The Chocolate War ( p.202-263)

Summary

The final chapter's of the book is when all the lose ends are tied. The chocolate sale is over and Brother Leon is as happy as can be. But there are 50 boxes left of chocolates, the 50 that belongs to Jerry. Brother Leon knows it and he tries to make Jerry explain why he hasn't been selling his chocolates and the only reply that Jerry could come up with was that it was voluntary and he chose not to. The Goober is sitting in the back of the room wishing that Jerry would give in a little. When he goes to the auditorium to hear the roll call, his name is called with the number 50 soon after. Goober knew that there was a mistake because he had stopped selling the boxes a long time ahgo but he didn't have the guts to go up and say something. But he didn't feel like he needed to because he had stopped caring a long time back. Walking down the hallway Jerry heard a familiar voice, Janza's voice, the school bully. JAnza started taunting Jerry wishing that he would throw the first punch, so he started calling him queer untill Jerry gave in. With one signal, Janza called his other boys who were hidding and an a secong Jerry was on the floor half beaten to death. After that evening the phone kept on ringing non-stop and jerry soon became annoyed. Then there came one call that would but an end to all this madness. Archie, being the brilliant mastermind that he is, came up with the idea to raffel off those last 50 chocolates by putting on a boxing show with Jerry and Janza. Archie called Jerry explainging to him that this would be the perfect oppertunity to get back at Janza. But what he failed to explain was that the students in the crowd would be calling out the punches. So, Jerry accepted without really knowing what he was getting himseld into. On the field Archie had one more buisness to take care of, "the black box". He had to draw out 3 white marbles and if he drew a black one then he would be the one that would be going up against Janza. But, Archie beat faith once again and drew 3 white marbles guranteeing him safety. The fighting began and Janza was getting all the punches on Jerry. Janza soon went out of control and started hitting Jerry out of anger. Jerry soon became un-concious. The fighting only stopped when Brother Jacques came and closed the stadium lights. Archie got caught but only to be saved from trouble by Brother Leon who was watching the whole time. Jerry finally woke up by hearing Goobers voice who was there the whole time. Not being able to speak Jerry wanted so badly to tell Goob that he should never disturb the universe because it's not worth it. The book finally with Archie and Obie sitting in the dark in the stadium where they first seen Jerry.

Quote

"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 thier thing, too. It's a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don't disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say... Just remember what I told you. It's important. Otherwise, they murder you" (Cormier 259).

Reaction

In my opinion Jerry gave Goober good advice. Everybody is always telling you to be who you want to be and do your own thing no matter what other people think but often time you don't even have a choice, it's either choice A or choice A. Even though they tell you to do you own thing, that always mean that you better pick right or you'll pay for it. In the case of Jerry he didn't really have a choice, and if he did he picked the wrong one. Everyday Jerry kept pondering about the question on his poster "Do I Dare Disturb the Universe" and that day on the field he came up with the answer. The rules of the universe are not suppose to be changed and you dont want to be the one who does change it. According to Jerry, if you change it, there will be a price to pay.

The Chocolate War (p.156-201)

Summary

Goober wants to quite the football team because he feels guilty about what happened to Brother Eugene and room Nine-teen. Jerry feels like Goob is being unrealistic is is thinking too much into what he did. He tries to calm him down but nothing seems be working, so he decides to give the Goob HIS therapy, running. While running Goob seemed to open up and he told Jerry that there was something rotten in the school that got the name Vigils written all over it. Jerry still tries to persuade Goober but he fails as Goober stands his ground and makes the decision that he wont give anything more to Trinity. Now Brother Leon thinks that it's all Archie's fault that the sale is going lousy and not the way he planned. Archie had promised Brother Leon that he would make sure that the chocolate sale goes smoothly and now it's up to him to get the sales up. Before the meeting with Brother Leon, Archie had an encounter with Brian. Archie gained a piece of information that will help him blackmail Brother Leon. He found out that Brother Leon had bought the chocolates with the money he wasn't suppose to and now he was in debt and needed the money to pay back the school. Now, Brother Leon threatened Archie saying that if the chocolate sale goes down the drain so will the Vigils. Out on the field Jerry gets his share of not selling the chocolates. Someone was out to get him by making him fall and drop his passes. He figured that the Vigils were out to get him. Now Jerry is being followed and getting mysterious phone calls in the middle of the night. People are stealing his projects, messing up his locker and his sneakers, and pushing him down the stairs. He had become invisible, people giving him the silent treatment, and for a moment he actually liked it. The chocolate sale is going good all they need is 5 thousand more, minus Jerry's quota.

