The Chocolate War

Genres: General Fiction

Synopsis

The Chocolate War (SparkNotes Literature Guide) by Robert Cormier
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Publisher: Union Square & Co.

Print pages: 80

Sample

Robert Cormier was born on January 17, 1925, in a French-Canadian neighborhood of Leominster, Massachusetts, the town he fictionalized as Monument in many of his books. An outsider who read and wrote to escape, he attended Catholic school, where a nun encouraged him to become a writer. At nearby Fitchburg State College, a teacher submitted one of Cormier's stories to a magazine, and it became his published debut. Soon after college he became a reporter for local newspapers, and garnered several prestigious awards. He worked as a journalist for 30 years, publishing short stories in national magazines, until his profits from novels allowed him to focus full-time on novels. He became a highly renowned and award winning journalist. As soon as he was financially able he made the shift to writing full time. He then began to sell short stories to magazines, and then advanced to publishing novels.

Influenced in large part by other coming of age books such as Tom Sawyer,How Green Was My Valley, and Look Homeward Angel, Cormier began to write about the complexities of growing up. The fact that he lived in the same city for all of his life gave him a window into his own adolescence, and make his time as a boy growing up much easier to remember and access. Cormier describes himself as an insomniac, and when his children would come home from dates he would be up writing. He had insights into their coming of age as well, and used that as fodder for his books.

Robert Cormier published his first novel in 1960—an adult novel. His first couple novels were for adults, and while they garnered positive reviews he did not become famous until the publication of his first young adult book in 1974, The Chocolate War. Since its publication, the book has been near the top of the most frequently censored books. The novel incited much protest from parents and teachers, who disapproved of the mature language and themes of a book that was supposed to be for teenagers. The book was considered inappropriate because of swearing, masturbation, violence and a depressing, dismal ending. Cormier spent much of his life after 1974 defending the book, and writing others along similar themes. According to Banned in the U.S.A. by Herbert N. Foerstel, a book that documented the most frequently censored books according to public schools and libraries in the US between 1990–1992, The Chocolate War is number five, just under Huckleberry Finn.

Despite the negative attention garnered by the book, The Chocolate War also won high praise, named as one of the best books of the year by the New York Times, winning a Lewis Carroll award and being named to the "Best of the Best 1966–1978" list by the School Library Journal.

The Chocolate War was inspired by Cormier's son, who similarly refused to sell chocolates at a school chocolate sale, although without the negative repercussions of protagonist Jerry Renault. Cormier considers this particular book to be life changing, as he first broke into the young adult scene and the young adult readers first embraced him as someone who spoke to them.

Cormier's books extend beyond normal young adult books, confronting difficult subjects such as rebelling against conformity, dealing with and overcoming guilt, exploring violent and sometimes psychopathic teenagers and also dealing with ethical implications of some of the choices teenagers are forced to make.

Jerry Renault, a freshman at Trinity High School, has a confrontation with the school gang, The Vigils. The Vigils, headed by Archie Costello, specialize in making assignments that other students have to complete. These assignments vary, depending on the person, and intend to inflict as much psychological injury as possible. Early in the book, Jerry's friend known as The Goober gets an assignment from The Vigils. He sneaks into one of the classrooms at night and unscrews desks, chairs and hinges, leaving the screws in by just a thread. The next day when students come to class, everything collapses and falls apart. The Goober suffers some serious emotional repercussions from carrying out the assignment and is never quite the same afterward.

Jerry gets called to carry out an assignment and he is to refuse selling chocolates at the annual school chocolate sale. Archie gives him this assignment despite the fact that Archie told Brother Leon, the teacher in charge of the sale, that he and The Vigils would support the sale and make sure it is a success.

At first, Brother Leon and the other students are shocked by Jerry's refusal. Eventually, it becomes common knowledge that Jerry's refusal is prompted by a Vigils assignment. Brother Leon, at first outraged, looks forward to the assignment ending, since after ten days, Jerry is supposed to accept the chocolates and begin selling them.After the tenth day, Jerry fully intends to accept the chocolates. When Leon calls his name during the chocolate roll call, however, Jerry blurts out "no." When The Goober asks Jerry why he refused, Jerry does not have an answer. He is rebelling against The Vigils and Brother Leon. Inspired by the poster in his locker that reads: "Do I dare disturb the universe?" and Jerry decides that that is precisely what he will do.

The Vigils consider Jerry's refusal to sell a defiance of their assignment. They call Jerry into a meeting and ask him to sell the chocolates the next day. The next day, Jerry still refuses. . . .