Adapted from robert cormiers controversial novel the most widely banned book in america this sardonic comedydrama l. Society at the heart of robert cormiers the chocolate war is the struggle between trinity freshman jerry renault and the rest of the student body of his elite boys school. A 15yearold fan of his said, you always write from inside the person. Freshman jerry renault is trying to make his way at trinity high, a boys prep school run by two despots. First published in 1974, it was adapted into a film in 1988. The book the chocolate war has antifeminist themes in it because the author does not include many females in the text. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Jerry was trying to get the ball to his receiver, the goober, but not having any. The intensity of emotion will challenge readers to form opinions and engage. After suffering rejection from seven major publishers. The universe here is the world created by school and the vigilsthe seemingly natural order of things. A new student must submit to the bizarre rituals of his peers and the expectations of the schools administration by selling chocolates. Robert cormiers brilliant novel the chocolate war is a compelling comingofage story about young people in conflict at a new england prep school. The chocolate war 1988 the chocolate war 1988 user.
A surreal portrait of a catholic private school and its hierarchy. Without the vigils, trinity might have been torn apart like other. The chocolate war themes resistance to pack mentality one of the easiest themes to discern in the chocolate war, if only because the vigils create such an exaggerated environment, is resistance to a pack mentality. An analysis of the theme of power in the chocolate war, a. There are two violent scenes, and rebellion is a major theme, but i like it it gives you a chance to think. Cormiers the chocolate war is a classic comingofage story. The chocolate war looks at how violence, authority, and speech are used to manipulate the students of trinity into doing things they dont want to do. Free download or read online the chocolate war pdf epub book.
The chocolate war by robert cormier, read by frank muller by. The audio is a 5 12 hours and was perfect with my current crazy schedule. Get an answer for what does the title the chocolate war mean. Blackmail, extortion, psychological games, physical punishment these are part of the curriculum at this school. Jerry renault begins the book as a follower, trying to fit in at trinity high school, even if it means being someone he is not.
Beyond chocolate war by cormier, robert and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Archie is the most feared person at trinity, and it is everyones fear of him that keeps him powerful. Find what you need to know as trent lorcher lays out the sketch for the book in terms of the various literary devices. All of these themes are evident in his young adult classic and bestknown book, the chocolate war. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. The chocolate waris a rather tightly focused novel with a set of themes that are closely related and interwoven. The chocolate war was the most challenged fictional book in 1998. Starring ilan mitchellsmith, john glover, wallace langham, doug hutchinson, brent fraser, corey gunnestad, jenny wright, adam baldwin, bud cort. It is under perpetual attack because of cormiers negative portrayal of human nature, and because the ending appears hopeless. The chocolate war is a young adult novel by american author robert cormier. The chocolate war study guide contains a biography of robert cormier, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The chocolate war themes resistance to pack mentality one of the easiest themes to discern in the chocolate war, if only because the vigils create such an exaggerated environment, is. Herald examiner explores the cruelty and betrayal of adolesence.
The chocolate war centers around a boy who risks social acceptance in order to be himself. This theme can be seen in the chocolate war when brother leon coerces the boys into selling chocolates the chocolate war to cover up his mistakes. The first edition of the novel was published in 1974, and was written by robert cormier. The chocolate war themesmajor thememinor themes robert. No matter how small the issue may seem, never let anyone tell you what you should think. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Even when everyone is telling you that you should go with the crowd. The book chocolate war, by robert cormier, had many forms of power. This incredibly delicious chocolate war analysis contains a brief plot summary, an examination of themes in the novel, a look at symbols in the novel, and a glance at setting, mood, and conflict.
May 03, 2007 adapted from robert cormiers controversial novel the most widely banned book in america this sardonic comedydrama l. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the chocolate war and what it means. Jerry had thought of a girl this way when the text reads, he turned over dismissing his doubts. The chocolate war is a novel by robert cormier that was first published in 1974. The most popular of cormiers novels for young adults, and the one with which he is most identified, the chocolate war is a book that incites extreme opinions in most of its readers. Online study guide the chocolate war by robert cormier themes theme analysis the destructive potential of unchecked authority.
