An Instagram for Jerry (The Chocolate War)

Hey everyone!

Check out Jerry Renault's Instagram! @JRenault77

Jerry's avatar is an awesome live-action shot of his first football game as the quarterback of his school's team. The shot was taken right before he was pummeled into the ground by a lineman. While Jerry may be small in stature, he knows how to throw the ball nonetheless. Football is his favorite thing about school, and it is a great way for him to get out of the house and stay active after the passing of his mother. He looks up to Colin Kaepernick, who is another smaller quarterback who can hold his own. Kaepernick is also not afraid to stand his ground when it comes to his beliefs. Jerry's resistance to the chocolate sale can be seen as a small nod to that stubborn side of his idol. Jerry also has a poster in his locker that asks "Do I dare disturb the universe?" which served as his daily inspiration during his resistance of the chocolate sale, and plays a key role within the theme of conformity when it is destroyed by his classmates later in the novel. The Goober appears to be Jerry's only real friend, who tries to talk him out of continuing to resist the chocolate sale long after the "assignment" has ended, and takes care of him once he gets beaten at the end of the book.

Check out his Instagram, and maybe throw him a few likes? After all, he was just beaten pretty badly. The kid could probably use a pick-me-up.

- Michelle Milvain

The Chocolate War Soundtrack: "Daniel in the Den"

"Oh to see, what it means to be free / and you thought the lions were bad, but they tried to kill my brothers and for every king that dies oh they will crown another / and felled in the night by the ones you think you love, they will come for you..."

"Daniel In The Den" by Bastille is a song that I interpret as a serious reflection of the themes explored in Robert Comier's novel, The Chocolate War.  In a film adaptation of The Chocolate War I image this song playing over the climatic fight scene, as seen from Goober's perspective. In addition to a literal interpretation of the lyrics, specifically lines such as "you thought the lions were bad, but they tried to kill my brothers", I feel as though this song captures the themes of anguish and corruption. The song makes compelling commentary on hopeless nature of power imbalances which I feel parallels many of the themes in the novel. The song also touches on the idea of betrayal, which I feel is a concept intimately felt by practically all of the leading characters. Finally, the simple and despairing nature of the song reflects the overall tone of the novel

-Erin Brandenburg

The Theme of Fear in The Chocolate War

Nicole LaReau

Blog Post #1

Prompt A/A

Fear is a primal instinct of life; therefore it be a driving theme of literature. Fear factors in heavily to the storyline of the Chocolate War, as most of the actions of the characters involved are based on fear. The fear created from the Vigils’ actions drives their continual bullying, while the fear from their victims creates a culture of obedience. This cycle fuels the whole plotline of the story, as well illustrates one of the elemtal forces of adolescence: peer pressure. The whole novel is about who is in control, and how they exercise this elemental force within the confines of their little universe. The second chapter especially reinforces this theme of fear. Archie, the head of the Vigils, is introduced to the reader in the second chapter, and the author begins to set up the complex of fear and control that Archie exercises over his little kingdom. Archie’s bullying ways are revealed early, especially in this passage as he and Obie have an aggressive and hostile conversation in which Archie’s intellectual prowess is revealed. Obie’s fear of Archie’s intellect is seen during their argument, as well as in how subservient Obie is towards Archie as his “personal assistant”. Archie also exhibits behavior reminiscent of a god complex, as he sits around deciding other’s fates without their knowledge and dictating his commands to Obie. Archie assumes the compliance of the mere mortals of whom he is commanding because he is confident the fear they have of him will prompt their actions. This part of the novel also details just exactly how Archie instills fear in his victims: through pyschological intimidation versus phsycial intimidation. It proves more powerful, and also slides underneath the radar of the educational, instituational world that they are operating within. All of the Vigils’ (and indirectly Archie’s) assignments operate under the assumption that the primal force of fear is enough to drive their victims to action. Jerry later upsets this assumption, but this passage describes a crucial part of how the small universe of fear of Archie sets up an expectation of a fear culture.