Don't Be A Sheeple by Kyler

Don't Be A Sheeple by Kyler - July 2013 Scholarship Essay

           The Chocolate War written by Robert Cormier is one of the best books that I have read for school. It is centered on Trinity high school in New England. The title of the book is very fitting for the meaning of the story because the controversy involves the sales of chocolates and one student’s refusal to sell the chocolates.
            The book is about the interactions between the students and teachers at the school. Also at play is a secret club at the school called ‘The Vigils’.  This club has hidden power that both the students and the school is aware of, but pretends it does not exist.  Archie Costello is called the Assigner for the club. It is his job to make lists of ten students at a time and make up assignments for these students. Archie loves his ability to manipulate other students, even teachers, and the power involved. The trouble begins when Jerry Renault, a freshman at the school was assigned a task to refuse to sell the chocolates for ten straight days at the school. This decision pits Jerry against Brother Leon, a teacher at the school who was also in charge of the sale. At the end of the ten days Jerry for reasons he is not quite sure of decides to make a stand and continues to refuse the chocolates. His actions are viewed as admirable by students at first, but as sales decline it threatens the power of Brother Leon and Archie’s standing with the Vigils. Archie begins a campaign of intimidation and physical abuse when he uses thugs like Emile Janza to scare Jerry into changing his mind. Further harm is done when Archie and Brother Leon get the entire student body involved to sell the chocolates and view Jerry as a traitor and outcast.  It ends with Archie tricking Emile and Jerry into a boxing match where the students will be able to choose how the two will fight each other.  The fight quickly gets out of control as the mob is incited to encourage violence and Jerry is badly hurt.                           Jerry Renault is a 5’9” 145 pound freshman at Trinity high school in New England. He lives alone with his father, as his mother died the year before from a horrific battle with cancer.  Jerry is determined to make the high school football team as a quarterback and endure brutal practices. He is pleased to make the team and makes friends with Goober, another player. Jerry likes to study people and questions life. He would like to have a closer relationship with his father. His trouble begins at the school when he makes a stand and refuses to sell chocolates for a school fundraiser. It pits him against Archie Costello, the Vigils, Brother Leon, and eventually the entire school in a power trip gone out of control. Jerry was assigned a task by the Vigils to refuse to sell chocolates for the school fundraiser for a period of ten days. He makes a stand at the end of the assignment and stuns everyone by continuing to refuse to sell the chocolates. Jerry himself isn’t quite sure why he refused, but it is something he just knows that he has to do. Jerry holds up well to the intimidation and harassment that follows until it leads to physical harm and humiliation.
             Archie Costello is a tall blond high school student at Trinity high school. He is the Assigner for a secret society at the school called the Vigils. His job for the group is to make up lists with ten student’s names and assign them tasks to do. These tasks are usually centered in the school and completed in secret. Archie loves the power of his position and the ability to manipulate students and teachers.  At the same time Archie feels under pressure to perform for the Vigils and to beat the black box. The box was created to keep the assigner under control. Inside the box were five white marbles and one black marble. If the assigner picks a black marble then he is the one who will have to perform the assigned task. Archie’s stand in the club comes under threat when he makes an agreement with Brother Leon to make Jerry sell the chocolates. Jerry’s refusal to sell threatens Archie’s power and he manipulates other students to harass, intimidate, and physically harm Jerry.
             The poster in Jerry’s locker that read, “Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?” is significant to the theme of the story because it questions Jerry’s view on life and what is important to him. Jerry fought to make the football team and made the roster. Then when he was assigned a task to refuse to sell chocolates for ten days to Brother Leon by a secret club at the school, the Vigils, he completes it. This assignment made him question the power of the Vigils, the power of Archie, and the power of Brother Leon. Why should they be able to manipulate students into doing things that they did not want to do for fear of reprisal? Jerry and his friend Goober also question why the school tolerates the actions of the Vigils and the actions of students like Archie who enjoy harassing other students. Towards the end of the book Jerry is made to doubt his stand against majority rule. His individuality and freedom seem to be broken at the end.
             I really enjoyed this book because it showed how cruel students and humans can be, particularly in a school setting. Jerry is someone that more people should admire because he had a really good work ethic and attitude when he went out for the football team. I also liked his stance against Archie and Brother Leon in refusing to sell the chocolates. He felt they held too much power at the school and that their intentions were not good. I did not like the ending at all because it made Jerry look like they had broke his spirit and that Archie and Brother Leon were going to get away with their crimes. I hope Jerry will recover and be proud of his actions. Also, I hope his actions made some students wake up to make a stand themselves and report the actions of Archie, Brother Leon, and the Vigils.