The Chocolate War
Manipulation is controlling or influencing a person or situation cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously. In Robert Cormier’s, The Chocolate War, the main character is Jerry Renault, a freshman at the Trinity Boys’ School. Jerry and the other kids of the school are manipulated by a teacher and a group named the Vigils which causes the chocolate war. Thus, one of the central themes of the book concerns manipulation to gain power.
Jerry Renault is pondering the questions on the poster of his locker: Do I dare disturb the universe? Refusing to sell the chocolates in the annual Trinity School fund-raiser may not seem like a radical thing to do. But when Jerry challenges a secret school society called The Vigils, his defiant act …show more content…
Archie uses the fear that the other students have for the Vigils to coerce them into doing anything he wants them to, especially his assignments. He realizes that the more people fear him the more he can get from them. Such is shown with Emile Janza and the photograph he fears will be revealed, lying to get Janza to do whatever he wants. ‘ "Hey Archie," Emile Janza called. "Yes, Emile." "You still got the picture?" "What picture?" Suppressing a smile. "You know what picture" ’ (Cormier 102).
Brother Leon manipulates Archie into helping with the sale—not through fear, but through recognition. “Perhaps you should begin with Renault,” Leon said. I’ll make it clear Archie if the sale goes down the drain, you and The Vigils go the drain. Believe me…” (Cormier 165). He wanted to tell that Archie can begin by forcing Jerry Renault to sell chocolates. And then Archie and The Vigils will make sure everybody else sells too. If not, Leon will make sure that Archie and The Vigils are a thing of the past.
Brother Leon and Archie turn out to be very similar and both have an appreciation for causing psychological damage. They both are experts at manipulation. Manipulation encompasses and utilizes the power of fear. Ultimately, this is what makes the chocolate war possible and why the students chant for arguing and fighting.
Works Cited
Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate
Manipulation is controlling or influencing a person or situation cleverly, unfairly, or unscrupulously. In Robert Cormier’s, The Chocolate War, the main character is Jerry Renault, a freshman at the Trinity Boys’ School. Jerry and the other kids of the school are manipulated by a teacher and a group named the Vigils which causes the chocolate war. Thus, one of the central themes of the book concerns manipulation to gain power.
Jerry Renault is pondering the questions on the poster of his locker: Do I dare disturb the universe? Refusing to sell the chocolates in the annual Trinity School fund-raiser may not seem like a radical thing to do. But when Jerry challenges a secret school society called The Vigils, his defiant act …show more content…
Archie uses the fear that the other students have for the Vigils to coerce them into doing anything he wants them to, especially his assignments. He realizes that the more people fear him the more he can get from them. Such is shown with Emile Janza and the photograph he fears will be revealed, lying to get Janza to do whatever he wants. ‘ "Hey Archie," Emile Janza called. "Yes, Emile." "You still got the picture?" "What picture?" Suppressing a smile. "You know what picture" ’ (Cormier 102).
Brother Leon manipulates Archie into helping with the sale—not through fear, but through recognition. “Perhaps you should begin with Renault,” Leon said. I’ll make it clear Archie if the sale goes down the drain, you and The Vigils go the drain. Believe me…” (Cormier 165). He wanted to tell that Archie can begin by forcing Jerry Renault to sell chocolates. And then Archie and The Vigils will make sure everybody else sells too. If not, Leon will make sure that Archie and The Vigils are a thing of the past.
Brother Leon and Archie turn out to be very similar and both have an appreciation for causing psychological damage. They both are experts at manipulation. Manipulation encompasses and utilizes the power of fear. Ultimately, this is what makes the chocolate war possible and why the students chant for arguing and fighting.
Works Cited
Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate