Written by the American author Robert Cormier, the Chocolate War is a novel set in the Trinity High and is an account of the protagonist Jerry Renault as he takes on the revered schools cruel mob rule by the vigil notorious for giving assignments that range from the ridiculous to the absurd. This secret society uses intimidation as a way of enforcing its cultural norms on the school. The novel also gives a sizeable attention to sexuality, one of the major characteristics of young adults’ fiction following the protagonist’s sexual desires.
The novel adopts a third person point of view constantly shifting focus from one character to another. Jerry is preoccupied throughout the novel with basic philosophical questions as seen in a quotation in his locker reading ‘Do I dare disturb the universe’ taken from The Love Song by T.S. Eliot.
The special assignments are used by the Vigil to gain a degree of control in the school. The main influence of the group mainly comes from Archie Costello who is manipulative and intelligent although it is formally led by an athletic boxer called John Carter. The novel is characterized by instances of sexual frustrations as espoused by the protagonist an attribute pointed out by Nilsen and Donelson as a feature of young adult literature in their book ‘Literature for Today’s Young Adults.’
The mob rule is so powerful that it is used by the acting headmaster Brother Leon to commit the students to sell twice the amount of chocolates at twice the price during the annual school chocolate sale. Apparently infatuated by his power Archie subsequently assigns Jerry to refuse to sell chocolates for a total of ten days which he accordingly complies. In a twist however, his refusal to sell the chocolates extends for more than ten days an action that angers the Vigil and the acting headmaster. "My name is Jerry Renault and I'm not going to sell the chocolates," says Jerry in the apartment. His behaviour is seen as a threat to their control over the students, the reaction of which is bullying and harassment meted out against Jerry. To his peers his action is heroic while to the secret society in the school, Jerry is a villain who threatens their firm power over the students. The punishment comes in the way of vandalism to his belongings including his locker. Despite attacks by Emile Janza Jerry maintains his defiance. The Vigil organize for a boxing match between Emile and Jerry for which the students decide which blows to be laid by the combatants. Jerry is brutally attacked and after which Jerry in an apparent defeat says to his friend Goubert that he should have gone along the group’s demands. ‘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 their thing, too. It's a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don't disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say,’ says jerry to Goober.
Archie is confronted by Brother Jacques but Brother Leon intervenes in favour and making an implication that the group’s power would be sustained by the new headmaster the following year. Defiance as a feature of young adult literature is here extensively exploited as seen in Jerry assertion of his powers and the operation of a powerful secretive group within a Catholic establishment sustained by teachers such as Brother Leon, a scenario which is quite unexpected. This defiance is vividly captured by the author in his staccato writing thus; ‘Cities fell. Earth opened. Planets tilted. Stars plummeted. And the awful silence. ‘
Archie is the main assigner of the Vigils and his first successful assignment comes when he assigns Goober to loosen screws in all the furniture found in Brother Eugene’s classroom. He uses blackmail and threats as a way of manipulating his fellow students such as when he enlists Janza to attack Jerry on the pretence that he has a photo of him masturbating in the toilet. He takes advantage position at the Vigils expense as exemplified in the assignment against Brother Jacques which aborts. He is the main antagonist in the novel.
As a feature of young adult literature the novel’s emphasis is on the plot, with the main concentration on the development of various aspects of the story with the conflict building up gradually to the climax when Jerry is brutally beaten up in the boxing match with Janza and his admission of defeat by the Vigils.
