Peer pressure is a significant theme in the novel, particularly the pressure to remain silent and conform. In Chapter 6, Brother Leon presents a lesson on political connivance, highlighting the act of enabling wrongdoing by choosing not to speak against it. Cormier skillfully conveys several ideas at once. The irony is apparent when Leon, the messenger, transforms the classroom into a temporary "Nazi Germany." As the narrative unfolds, both Leon and the Vigils use authoritarian methods to influence behavior. In the later stages of the chocolate sale, misinformation becomes a key tool for maintaining peer pressure. Fabricated reports about individual sales progress are announced. Those who benefit from inflated sales figures feel flattered and stay silent, while others experience increased pressure to continue selling. The most poignant reaction to this pressure is from Roland Goubert, known as "The Goober," who quietly stops selling chocolates in solidarity with Jerry after selling twenty-seven boxes. When he is wrongly credited with meeting his quota, he withdraws without protest: "He willed himself to feel nothing. He didn't feel rotten. He didn't feel like a traitor. He didn't feel small and cowardly." However, Cormier aims for readers to see cowardice and betrayal in both individual and collective actions.