The Chocolate War: Chapter 27 Summary & Analysis

The Vigils have called a meeting—they have an assignment for a junior named Frankie Rollo. Archie regrets choosing Rollo, though—he is a troublemaker and a loner who does not participate in any school activities. His only talent is cheating. Archie asks Rollo to state his name before the Vigils, and Rollo protests. Archie asks Rollo if he’s a big shot, and then admits that the Vigils actually like big shots—they love turning big shots, he says, into little shots.

Rollo urges Archie to “cut the shit”—he is not scared of the Vigils. The group, he says, can’t even scare a “punk freshman” into selling chocolates. Carter strikes Rollo in the jaw, and Rollo recoils in pain. Carter punches Rollo once more, in the gut, and then orders the Vigils to get him out of the meeting. Archie is disappointed in the way Carter stole the spotlight from him, but admits to himself that Rollo was just the “curtain raiser” for the meeting; its real purpose is to discuss Jerry Renault.

Before Archie can get talking, however, Carter warns Archie that it is dangerous for them when students like Rollo start challenging the Vigils. Something is wrong, Carter says—and it’s the Vigils themselves, for letting their name get swept up in the chocolate sale, and for letting Jerry Renault get away with defying them. Carter asks Obie to show the group what he found on a bulletin board this morning. Obie holds up a poster which reads “SCREW THE CHOCOLATES AND SCREW THE VIGILS.” Obie pulled the sign down before many people got to see it. Carter doesn’t think Jerry put the poster up—which means that more students than Jerry are questioning the Vigils’ rule. Carter then asks Archie, the “brains of the outfit,” what they should do.

Archie knows he must show Carter—and the rest of the group—that he alone can take care of Renault and the chocolates. Archie suggests the Vigils work double-time to ensure that the sale is over as quickly as possible. He points out that Renault will look foolish—traitorous, even—once the whole school devotes itself anew to the chocolate sale. Archie suggests the Vigils make it “cool” to sell chocolates, and bring school spirit back en vogue. Archie predicts that the school—Brother Leon, especially—will be grateful to the Vigils for turning the sale around, and the Vigils will once again enjoy power and immunity.

Carter assents to Archie’s plan, and adjourns the meeting—but then warns Archie that his plan had better work, or Archie is out of the Vigils. Carter places Archie on probation until the last chocolate is sold. Archie is humiliated, but smiles at Carter anyway.