Editor's Choice
In The Chocolate War, what possible universes could Jerry disturb, and how?
Quick answer:
Jerry disturbs several "universes" by refusing to sell chocolates, challenging the social order at Trinity School. His defiance disrupts the power balance between the Vigils and Brother Leon, showing their lack of control over him. This act also transforms Jerry's personal universe, strengthening his character and teaching him resilience. Furthermore, Jerry's family dynamics could shift as his actions might affect his relationship with his grieving father. Overall, Jerry's defiance exemplifies how small actions can ripple through different aspects of life.
This question is a bit vague because of the word "you." It's possible that this question is asking about which specific universes Jerry can and does disturb during the novel; however, it's also possible that the wording of the question is very legitimately asking about how you/me/somebody could disturb the universe.
In the context of the story, the poster's question about daring to disturb the universe applies to Jerry. He decorates his locker with the poster, and that tells readers that the poster and its words resonate with Jerry on some level. What's great about Jerry is that he tests the poster's question. He's perfectly able to hypothesize about attempting to disturb the universe, but Jerry decides that he is actually going to test the universe that is his school. By not selling chocolates, Jerry is disturbing the status quo set forth by the school's teachers and administrators. He's showing them that they do not have the power. Then Jerry decides to keep on not selling those chocolates, and he shows the Vigils that they are not in power. The simple act of not selling chocolates becomes an earth-shattering, universe-shaking action. Jerry doesn't wind up a hero, so readers question whether or not disturbing the universe was worth it, but Jerry does prove that a person can absolutely disturb the "universe" by simply saying "no."
If this question is asking about how a person such as myself or yourself could disturb the universe, there are two general schools of thought on this issue. One would say that you can't disturb the universe. Its actions are set, and no matter what actions you take, the universe will carry on. The other would say that your smallest actions create huge, world changing ripples throughout the universe.
The first option is fatalistic and reminiscent of Naturalistic authors like Stephen Crane. His story "The Open Boat" narrates how men struggle and struggle to survive against a harsh and uncaring sea. In the end, the death of a character seems utterly random and completely unfair. The universe simply doesn't care who you are or what you do. It does what it's going to do, no matter what. Crane has a short poem that illustrates this idea nicely.
A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation.”
The second option is way more fun to discuss, in my opinion. Our actions have profound effects on the direction and outcome of events happening across the universe. A good example of this idea has been termed "The Butterfly Effect." It was first proposed in the mid-1900s by a meteorologist named Edward Lorenz. While running weather model tests, Lorenz decided to change a small amount of data in the model, and the end results were drastically different than the original model predicted. Lorenz then made the imaginative connection that butterfly's flapping wings could cause a change in an entire weather pattern. This is how The Butterfly Effect was born. Physics seems to support Lorenz's idea. The "observer effect" states that simply observing a situation forces changes to occur in that situation. This concept reaches across a variety of physics-based studies and even applies to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. A simple example is checking the air pressure in car tires or a ball. In order to check the pressure, a little bit of the air had to be expelled into the measuring instrument; therefore, the pressure isn't exactly what it was before the measurement was made. Thinking along these lines, it's not hard to imagine how a person might disturb the universe. Simply existing is creating changes all of the time. The unknowable part is what changes will actually result because of your existence.
The poster in Jerry's locker reads "Do I dare disturb the universe?". So what does that mean? The word "universe" could be taken in several different senses, but first consider what it could mean to Jerry, and what it might mean to the readers of The Chocolate War.
While Jerry doesn't consciously understand it, at first, he is "disturbing (his) universe" when he stops doing what is expected of him. Specifically, he disturbs the universe of Trinity, which functions on a kind of social contract between the bullying Vigils and the weak and venal authority of Brother Leon. If that balance is kept, then things continue on much as usual. In the most general sense, this universe is upset by Jerry by his action of not selling the chocolates; he tips the balance of power away from the Vigils and Brother Leon, slightly, onto himself. They cannot compel him, no matter how he is threatened and even punished, to do as they say. Some of their power has been leached away by Jerry's actions. This leads them to do things that they would not normally do (such as the Vigils taking the extreme step of the boxing match to punish Jerry, and Brother Leon allowing this to take place). They are, in a sense, controlled by Jerry. An upset to the universe, indeed.
But "universe" can also mean something else. Jerry's private universe is profoundly changed by his actions. He knows his actions to be just, and therefore his character is greatly strengthened by it. He learns to endure suffering and isolation (even Goober deserts him) for a just cause at a young age. These are very important lessons which would not be learned by him, at this young age, if he hadn't stuck to his guns. His internal universe becomes other-focused -- he places more value on the justice of an action than on the convenience or easiness of an action. This is perhaps even more important than the change he makes to the Trinity "universe".
Also, a case can be made that Jerry's family universe changes. It has already altered irreparably with the death of his mother. Jerry, however, learns during this time not to depend on his father, who is in such a state of grief that he would probably not be very useful to his son. What happens when Mr. Renault learns about Jerry's defiance will probably change the nature of their relationship forever.
There are many meanings to "dare I disturb the universe?", but applying the principle in one's life could be simply not doing what is expected of oneself. To do this in the cause of justice and right would be the most profitable and best way to cause character growth, but it need not be as destructive and dangerous as Jerry's actions. Simply changing one's bad habits, or perhaps working proactively on relationships could "disturb one's universe" in a positive way.
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