The Chocolate War

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the film adaption, see The Chocolate War (film)

The Chocolate War
Cover from the 1986 mass-market paperback edition, published by Laurel Leaf Books.
Author	Robert Cormier
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Young adult literature
Publisher	Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date	1974
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	263 pp
ISBN	ISBN 0394828054
Followed by	Beyond The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War is a young adult novel written by American author Robert Cormier and first published in 1974. It was adapted into a film in 1988. Although it received mixed reviews at the time of its publication, it has since been identified as one of the best young adult novels of all time.^[1] Set at the fictional Trinity High School, the story follows protagonist Jerry Renault as he challenges the school's cruel, brutal, and ugly mob rule. Because of the novel's language, the concept of a high school's secret society using intimidation to enforce the cultural norms of the school, and the protagonist's sexual ponderings, it has been the frequent target of censors and appears at number four on the American Library Association's list of the "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000". ^[2]

[edit] Plot

High school freshman Jerry Renault's mother has recently died. The novel opens with him try out for the football team, a scene in which he is continually battered but keeps getting up and trying again. His prep school, Trinity, is effectively run by "the Vigils," a secret school society who keep the other students under control by giving cruel "assignments." The novel alternates among several points of view, including Jerry; Archie, the Vigil "assigner"; Obie, Archie's sidekick and the Vigil's secretary; and other Trinity students. The novel explores Jerry's loneliness and sexual frustration, and Jerry frequently ponders the quotation posted inside his locker: "Do I dare disturb the universe?" from T. S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock".

Brother Leon, the assistant headmaster of the school, is striving to be headmaster, and currently is due to the fact that the headmaster is sick in the hospital. He believes that if he gets the students to sell twice as many boxes of chocolates at twice the price during their annual chocolate sale, the funds raised will aid the school. To motivate the students, he asks Archie (and by extension, the Vigils) for their help. The Vigils promise to support the chocolate sale, but give Jerry an assignment to refuse to sell chocolates during the first ten days of the sale and then take the chocolates afterwards. Even after the ten days are past, Jerry still refuses, angering Brother Leon and the Vigils. His continued refusal initially results in his being seen as a hero of sorts, but when The Vigils retaliate by rallying behind the chocolate sale Jerry is reduced to the villain, becoming the victim of harassment and violence. In the end, the Vigils con Jerry into participating in a 'boxing match' with school thug and bully, Emile Janza, in which he is completely beaten. Jerry is severely injured and tells Roland Goubert, (nicknamed, The Goober), his only real friend, to do whatever The Vigils say, regardless of whether or not you want to. The book ends with Obie confronting Archie for his cruel actions, and telling him that someday, he will regret what he has done, but Archie barely listens, having no remorse for what has happened.^[3]

[edit] Film adaptation

The book inspired the critically-acclaimed 1988 film of the same name, directed by Keith Gordon. It starred John Glover, Wallace Langham, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Jenny Wright.

[edit] References