Julia Medoff

Julia Medoff
The Chocolate War
Robert Cormier
Realistic Fiction
Challenge
240

1. So far, my book has been very interesting. It has had many different twists and turns throughout the way, however at some points it is hard to follow. Currently The Vigils rule the school. The Vigils are the top notch group of boys at Trinity and everybody looks up to them. Well known by all of the boys at the school is Archie Costello, the Assigner for The Vigils. Currently, the school has just finished up their yearly chocolate sales which requires all boys at Trinity to sell at least fifty boxes of chocolates during the time allotted. Jerry Renault, a freshman at Trinity, gets an assignment by The Vigils requiring him not to sell the chocolates for ten days. Everyday in class when Brother Leon, a school teacher, would ask the class how many boxes they had sold, he was to say, "no". After the ten days, the assignment was to end, but Renault decided to be stubborn and continue the assignment, which was not allowed. He thought that The Vigils were nothing special and he was planning on showing them that he is not someone that will take orders. With that said, Jerry Renault decided to keep his revolt going and on the eleventh day his response in class was still, "no". Archie Costello, who refused to be disobeyed or embarrassed, made a plan to get back at him. Knowing that all students would listen to him, Archie formed a raffle that would give away Jerry's chocolates forcing him to sell them. His first step to proceeding with his plan was to give a student named Emile Janza a call, and inform him about his plan. After the chocolate sales end, Archie would lead all the students to the athletic field, where Janza and Renault would get into a fist fight. With Archie's pure genius manipulation, Renault couldn not resist the opportunity for revenge. The Vigils had made Jerry's life a struggle after he disobeyed them, and nobody at school would even look him in the eye. Before, Renault had a bad encounter with Janza, and he figured that this was the perfect time to stand up to Janza. I am currently at the beginning of the fight, and have not yet found out what the outcome will be, but I predict there will not be a positive outcome.

2. So far this book has been very unpredictable. At first, I found the book to be a bit confusing and hard to keep up with. So many new characters were all being introduced to the plot and it was difficult to focus on the main parts of the story. I really enjoy the plot of the book because it is somewhat relatable in the sense that it focuses on the story of a young teenager going through high school, yet there are also situations that I am not entirely familiar with. This book happens to have many characters, some that are in almost every chapter, and others that reoccur every so often. For example, at the beginning of the story Archie was talking to a boy named Obie, who is apart of The Vigils, and I did not get a full grasp on the role of his character until later into the book when he came up again. There are many themes that go with this book, which makes it special because there are varying lessons throughout the story. The author pulls you in on one chapter, then will not focus back on that scene for a while, which keeps the reader waiting to find out the solution and that makes it  very captivating. The author surprises you in every scene with his unique plot lines and cliffhangers. So far, the book has been a wonderful read and I am very excited to find out what happens.

3.  The theme that I have noticed so far in my book is the danger of conformity which relates to social pressures, and fitting in. I notice this theme constantly throughout the characters. For example, The Vigils try to push Jerry to to do as they say, but he strong enough to resist the pressure. When he revolts against The Vigils, the school slowly starts to turn on him. He faces peer pressure to obey the rules and has the opportunity to fit in, but refuses. The Vigils give Jerry another chance to conform, but he stays strong and reists. Renault was the first person to not follow the rules of Archie Costello, but what he did not realize is that Archie has the power to turn everyone against him and that is exactly what he did. Renault found himself alone, with no one to talk to except for "The Goober'. Despite the feelings of rejection, Renault fights to be his own person.

 4. My favorite character is "The Goober" because, so far throughout the book, he has not been involved in any controversy with his peers, and is a true friend who looks out for others. Although Goober is shy, he is smart. He knows which situations to get himself involved in and which ones to avoid. He is good friends with Jerry Renault, and is constantly looking out for him, especially when Jerry gets himself into arguments. For example, Goober looked out for Jerry while he refused to sell the chocolates.  He is self-conscious in a way that makes him sincere and truthful. He is different and, although his worst nightmare is to stand out, he does so and is always kind. Goober is an athlete and is trying out for the football team with Renault, but when more important issues come his way, he is willing to give up his chance of being a part of the all star team at Trinity. Overall, Goober strikes me as a true friend who may be unsure of himself at times, but knows which way is right in any situation.

5. My least favorite character is Archie Costello. He gives me the impression of being a know it all manipulator. Since he is the Assigner for The Vigils it is required that all people must obey him, and he takes his power very seriously. When Renault revolts against his assignment, Archie immediately seeks revenge. He refuses to allow anyone to embarrass him. It was such a shock to the school when Renault, a freshman, disobeyed Archie and his reputation suffered. Archie sent Janza after Jerry, formed the fight/raffle, and turned the whole school against him. He is extremely competitive and will not lose. It is assumed that all people will obey him and when Renault took a stand, Archie sought revenge. Overall, Archie does not give me the impression of a sincere boy who looks out for his friends, like Goober.  Instead, he appears to be a user who is motivated by his own interests.

6. My prediction is that the fight will proceed and Janza will overpower Renault. It is clear that Janza is better liked throughout the school and he is physically stronger so he is the clear contender. Earlier in the book, Janza approached Renault and beat him up.  While Renault tried to resist and fight back, his body strength was no match for Janza. Since Janza had already previously beaten Jerry in a fight, I can easily base my prediction. Throughout the story, the author has provided me with with details that make me think that Renault really has no chance against Janza. If the fight scene goes on, I am sure that Renault will throw some punches but I predict Janza will prevail. If this is, in fact, the outcome of the fight, Renault will continue as the under dog.