Quote

"It's more than fun and games, Jerry. Anything that can make you cry and send a teacher away-tip him over the borderline- that's more than just fun and games" (Cormier 160).

Reaction

After the Goob and Jerry stopped running they started talking about the real reason why Goober was going to quite the football team and stop doing things for Trinity. The Goober said that the Vigils are making the school evil and pushing things too far. Jerry makes the comment that they are just having fun and that the whole thing is a game but that makes the Goob mad and he tells Jerry that anything that can make a teacher go crazy, referring to Brother Eugene, is going to far and it's more than just fun and games. I think that we can all relate to why the Goober got mad because surely having fun and playing games doesn't involve ticking off a teacher and making someone feel guilty. Goob is seeing the serious part about this whole thing and I think that Jerry does know the seriousness about it but he chooses not to think of it that way or else he would become just like the Goob, depressed.

The Chocolate War (p.102-156)

Summary

Archie. The kid you don't want to mess with, but he was also best known for pulling of the best pranks and assignments. As Emile approached him about "the picture", Archie put on a smile knowing what Emile wanted. See, Archie had walked in on Emile doing his business and pretended to have taken a picture of it. Archie knows that he's lying but Emile doesn't and he wants to keep it that way. Now Caroni, member of the Vigils, was in Brother Leon's room talking about the F he received on his paper. Brother Leon at first tried to act worried and telling Caroni how teachers make mistake's on grading papers and so on. To Caroni everything sounded normal until Brother Leon mentioned Jerry's name. As soon as he did Caroni knew what Brother Leon. Brother Leon wanted Caroni to make Jerry start selling chocolates again and so Caroni told him that the Vigils had given him an assignment saying that he can't sell chocolates for ten days but he should be starting soon. Caroni became filled with disgust knowing the Brother Leon was blackmailing him and if he wanted that F to change he better do as he said. Brother Leon's face quickly filled with joy amused with his game. When the ten days were finally over Jerry surprised everyone by saying that he wasn't going to sell any chocolates. Brother Leon quickly became upset and looked down. Finally Jerry starts to question why he said "No" even though the assignment was over. Now the other kids had began to question why THEY was selling chocolates, they started wondering why THEY couldn't say "No" to Brother Leon. So Obie decides to tell Archie that this whole thing still has Vigils written all over it and if he doesn't make Jerry start selling again everything will go down hill. Brother Leon finally came to a conclusion that the school was being infected by Jerry's disease and the only way to cure it was to get to the center of the problem, which in this case was Jerry.

Quote

"And now along comes a freshman. A child. He says no. He says 'I'm not going to sell the chocolates.' Simple. Beautiful. Something I never thought of before-just stop selling them" (Cormier 142).

Reaction

The quote shows how Jerry is beginning to influence the boys at Trinity one by one. Everyone going crazy trying to sell their chocolates but unable to find any buyers. The boys start talking and start realizing that if Jerry could face Brother Leon and say no, they can to. I think this shows how people could influence others. If someone does something than it's only fare that the other person can to. It's really common in high school, almost like a"disease", as Brother Leon put it. If something gets started sooner or later it's going to spread around and everyone will get influenced by it.

The Chocolate War (p. 52-101)

Summary

The Goober finally got his assignment, and that momment arrived quicker than the speed of light. Almost like as if he was sleep walking, he found himself on the floor of Brother Eugene's homeroom, terrified with damp cheeks from crying. His assignment from the Vigils was to insrew every chair and desk to where it would almost be falling apart so that in the morning Brother Eugene got a little surprise. As the hours passed and the Goober became exhausted, he finally recieved help from a couple of unknown boys wearing masks. In the morning the homeroom got distroyed quicker then ever, it started with one touch of a desk then CRASH the whole class looked as if it was under construction. Realizing what he did, the Goober quickly became depressed. Jerry began thinking back on his mother's life and passing and how wonderful life had been untill his mother died. The day she died he described himself not feeling sad but feeling angry and wanted to blame someone for the death. Now Jerry looks at his living father, who looks like the walking dead because he just goes to work come home, nap and start of the whole routine again. Jerry begins to wonder if his life would be feeled with meaningless hours that he would just sleep away, the thought became to much to think about so he quickly pushed it away and football took it's place. Now at the Chapel, Brother Leon kept going on and on about the chocolate sale and how important this was to Trinity especially now that the whole thing was doubled from last year. Archie couldn't keep but thinking if he was going in too much about the whole ordeal. On the football feild your only as good as your next pass or play. Jerry, along with the junior football players, where playing against the Varsity football players and things weren't looking good. The coach was getting upset knowing that the junior football could do better. With on pass and a lucky escape from a tackle, Jerry gave the juniors their frist touch down against the Varsity. The coach quickly bacame gleeful and with a little "son of a bitch", Jerry knew that the coach had accepted him as a player. Jerry's happiness would only last a few minutes untill he got to his locker, and as he approached he saw a note. "Summons of the Vigils: Assignment" and with that started the most un-curerable disease in Trinity history. Back at the Chapel, Brother Leon was handing off chocolates. Everyone awaited thier names to be called and when it was called it should be followed with an respectful "Yes", meaning that you will sell the chocolates. As the Goober got his chocolates, Jerry's name was called. But something happened, unlike all the other yesses Jerry responded with a "No" and got everyone's attention. Brother Leon's face became red and stiff not knowing what was going on but only Jerry knew what he was doing. Over the next couple days Brother Leon would stand in the middle of the class and called out names. It was simple, he would say your name and you would call out the number of boxes of chocolates you sold. Everyone did as they suppose to but Jerry always continued with the same answer, "No" leaving the class, the teacher, and the reader confused about what he was thinking.

