For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. It is under perpetual attack because of cormiers negative portrayal of human nature, and because the ending appears hopeless. The antagonist, archie costello, is part of the group, and he is notorious for giving out assignments to other students that usually do physical or psychological harm to. In 1985, cormier published a sequel to the chocolate war, fittingly called beyond the chocolate war. In the book the chocolate war, what do other people think. Hes an equal opportunity bully he doesnt discriminate. One of the main leaders of the vigils is a kid named archie costello. Study guide notes the chocolate war by robert cormier overall analysis character analysis jerry renault. The novel introduces new characters to trinity high, and tracks the fallout of the war jerry inspired and the ongoing moral and intellectual power struggle between obie and archie.
He is on the football team with jerry and is deeply distraught at jerrys unwillingness to conform. The chocolate war is one of the most censored books in america. In spite of this pleasure, archie is troubled that his righthand man, obie, has started to move away from the vigils. But when the eleventh day comes, jerry still declines to sell. Archie is pretty intelligent, however, hes using it in a wrong way. Archie relishes his unique role on campusas a member of the vigils. Though clearly intelligent, archie seems determined to use his brains for all the wrong reasons, taking glee in the misery he causes for both classmates and teachers alike. Stunned by his mothers recent death and appalled by the way his father sleepwalks through life, jerry renault, a new england high school student, ponders the poster in his lockerdo i dare disturb the universe. Devious archie costello, commander of the secret school organizationcalled the virgils, stall has some torturous assignments to hand out before he graduates.
The characters the main characters in the book are brother leon, jerry renault, archie costello, obiejerry renault. Archie himself is intimidated by a cool, ambitious teacher into having the virgils spearhead the annual fundraising eventa chocolate sale. What archie costello didnt expect was for the need for companionship to be mutual. Pdf the chocolate war book by robert cormier free download. The effects his actions have on others doesnt seem to bother him one bit. He is engaged in a battle with himself and with the outside world. Find what you need to know as trent lorcher lays out the sketch for the book in terms of the various literary devices.
Part of his universe is archie costello, leader of a secret school societthe virgilsand master of intimidation. Mar 12, 1985 the school year is almost at an end, and the chocolate sale is past history. Mar 12, 2020 the following introduction to the chocolate war was written by robert cormier in 1997. During a secret meeting with the vigils, archie inducts goober goubert into the vigils by assigning him to loosen the furniture screws in brother eugenes classroom.
Archie is a cruel, sneaky, and powerhungry boy whose ravenous desire for power and control symbolically manifests as an insatiable craving for chocolate. Jerry is the protagonist of the story and is a strong willed, yet lonely, freshman at trinity high school. Archie costello antagonist archie is a teenage boy who has no authority over him. Perhaps he assigned jerry to the chocolates because something told him that this would grow to be bigger than originally planned. Archie costello is the assigner of the vigils, the secret society oncampus at trinity. The chocolate war character analysischaractersplot. In an early chapter, he sets up brother leon as a manipulator with a sadistic streak to rival archie costellos. Archibald archie costello is the primary antagonist of the 1974 young adult novel the chocolate war by the late robert cormier and its 1988 film adaptation of.
Get an answer for in the book the chocolate war, what do other people think of archie costello and what does he look like. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 267 pages and is available in paperback format. Archie is afraid of being the victim so he victimizes anyone in sight. The main characters of this young adult, fiction story are jerry renault, obie. Devious archie costello, commander of the secret school organization called the vigils, stall has some torturous assignments to hand out before he graduates. Robert cormiers the chocolate war, published march 12, 1974.
The chocolate war jerry renault archie costello brother leon book cover jerry renault. The school year is almost at an end, and the chocolate sale is past history. Unaware of the vigils plot against the chocolate sale, brother leon enlists archie s aid in rallying fellow students to sell candy. This brilliant sequel reveals what happens to devious archie costello when the s. Archibald archie costello is the primary antagonist of the 1974 young adult novel the chocolate war by the late robert cormier and its 1988 film adaptation of the same name, as well as its 1985 sequel beyond the chocolate war. Discuss the objections to the book, and think about how cormier disturbed the universe by writing the novel. When jerry refuses to be bullied into selling chocolates, he becomes a hero, but his defiance is a threat to archie, the virgils, and the school. All young adults familiar with robert cormiers nationally acclaimed story of peer pressure at an exclusive prep school, the chocolate war, will want to listen to this book. Carter challenges archies power by putting him on probation until he gets every last box of chocolate sold. What he is really doing, however, is setting up both jerry and brother leon for a. Instead, it rockets your expectation high, and it hurts when your expectation fails you. Beyond the chocolate war audiobook by robert cormier.
