Once an individual take part in a group, it often ends up that one’s individuality gets controlled by the group’s behaviors. In a group, individuals hardly show objections to the group’s decisions. Emile Janza found this truth: “people had a fear of being embarrassed or humiliated, of being singled out for special attention”.

In The Chocolate War, Brother Leon and the Vigils reaches a conspiracy of demanding students to sell chocolate. It is said in the book that the Vigils actually kept Trinity under control, and without them, Trinity might have been “torn apart like other schools had been, by demonstrations, protests and all that crap”. It is apparent and shocking that under such power of the Vigils, even Brother Leon the teacher reaches out to them for help. Other teachers and student remain silent.  This coincides with what Emile Janza says: “nobody wanted trouble, nobody wanted to make a trouble, nobody wanted a showdown”. Leon and Archie knows this, and they use this weakness of people to control them.

It is especially shocking that Brother Leon, a teacher that is supposed to be admirable and loving, hardly has virtue in this book. He mocks the students by wrongfully accusing the innocent student Bailey. He uses his privilege to intimidate the students into selling chocolate. Archie, although somehow restricted by the black box, holds considerable power in Trinity. The extreme characters form the dark side of this book. The characterizations of Brother Leon and Archie can be reasons why this book was banned. The Chocolate War reveals dark sides of the real life: corruption and bully.

Would you be the one who dare to speak out and break the silence? Will your protest be supported by people?