Quote

"...he could see his father's face reflected in his own features. He turned away. He didn't want to be a mirror of his father. The thought made him cringe. I want to do something, be somebody. But what? But what?" (Cormier 65-66)

Reaction

The quote above was taken from when Jerry was thinking about how his mother's face would fit on his father's face. As Jerry was looking in the mirror he saw his father's reflection on his own face, he quickly turned away because he didn't want to be anything like his father. The reason for that was that after his mother died it was like his father didn't live anymore. I think that Jerry should've been a little more concederate about his father because after all he did lose a wife and for some people that would leave nothing else to live for. But I also know where Jerry is coming from, we all want to be something and be somebody in life but sometimes it's that "What should I be?" question that throws us off. Jerry didn't want to sit around the house go to work, do nothing, then come back home. He wanted his life to have meaning. Alot of kids turn to their father, or parents, career to decide what they want to do but for Jerry if he was going to be somebody he had to look away from his father.

The Chocolate War ( p.1-52)

Summary

The book immediately starts in the middle of action. It started of in the middle of football tryouts. Jerry is first introduced as if he was being bullied, the tough coach tests his players hard and shows no mercy. Because the coach is testing them, Jerry cannot show what he's really feeling, which is pain, and hurt. Jerry had to put on a brave face even if he feels he's at the brink of death. Jerry is a freshman whose mother died last spring and is just getting the hand of going to an all boys private school. The story all happens form a 3rd person, somebody is telling us the story, telling us what the characters are feeling and what they are doing and thinking. At the second chapter of the book we are introduced to Obie then Archie. Archie is a member of the Vigils, a gang that originated at Trinity, and Obie is his assistant. Both Obie and Archie envy each other for their gracefulness. Archie has to come up with a number of assignments. Assignments are what the Vigils come up with, they pick some of the most unexpected people and give them orders on what to do. Even though the Vigils feel that Archie is "blessed" because he has the best ideas for assignments, he always feels sick to his stomach when he gives one out but he cannot let that show if he wants to be feared. Archie sees Jerry and feels bad for him but little did Jerry know he was about to receive the best therapy he could ever have because what Archie had in mind for him consisted of many many chocolates. As the chapters go on we get to see that each character has personality and each one is different. Archie is faced with the difficult task of selling the school's annual chocolate sale, but this year him and the Vigils, the secret gang, have to sell twice as many for twice as much. Jerry is dealing with the everyday life and the teacher he hates most, Brother Leon, unaware of what Archie has planned for him.

Quote

"Ready," Archie said, keeping his face expressionless, inscrutable as usual, even though he felt a bead of perspiration trace a cold path from his armpit to his rib" (Cormier 37).

Reaction

I feel like this quote tells us a lot about Archies personality. Archie doesn't really like to give out these assignments and he feels like he has to act tough even though inside it gives him the creeps. The Vigils look up to Archie and he feels like it's a job and he can't look like he's not tough even though he doesn't like what he's doing. The story already gives us so many incite on the characters and how different they are. It's almost like Archie is trying to live to separate lives, one where he's the boss and fearless of everything and another where he's a softy and cares about everyone. He's trying to be excepted into a group of students. I can relate to what Archie is dealing with because a lot of people in high school try to fit in and if that means changing what they believe and hiding who they are than their willing to do that. This quote shows just how Archie is doing that, when he said he is ready he kept his face expressionless even though inside he was scared and he knew it wasn't right. Archie has a very articulate personality, he can say he likes the way someone does what they do then say that he hates that person. I feel like with Archie nothing is predictable and I can't wait to continue with the story.

