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.