The Chocolate War
..., destructive group of students at his school called the Vigils. At first he does the assignment that the Vigils have given him, and he refuses to sell chocolates for the school’s fundraiser. But when the Vigils tell him to start selling the chocolates, he does not obey their order. He refuses to be bullied into selling the chocolates. Archie Costello’s past is not described in the book, but it seems as of he has taken a negative turn during stage 5 Identity vs. Identity of Erikson’s theory of social development, because he is so involved in the destructive Vigils group. He doesn’t have any true friendships; many other students agree with him and do what he wants only because he is intimidating. He does not seem to have concern for other people’s feelings at all, and takes pleasure in making people uncomfortable. III. SEARCHING FOR A PERSONAL IDENTITY: JERRY ARCHIE Physical Puberty Puberty 14 years old 5’9”, 145 lbs high school junior, tall plays football (no other description given in book) masturbates Social Emerging into Stage 6 Stage 5 (Erikson) Intimacy vs. Isolation Identity vs. Identity Moral Emerging into Level III stage 1 Level II stage 4 (Kolberg) (can make decisions regardless of (manipulator, doesn’t care about what is popular) the masses) Intellectual Emerging into Period IV Period IV showing some signs of formal formal operational thinker operational thinking, but still (can predict and is not impulsive) can’t make predictions Archie is older than Jerry, and is more advanced intellectually. Because Archie is so advanced intellectually, he is able to successfully lead the destructive group the Vigils. Archie is usually able to get the students to do what he wants them to do, and can think of things that will upset the school’s environment. He doesn’t have concern for others people’s feelings, and takes pleasure in making people uncomfortable. Archie thought, “It was good to have people hate you- it kept you sharp. And that when you did put the needle in them…you felt justified, you didn’t have to worry about your conscience.” (p106) Jerry was at first manipulated by Archie and the Vigils to not sell chocolate for the school’s fundraiser, but later on when they told him to start selling them, he refused; he did not want to be bullied. He ended up suffering the consequences of this defiance, and was beaten up. Jerry did not care about helping the school raise money by selling chocolates because he didn’t like some of the things he saw happening at school. He would get angry and upset when he saw teachers treating students unfairly. He cared about people’s feelings, he did not want his father to be bothered by his troubles at school, and hid his problems from him. IV. ADOLESENT PSYCHOLOGY Jerry: Jerry is still troubled by his mother’s death from cancer about a year ago. He is lonely, and he wants to fit in, and tries out for the school’s football team. When it seems like he will make the team, he is very pleased, it gives him a sense of belonging. Brother Leon would try to humiliate students, and at one point accuses a student of cheating just to make him uncomfortable. This angers Jerry to see his teacher behaving this way, and he feels bad for the student who is humiliated. Jerry does not respect Brother Leon, who is supposed to be leading the school and setting a good example. Jerry watches his father sleepwalk through life, doing the same thing everyday, and he does not want his life to be that way, he does not want to be bored, and desires change. A hippie near Jerry’s bus stop calls Jerry a square boy, making fun of him for being 14 and already following a boring routine of going to school, and coming home and doing homework. He tells Jerry he’s missing a lot in life, and this bothers Jerry, because Jerry thinks that the hippie m...