Running with Scissors (p.275-302)

Summary

Augusten has really changed his life since his mother had her last mental breakdown. He told us about one one his childhood Christmas when his mother had her "first" phyco breakdown. She was decorating the house and making it look festive. She got the biggest Christmas tree she could find and the Burroughs house was ready for Christmas. But unfortunately Dierdre was the only one who thought so. Her husband at the time, Norman, who was an alcoholic, didn't care so much and when he got her mad she went crazy and took down the tree. But aside from all of that Augusten and Natalie have taken their adventures to new heights. Since Natalie is making some money they decided to go on a whale watch cruise in Cape Cod. But it wasn't long until Augusten got under Natalie's influence again and they messed up the hotel room and ran just because of some missing earrings. Then Augusten and Natalie started doing something meaningful with their life. They went to college and shared an apartment outside of the campus. After a while, Dierdre opened her eyes and started accusing Dr. Finch of medicating her and manipulating her with drugs. Augusten doesn't know whether to believe his mother or the Finches, who are denying it. He saw that his friendship with Natalie will never be the same, so he left, found himself a job and a new apartment, and dreamt about how his new life would be in New York City. He made it, he survived some of his most complicated, lonely, years and now it's time for a new beginning.

Quote

"Yeah," I said, "Were running alright. Running with scissors" (Burroughs 290).

Reaction

Augusten has always been on the run from his life. He has always been trying to find something more, something worth living for. When he told Natalie that they was "running with scissors" he meant that they was running dangerously towards something and getting hurt through the process. I'm sure that every kid has heard it once from a parent or a teacher "don't run with scissors", it had always been a safety rule that we all know. Augusten know's that running with scissors is not safe and that's exactly why he said it. His life has never been safe, it has never been certain. He has never had a rule in his life to follow, he never thought twice about what he was doing and what he wanted to do. He was running towards his future and it wasn't safe, he wasn't safely walking. He was Running with Scissors.

Running with Scissors (p.225-275)

Summary

Nothing has picked up for Auguesten. In between his little experiements with Natalie, his days are all the same. The last time he did something crazy with her was by taking everything that was old in the house, an old chair, blender, washing machine, and everything in between to the backyard. It was suppose to be a yard sale but instead they made it thier own outdoor camping site. What was really suprising was that they are as free as can be, the Finches live each day how it comes and they don't let nothing ruin their day. But for Augusten it's all a different story. He has to deal with his clingy boyfriend, his physcotic mother and the strange ways of the Finches. Throughout his summer it seemed like his mother was not going to have another episode, or atleast that's what she said and he believed it untill spring came and everything happened again. It was the same old scene over and over again, but he predicted it. The last time she had one the Doctor took her to a motel and everyone along and they all took turns looking watching her. When she was "better", they brought her home, at least that's what she made everyone believe. While they were at the motel, Niel had also went and was trying to get Augusten in the mood to go over their relationship but he didn't want to hear about which wasn't a good idea cause Niel eventually ran away and nobody ever heard from him again. Augusten felt like he lost something valuable to him and like he was trap inside a house full with freedom. In order for him to feel "free" he needed to get a boyfriend and that's what he tried to do except the guy turned out to be straight which made him look dump and disperate. So, now, all he has is a phyco mother and a strange family which he is a part of.

Quote

"The problem with not having anybody to tell you what to do, I understood, is that there was nobody to tell you what not to do" (Burroughs 264).

Reaction

With the quote above we can clearly understand where Augusten is coming from. If your not disciplined your wild and you do what ever you want to do not knowing the consequences. Everyone needs that authority to tell them what's right and what's wrong because with out that you would have done it all and you wouldn't feel the thrill of doing something new. Augusten needed that figure that would keep him from making unecessary mistakes, which he didn't have.

Running with Scissors (p.139-225)

Summary

It seems like every time I finish writing a summary I feel like Augusten has done it all, then as soon as I turn a page a read something else that makes my jaw drop. Augusten and Natalie, Dr. Finches daughter and Augusten's accomplice, gets themselves projects everyday. Just one look at the ceiling and they started renovating the whole kitchen ceiling and because the house was so old the ceiling seemed to fall down on it's own. As soon as they finish they go back to their routine, sitting down, smoking, and laughing at and with each other. Augusten's love life has been of balance lately. He's starting to question how he feels about Niel, and he starts to question Niels motives with the relationship, especially when it comes to their sexual relationship. Even though Niel tells him everyday how he feels about him and that he would die if they ever separated, Augusten rolls his eyes and responds Niel with a simple "I know" or an "Thank you". To him, it has all become so cliche. To top it all off the Finch house, which has now became a full time home for him, has gotten crazier. The doctor now relies on what comes out of his rectum to find out what his financial status is going to be like. Augusten's mother, Deirdre, has a new girlfriend who was temporarily occupying his old room before she made her way into the master bedroom. When it finally seems like his life would became the same routine over and over again, Augusten goes and fills out nine applications for himself in the hopes that one of those nine jobs would give him the chance he needed to finally get his life on track.