Boys are boys after all, they do the what they call cool or whats in kind of actions nowadays and even in the past. Hes thoroughly determined to belong to the category of the victimizers. This incredibly delicious chocolate war analysis contains a brief plot summary, an examination of themes in the novel, a look at symbols in the novel, and a glance at setting, mood, and conflict. Archie is one of those kids who bullies others by using words, and he doesnt use show more content. Devious archie costello, commander of the secret school organizationcalled the. Archie maintains his control of the vigils in the novel, whereas in the film, he is physically beaten by jerry and ultimately replaced by obie, who, as assigner. Part of his universe is archie costello, leader of a secret school societ the virgilsand master of intimidation. Jerry renault, archie costello, emile janza, the vigils, obie, carter, brother leon, roland goubert, brian cochran. With john glover, ilan mitchellsmith, wallace langham, doug hutchison. Archie specializes in designing psychological punishments for students. Archie costello archie is the antagonist of the novel. The chocolate war is a young adult novel by american author robert cormier. People are afraid of him and let him get away with anything.
The chocolate war was written during weekday evening hours and saturday mornings in parts of 1969, 1970, and 1971 while i was working fulltime as a newspaper editor and columnist. The chocolate addict, archie costello, might strike some readers as too villainous to be a believable character. If there is a big bully in the school jerry will take care of him and put them in their place. No one has read robert cormiers young adult novel the chocolate war. The the chocolate war quotes below are all either spoken by archie costello or refer to archie costello. When the goober appears before the vigils, archie assigns him to vandalize room. Free download or read online the chocolate war pdf epub book. Archie tells obie that theyll be giving jerry an assignment having to do with chocolates. Vicious and violent mob cruelty in a boys prep school is not a new theme but cormier makes it compellingly immediate in this novel of trinity high, a boys day school with the close, concentrated, selfcontained atmosphere of a boarding school, temporarily headed by the venomous, manipulating brother leon and unofficially run by powerobsessed senior archie costello, the ingeniously audacious. The first edition of the novel was published in 1974, and was written by robert cormier. A surreal portrait of a catholic private school and its hierarchy. Soon after, archie meets with brother leon and agrees, on behalf of the vigils, to help make the chocolate sale a success.
Its been over ten years since the chocolate war 1974, but the action in this sequel takes place only a few months after the original ugly doings at trinity higha boys day school in drab midnew england. The vigils, the secret society headed by cold, manipulative senior archie costello, is still going strong. Archie costello timeline and summary archie tells obie that theyll be giving jerry an assignment having to do with chocolates. If he had a moustache, we bet hed be twirling it constantly. Soon after, archie meets with brother leon and agrees, on behalf of the vigils. Hes a scrawny little eighth grader with a mind more manipulative than his face could ever betray, looking for protection from the constant pushing and shoving. The chocolate war is a book about a bunch of boys who go to a high school called trinity high school. Jerrys internal conflict with a gang the vigils, he gets sent to bully students around. Robert cormiers the chocolate war, for example, is often regarded as one of the best young adult books ever written, but for me, the chocolate war is a homophobic and misogynistic book, set in 1970s in allboys catholic high schoolwhich. Mar 19, 20 but no one at trinity school can forget the chocolate war. Oct 07, 2017 the chocolate war portrays the story of a freshman by the name of jerry renault attending trinity high school.
First published in 1974, it was adapted into a film in 1988. It is based on robert cormiers novel of the same name, about a young man who rebels against the ingrained hierarchy of an elite catholic school. Get an answer for in the novel the chocolate war chapter 5, why did archie choose the goober for an assignment. The chocolate war study guide from litcharts the creators. Archie s supreme understanding of people comes from an unknown source, but his talent lies in determining what will hurt a person most.
The head of a feared high school secret society, archie is manipulative, misanthropic, and thoroughly sadistic. Part of his universe is archie costello, leader of a secret school societthe virgilsand master of. The assigner for the vigils and one of the book s central antagonists. Devious archie costello, commander of the secret school organization called the vigils, still has some torturous assignments to hand out before he graduates. The character of archie costello in the chocolate war from. Jerry is the main character and protagonist of this novel. The school is run by a group of teenagers known as the vigils. According to the new york times, this novel is masterfully structured and rich in theme.
Trinitys viceprincipal, brother leon, has recently become acting headmaster and overextends his rising ambition by committing trinity to selling. Apr 30, 20 archie is afraid of being the victim so he victimizes anyone in sight. Archie costello character timeline in the chocolate war. The chocolate war portrays the story of a freshman by the name of jerry renault attending trinity high school.