CHAPTER 13

Summary

The chapter opens with Leon calling the boys' names in his homeroom for them to get their chocolates. The Goober has been depressed since the Room 19 incident. Although he received some respect from seniors, he is upset about Leon's alleged investigation of the incident and that Brother Eugene has not been seen since it happened. The rumor is that Eugene had a nervous break down.

When Leon calls Jerry, he responds no- he will not take any chocolates.

Notes

This chapter shows Archie's power over The Goober, who has become terrified since Archie warned him not to say anything if he is questioned. Archie only said this to him because he wanted to intimidate The Goober even more. This is another example of an instance in which it is hard to sympathize with Archie. Much like when he made Brother Eugene cry, his torment of The Goober is uncalled for--The Goober is weak and harmless. He is too easy of a target.

In this section we also witness Leon's attempt to manipulate the boys. When he calls The Goober, he (unnecessarily) discusses how the chocolate sale is so special because it is entirely by the boys. It is a volunteer project that is merely administered by the school. When Jerry refuses to sell the chocolates, Leon becomes upset. At the end of the roll call, he says that anyone who does not sell the chocolates is not a true son of Trinity. He is trying to instill a sense of pride in the boys. This rhetoric is actually very common during wartime. National leaders often try to equate going to war with patriotism; therefore, opposing the war means someone is not truly a citizen.

CHAPTER 14

Summary

John Sulkey, a senior at Trinity and last year's winner for selling the most raffle tickets, is considering to whom he can sell his chocolates. Although John does poorly in sports and academics, he is determined to gain approval by selling the most chocolates.

As Leon calls out the boys' names in homeroom, The Goober is extremely nervous about Jerry saying no again. He tried to talk to Jerry about it, but Jerry refused.

Next, we meet Tubs Casper. He is short and stocky and running around trying to sell chocolates without his mother discovering him. He is trying to get $19.52 to buy his girlfriend, Rita, a bracelet for her birthday the next day. Although he thinks he does not have to buy her the expensive bracelet because she will love him anyway-he remembers the first time she rubbed against him was after he bought her earrings. His mother does not like Rita because she looks too old (even though she is younger than Tubs).

Next, Paul Consalvo encounters a frazzled mother. He feels bad for people stuck at home raising kids and doing housework. Thinking of his own worn out parents, he wonders what the point of it is.

Brother Leon has volunteered Brian Cochran to be the treasurer of the chocolate sale. Brian Cochran is very intimidated by Leon. Leon is particularly edgy about the sale this year, and frantically double checks Brian's reports everyday. Brian is confused because Leon issued a false report to the homeroom teachers that stated many more chocolates were sold than the actual figure. The sale this year is lagging behind previous years. Although the job is nerve-wracking, Brian accepted it because he is in Leon's algebra class and does not want to cause any trouble for himself.

The chapter ends with Jerry refusing to take any chocolates.

Notes

The main purpose of this chapter is to develop the sale's impact on the personal lives of the boys. While some boys, like John Sulkey, embrace the sale in an effort to receive recognition, most dread it.

Interestingly Brian Cochran (like Archie) accepts Leon's position for him because he is nervous about his grade in algebra. This intimidation is particularly noteworthy because Leon teaches algebra. High school algebra should not be open to interpretation; answers should be either right or wrong (of course, with the possibility for partial credit). However, the boys still fear that Leon might give them bad grades if they do not do what he says. This shows that they have no respect for Leon's integrity because they think he would explicitly change their grades if he was unhappy.