Narrated by frank muller the book read well and kept me engaged. Vicious and violent mob cruelty in a boys prep school is not a new theme but cormier makes it compellingly immediate in this novel of trinity high, a boys day school with the close, concentrated, selfcontained atmosphere of a boarding school, temporarily headed by the venomous, manipulating brother leon and unofficially run by powerobsessed senior archie costello, the ingeniously audacious. The major theme of this novel is that authority, when unchecked, can be very destructive. The chocolate war themes from litcharts the creators of. Although masterfully structured and rich in theme, the chocolate war was the most challenged book of fiction in 1998. The book chocolate war is not only a book about good and evil but it deals a lot with power struggle among the groups. Its brilliantly written and examines some serious moral problems that are very ageappropriate and relevant for teens. The following introduction to the chocolate war was written by robert cormier in 1997.
With john glover, ilan mitchellsmith, wallace langham, doug hutchison. The theme of power in the book the chocolate war uploaded by spootyhead on mar 08, 2007. Students will discuss the significance of cormiers fight in relation to our theme of disturbing the universe. Archie spins the war so that jerry must be hunted down and eradicated. According to the new york times, this novel is masterfully structured and rich in theme, a compelling combination of lord of the flies and a separate peace. Throughout the novel, there is destruction, violence, manipulation, deceit, peer pressure, cursing, masturbation, and stealing. Robert cormiers the chocolate war, for example, is often regarded as one of the best young adult books ever written, but for me, the chocolate war is a homophobic and misogynistic book, set in 1970s in allboys catholic high schoolwhich.
Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the chocolate war, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. After suffering rejection from seven major publishers, the chocolate war made its debut in 1974, and quickly became a bestsellingand provocativeclassic for young adults. Parents need to know that the chocolate war remains one of the best books for teens when it comes to examining moral issues. The richly drawn characterizations and crackling dialogue keep the intriguing action moving from beginning to end. The chocolate war by cormier, first edition abebooks. Johnson beyond the chocolate war by robert cormier. Student life is quietly but firmly dominated by a secret club that calls itself the vigils particularly by archie costello, the sadistic assigner who comes up with tasks and pranks for boys both inside and outside the club to perform. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion on the chocolate war by robert cormier. Despite the efforts of brother jacques and the black box, both archie. See a complete list of the characters in the chocolate war and indepth analyses of jerry renault, archie costello, brother leon, and obie. Theme is the main or central idea that the author wants to portray to the reader. The chocolate war quotes showing of 30 he hated to think of his own life stretching ahead of him that way, a long succession of days and nights that were fine not good, not bad, not great, not lousy, not exciting, not anything. In the exposition of the chocolate war, jerry renault, the freshman quarterback, was receiving constant blows from opposing players. The theme of power in the book the chocolate war power good or bad.
The new york times wrote, the chocolate war is masterfully structured and rich in theme. The united states became involved in the war in 1955 and stayed in until 1973. The chocolate war is a story told laconically, in very short scenes and chapters, with brief dialogues and few descriptive passages. Jerry renault is a freshman at the new england private school of trinity high. The chocolate war by robert cormier, paperback barnes. Cormier is most famous for this novel and another called i am the cheese. Robert cormier 19252000 changed the face of young adult literature over the course of his illustrious career.
The the chocolate war quotes below are all either spoken by brother leon or refer to brother leon. Instead, it rockets your expectation high, and it hurts when your expectation fails you. And then the universe fights back to preserve itself. All is fair in love an war asked in charlie and the chocolate factory what is the theme of charlie and the chocolate factory. How could a school condone an organization like the vigils.
The main characters of this young adult, fiction story are jerry renault, obie. The chocolate war is the portrayal of a dystopian type world where you just need to fall in line with what you are told to do think pink floyd, the wall video. Jul, 2004 after suffering rejection from seven major publishers, the chocolate war made its debut in 1974, and quickly became a bestsellingand provocativeclassic for young adults. The majority of critics either find the book offensive or excellent very few are lukewarm about its value. Throughout the novel, the action of the story is punctuated by athletic or violent physical activity. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 267 pages and is available in paperback format. The hero of the chocolate war, jerry renault, makes a symbolic stand against the bad educational practices at trinity by saying no to selling chocolates for the school. A summary of themes in robert cormiers the chocolate war. This book takes a hard look at how language can be used to manipulate. The chocolate war tells the story of jerry renault, a freshman at trinity, an allboys catholic high school. Fear is a very powerful thing and serves as motivation for nearly every action in the chocolate war.
The chocolate war by cormier, first edition abebooks passion for books. Brother leon spins the war so that jerry becomes a criminal that endangers the whole school. One of the most controversial ya novels of all time, the chocolate war is a modern masterpiece that speaks to fans of s. The chocolate war brent fraser, wallace langham, ilan mitchellsmith, doug hutchison, john glover duration.