Quote

"I did want Hamburger Helper. And if I knew where to find a mother that could make it, I would have been there in a heartbeat" (Burroughs 206).

Reaction

Augusten has never really had a mother figure in his life, or at least he didn't have the perfect T.V mom you would see in movies and shows. With the quote above I feel like his was trying to be funny but in a way he was not really asking for a plate of Hamburger Helper. When people think about Hamburger Helper they think a nice warm family sitting all together at a table eating a hot meal together sharing stories about how their days went. He never really experienced that and I feel like that's a very essential part in a child's life when their growing up. What he was asking for was a mother who will be there for him, someone who he can go to and spill out all his problems and she will hold back on whatever is bothering her because at that moment it's all about her baby, all about her son. That's what he was longing for and that's what his mother couldn't provide him with.

Running with Scissors (pg.69-138)

Summary

Augusten has changed dramatically since we last seen him. He's not that little innocent boy who always had to be neat and carefull about everything he does. Augusten has been through a life changing experience and he's only 13 years old. He found that he's sexaully attracted to men and espicially attracted to Dr. Finch's adopted son Niel Bookman. In a disturbing night Bookman raughly showed Augusten what he was asking for and he, along with a few headaches and resentment, excepted the challenge. Augusten came to find out that he wasn't the only one having to find his sexuality. His mother also shared this journey with him, one he didn't know about and was surprised to find out. The way he found out only added to the tension that he already had with his mother. He had started to swear and disrespect his mother in a way that no one else would. With his mother paying more attention to her poem and life, she began to push Augusten away only causing him to resent her more and more. Being 13 he had created a attitude and never wanted to go to school but he and Dr. Finch had a plan for him. Augusten would have to pretend that he was suicidal to skip a view months of school, but as soon as he get's in the hospital he began missing his outside life, espicially his current "boyfriend" Niel.

Quote

"You are an adult," she said "You're thirteen years old. You've got a mind and a will of your own. And I have my own needs right now" (Burroughs 120).

Reaction

You kind of wonder how Augusten feels when his mother said this, but in a way he acts like an adult and makes himself seem like hes older then he is. In another way, Augusten had no choice but to take care of himself and grow up faster then the regular kid. Being traumatized by his childhood and being dropped off at somebody's house to life changed him and this quote proves that his mother isn't really involved in his life. People always say that a mother should always put her needs behind her child's and the fact that she said she had her own need and doesn't want to deal with her son show's her true colors. It would be interesting to see how his mother ends up and if she even ends up in his life or not.

Running with Scissors (pg. 1-69)

Summary

Throughout the first few page we are introduced to Augusten, his mother named Deirdre, his father named Norman, his mother's psychiatrist Dr. Finch, and the Finch family. Augusten is introduced as your ab-normal type of boy. Everything has to be perfect in his eyes or he wont be happy. He goes through a series of trauma while he's living in the woods and his mother and father was still together. The mother loved to write poems and was hoping that one day one of her poems would be published in The New Yorker. His father, a professor with knee pain, is an alcoholic who dislikes his wife. Augusten has to put up with the fights and the pain, though he seems not to mind it's effecting him big time. As a result of his parents' divorce, Augusten had to stay with Dr. Finch because his mother was unstaple at the time and his father was trying to kill them. Augusten, the neat freak, has to stay in the messy house with roaches in the kitchen, but a messy house is going to be the least of his problems as he starts to spend more and more time with the Finche's.

Quote

"My umbilical cord is still attached and she's pulling at it" (Burroughs 2).

Reaction

So far the memoir has already taken me in a rollercoaster not knowing what spin I'm going to take next. It almost feels like I can reach out to little Augusten and give him a hug that he's been needing, a hug the not even his mother can give me. As I read I see a little boy not knowing what his purpose in the world is. The traumatizing fights that he witnessed only added to his loneliness because he was caught in the middle of it, he was the one who had to walk over to his father and make sure that he was still breathing. Augusten seems like a boy who was born in the wrong family. He was literally handed off to another family who he had nothing in common with and he felt like he was somewhere he didn't belong. Augusten has already gone through alot of changes in his life. His parents got divorced, his moved to a new home, and he goes to a new school (which he never attends). I believe that as the story goes on Augusten will find who he really is and make a mark in the the life of the people who knew him.