarded as so cruel?
(A) Because he has so many ideas for assignments
(B) Because his assignments are tailored to inflict psychological damage
(C) Because he uses people like Emile Janza to beat up students
(D) Because he never says he is sorry
Which of the following was NOT a reason Archie tipped Brother Leon off about the assembly?
(A) He figured Brother Leon would enjoy himself
(B) If Brother Leon was there, they were unlikely to get punished by another teacher
(C) To celebrate the end of the chocolate sale
(D) To demonstrate the power of The Vigils
After the ten days are up, why does Jerry continue refusing the chocolates?
(A) He does not know the assignment is over
(B) He is so far behind in the sale he does not want to start now
(C) He hates Brother Leon
(D) It feels good to say no to The Vigils, Brother Leon and the entire sale
Why doesn't Brother Leon do anything about the fact that boys are getting credit for chocolates they have not sold?
(A) He does not figure it out
(B) He believes that everyone is doing his part in the sale
(C) He does not care how the chocolates get sold
(D) He knows The Vigils are finally helping him
Why do all the students show up and participate in the assembly?
(A) The assembly caters to the students' feelings of cruelty and greed
(B) Because it is a school-sanctioned event
(C) Because Archie threatens them
(D) They want to win Jerry's fifty boxes of chocolates
Why does Obie pull out the black box at the assembly?
(A) Because it is mandatory

(B) Carter tells him to
(C) He wants Archie to get what is coming to him
(D) The students ask for it
How does Archie feel about having to draw marbles at the assembly?
(A) Angry but confident
(B) Scared
(C) Happy to show the students the famous black box
(D) Dramatic and the center of attention
How does Archie talk Jerry into participating in the boxing match?
(A) He tells Jerry that Janza called him a chicken
(B) He threatens Jerry if Jerry does not participate
(C) He offers Jerry a chance to get even
(D) He does not tell Jerry what the assembly is about
Why doesn't anyone stop the fight when it gets out of hand?
(A) No one wants to defy Archie
(B) By and large, the students do not want to stop it —they are enjoying the fight
(C) No one knows how to stop it
(D) No one cares that Jerry is getting hurt