Its primary setting is trinity high school where a secret society called the vigils exists. Hintons the outsiders and john knowless a separate peace. According to an online source about literary elements, characterization is used to help create a characters identity. Cormiers message in the the chocolate war is that of survival. He suffers a lot for doing this, and the lesson he learns at the end of the book may not be the warm, fuzzy thing you might expect. Stream the chocolate war by robert cormier, read by frank muller by prh audio from desktop or your mobile device. The chocolate war was written and published in 1974 by american author robert cormier 19252000.
The school allowed it to function by ignoring it completely, pretending it wasnt there. Jerry understands this and knows that if he stands up to archie then he is challenging archies power. Many americans believed the government was sacrificing their sons for its own agenda. The vigils possessed power over jerry, goober, brother leon, the chocolate sale, a. The character of brother leon in the chocolate war from. Specific challenges were raised concerning sexual content, offensive language, and violence. Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of.
The chocolate war is a good book, but read it with caution, especially if you have a problem with profanity. We first encounter the main character, jerry, in the midst of football practice at the allboys catholic trinity high school in the fictional town of monument, massachusetts. But it was there, all right, archie thought bitterly. Brent david fraser, sacramental life church steward 10,062 views. The vigils possessed power over jerry, goober, brother leon, the chocolate sale, and the school. His many books include the chocolate war, i am the cheese, fade, tenderness, after the first death, heroes, frenchtown summer, and the rag and bone shop. The chocolate war is a young adult novel by robert comier. The chocolate war theme analysisquotesquotations by. This incredibly delicious chocolate war analysis contains a brief plot summary, an examination of themes in the novel, a look at symbols in the novel, and a. The chocolate war is a popular young adult book by robert cormier and it is about how a young teenage boy named jerry renault refuses to sell chocolates at his school, trinity and how he faces some hardships from brother leon and the vigils because of his defiance. The vigils are strong enough to impact that natural order, and a large part of their power grows from the fact that what they say goes. The chocolate war involves both psychological and physical warfare.
The chocolate war is one of the most censored books in america. The chocolate war by robert cormier overdrive rakuten. Theme the theme of the chocolate war is that everyone should stand up for what they beleive in, no matter what. The chocolate war free chapter summary analysis themes major theme the destructive potential of unchecked authority. The chocolate war theme analysisquotesquotations by robert. If youve never read the book, you can effectively ignore all criticism, because the chocolate war is arguably one of the finest films to explore the dark underbelly of teenage cruelty, manipulation and the childhood induction of the mob mentality and a superb directorial debut for keith. The chocolate war was written during weekday evening hours and saturday mornings in parts of 1969, 1970, and 1971 while i was working fulltime as a newspaper editor and columnist. After suffering rejection from seven major publishers, the chocolate war made its debut in 1974, and quickly became a bestsellingand provocativeclassic. The main conflict and themes of the chocolate war by. Themes in the chocolate war a novels theme is the underlying message or meaning of a literary work. The chocolate war is an unrelentingly bleak account of life in a catholic boys school, from its opening line they murdered him. The theme of power in the book the chocolate war the theme of power in the book the chocolate war power good or bad. Brother leon, the acting headmaster, and archie costello, the leader of a secret student society called the vigils.
Jerry renault begins the book as a follower, trying to fit in at trinity. Discuss the objections to the book, and think about how cormier disturbed the universe by writing the novel. Cormier creates a metaphor for a government in this novel. Chocolate war author battles effort to ban book students will read the article above about robert cormiers fight to keep the chocolate war off the banned books list. Stunned by his mothers recent death and appalled by the way his father sleepwalks through life. This study guide consists of approximately 28 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the chocolate war. Need help on themes in robert cormiers the chocolate war. When jerry comes on the scene and at first is bullied into not selling the chocolates like everyone else and then decided to not sell at all things get pretty crazy in this book. The chocolate war, which deals with themes and motifs of violence, power, and masculinityas well as coercion, groupthink, and societal oppressionis kin to several other works of young adult fiction that provide young people with a lens through which they can view and consider such big, frightening issues. Essentially, this is what jerry does throughout the book. If so, youll probably relate to whats going on in the chocolate war. This chilling portrait of an allboys prep school casts an unflinching eye on the pitfalls of conformity and corruption in our most elite cultural institutions.
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