The major themes of this novel include discussing the topics of unchecked authority/power, fear, manipulation, psychological impacts, and the consequences when a person disturbs the order of a certain societal hierarchy. There is a very noticeable power struggle within this novel, between Brother Leon, the Vigils, Jerry Renault, and the rest of the school kids and staff. The Vigils have always been in power at Trinity, they constantly use this to their benefit and have been able to make students do whatever they want without the interruption of the teachers, despite the fact that the teachers do seem to know what is going on. Brother Leon acts as the one person more powerful than the Vigils and The Vigils and Brother Leon seems to blend their powers and work alongside one another. …show more content…
Another big issue in the story that creates a secondary theme is the effects of manipulation upon one individual. The Vigils, led by their mastermind Archie, are extremely manipulative of not only the other students but also of the teachers, as it is also seen in the interactions between Brother Leon and The Vigils. Archie realizes that the more people fear him the more that he can get from them. This is best portrayed when Archie brings up revealing a photograph of Emile Janza in order to get him to do his dirty work. Brother Leon also uses manipulation to get The Vigils involved in the annual sale, by discussing with Archie what could happen if he exposed their gang. So the message, people tend to manipulate others when they sense that an individual is not confident within themselves or of less power. Fear is the parent of cruelty. Fear is the driving force for nearly every action in The Chocolate War. The Vigils are a feared group and Archie is the one individual who people constantly try to avoid. Jerry decides to challenge Archie’s power, therefore The Vigils power as