The Chocolate War Chapter 22 Summary

  • Brian Cochran (Brother Leon's Treasurer) is checking and rechecking his figures. It seems impossible that the chocolate sales are this low. Sales have been plummeting all week, but this is the worst day yet.
  • Leon will have a fit. He's bad enough when the figures are OK.
  • For the past few days, Leon hasn't even looked at the numbers. Now, though, he's due to arrive any moment for a full accounting session.
  • If only Brian was outside in the cool October air, driving his car and listening to the radio.
  • Leon soon arrives, and Brian warns him immediately that he's not going to like the figures.
  • Leon insults Brian's mathematical abilities, and asks him if he's sure. When Brian says that he is sure, Leon forces him to read out the names of the boys participating in the sale, beginning with the ones who've reached the quota.
  • Eventually, Brian gets to Jerry Renault's name, and the big fat zero next to it.
  • Leon comes to the conclusion that the overall sales are down because the boys don't care anymore. Jerry, he implies, has made them stop caring.
  • Leon says this "apathy" (lack of care) is a "disease" (22.35) and Jerry is the "carrier" (22.37).
  • Then Leon begins creepily chanting Jerry's last name, "Renault…Renault" (22.38).
  • Brian thinks Leon is "like a mad scientist plotting revenge in an underground laboratory, for crying out loud" (22.39).