The Chocolate War Chapter 36 Summary

  • Archie is loving the whole thing.
  • He stops a ticket-seller to see what the kids are writing in.
  • The first ticket he looks at says, "Janza, Right to Jaw, Jimmy Demers" (36.7).
  • (The basic idea is this: Each kid writes down who they want to be hit, and with what maneuver. If a kid's choice is successful in ending the fight, the kid wins the fifty boxes of chocolates.)
  • Archie just wallows in his brilliance.
  • Now that Jerry has actually shown up, Archie can relax and enjoy himself.
  • Carter has been down for the whole boxing idea, and Archie is happy to see that Carter is back in his corner. Still, eventually he'll punish Carter for the whole probation thing.
  • Archie grosses Carter out, making him feel like everybody in the world is mean and selfish and dirty. As an explanation for why the raffle is such a success, Archie tells him, "You see, Carter, people are two things, greedy and cruel" (36.12).
  • Carter does love a good boxing match and had bought two tickets. Now he wonders if he's "greedy and cruel" too. He despises Archie for making him feel this way.
  • As Carter walks away, Archie thinks of how jealous Carter is of him.
  • And now Brian Cochran comes up and tells Archie that the final ticket has been sold.
  • It's show time.
  • Carter walks to the middle of the boxing ring. In front of the ring, Jerry's fifty boxes of chocolates are piled up.
  • Archie's walking toward the platform, when he sees Obie… with the black box.
  • Obie is really enjoying the look of shock on Archie's face. Obie had convinced Carter that, even though this was no Vigil's event, Archie will have to chose a marble if they bring the black box out on stage.
  • He really hopes Archie finally draws wrong, and he and Carter plan on making him pick twice, once for Emile and once for Jerry.
  • Archie sees what's going on, and wants to take the wind out of Obie and Carter's sails. He'll act fast, not let them turn him into the main event.
  • Boom, he grabs a marble.
  • It's white.
  • Boom, he grabs another one.
  • It's white, too.