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.