The Chocolate War

Jerry receives a new summons to a meeting with The Vigils. Archie offers him chocolates, which he then eats himself, calling them “delicious” and “a bargain.” He asks the other members of The Vigils to share how many boxes they have sold, and they quickly take his cue to exaggerate their totals. Archie asks Jerry why he has not sold any chocolates; a question Jerry cannot answer. He finally says he doesn’t want to sell the chocolates, to which Archie responds that everyone does things they do not want to do. He tells Jerry that tomorrow he will accept the chocolates, that he has disobeyed The Vigils, but they are “just asking” him to take the chocolates.

The word “asking” makes Obie realize Archie is afraid of something, and that he feels vulnerable, and Obie exults in the realization. He knows Jerry will not sell chocolates and relishes the idea that a freshman will be Archie’s undoing. Carter dismisses the meeting, feeling tired of Archie’s subtleties and thinking a punch or two would convince Jerry to do what he was told.

Jerry calls Ellen Barrett but can only say “Hello.” She asks if he is Danny or “some kind of pervert” (167). He reflects that it is a kind of perversion to continue to refuse the chocolates despite The Vigils’ threats. The sudden sense of recklessness and independence his refusal gives him, like the courage to call Ellen on the phone, surprises him and he says aloud to the empty apartment that he will not sell the chocolates.

The Vigils choose Frankie Rollo for their next assignment, but he is a junior and not afraid of them. Archie tries to manipulate Frankie, but Frankie tells him he’s not impressing anybody, and taunts the group by pointing out that they cannot even get a freshman to sell chocolates. Carter gets up and punches Rollo in the face and stomach, making him retch. The Vigils roar their approval, but Archie is furious.

Carter takes control of the meeting, pointing out that Archie’s error caused defiance of the group to spread. Archie insists the solution is not to beat kids up, but Carter calls Rollo an “example” that will keep the other kids in line. Archie points out that it won’t sell chocolates and proposes that The Vigils take action to popularize selling the chocolates. His confidence assures the group that he is once more in control and that everything will work itself out, even if no one currently wants to sell chocolates. Carter nonetheless humiliates Archie by telling him he is on probation until all of the chocolates are sold.

As Jerry gets up from a tackle at football practice, he receives several blows from behind. Rattled, he continues with practice. At home, Jerry answers the phone and hears nothing but sinister laughter on the other end. The same thing occurs later that night. The next day at school, Jerry discovers that his locker was vandalized. Blue paint covers his poster and someone cut his new sneakers to shreds. He realizes all of these events are related, that someone is sending him a message.

In art class, Brother Andrew tells Jerry he has not received his watercolor project. Jerry knows he put the painting on the teacher’s desk, and Andrew says he will look for it, but without it, he will have to fail Jerry for the semester. Jerry goes to his locker, looks at his poster, and thinks about the costs of disturbing the universe. He decides that he does dare, that he is “poised at the moment of making himself heard and known in the world” (186).

Brian Cochran tallies the chocolate sales, which rise “staggeringly.” According to rumors, The Vigils adopted the sale as a special cause. They approach students in the halls directly and send teams out every afternoon to sell in different neighborhoods. Carter goes to Brian directly with the money and the totals, and tells him how to tally sales among the students to give everyone credit for exactly fifty boxes. Brother Leon thanks Brian and the students applaud his announcement of totals so that he feels “like a football hero, of all things” (191).

Brother Leon persists with the roll call for the sale even though it is no longer necessary. After Jerry says “no” once more, another student asks Brother Leon if he can get Jerry to explain why he continues to refuse the chocolates, suggesting he is not doing his part and must think himself above the rest of them. Jerry has no answer, except to remind Brother Leon that he said the sale was voluntary. When another student asks who he thinks he is, Jerry proclaims, “I’m Jerry Renault, and I’m not going to sell the chocolates” (196).

The Goober stops selling chocolates in a gesture of solidarity with Jerry and is dismayed when The Vigils add the sales to his tally so it looks like he met his quota. He wants to walk up to the other boys in the hall and deny that the sale is his, but he wants even more to avoid trouble. He feels like a traitor and a coward.

Jerry hears a bullying voice call out to him and Emile Janza confronts him. Jerry tries to dodge Emile’s questions, which are all aimed at getting a reaction out of him–he is already miserable at having been dismissed early from football practice, where his teammates refused to block tackles for him or catch his passes. Emile, who should also have been at practice, has instead been lying in wait to torment him. Unable to get a reaction by calling him a “wise guy,” he suggests Jerry is secretly gay and he might like to kiss him. Then Jerry sees more figures emerging from nearby bushes, coming toward them, and they beat him until he loses consciousness.

Jerry gets himself cleaned up and goes home, where he retreats to bed. He is grateful his father works the late shift and won’t see Jerry’s bruised and cut face. He misses his mother. The phone rings late in the night and he forces himself to answer it, to prove he is not incapacitated. Later the voices of unseen boys call and taunt him from the street until the custodian threatens to call the police on them. The phone rings again late at night and Jerry’s father answers it. Jerry convinces him to leave the phone off the hook, but he still dreams about it ringing all night long.

Archie scolds Emile for having a group of kids beat up Jerry and asks whether Emile used the “queer pitch on him” (211), explaining that he knew it would get under his skin. When Emile asks if he has earned access to the picture, Archie admits there is no picture, and that there was no film in the camera. He tells Emile he needs people like him. Emile is relieved and gratified, but still thinks Archie is a “bastard.”