meanbeast's Full Review: Robert Cormier - The Chocolate War
My first encounter with The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, was a few years ago, when my brother was assigned to read it for school. I had remember hearing something about a bit of a controversy surrounding it, some parents wanting to ban it (sigh). Ironically, as I passed through, the book was mysteriously dropped from the curriculum. After seeing it in a bookstore recently, I became curious as to what was so bad about it. Upon finishing it, I can see why it was pulled.
Quick lil plot summary
Jerry Renault is a freshman at Trinity, a Catholic prep school. He made the football team, found some friends, and seems to be off to a great start—until he receives a summons from the secret group The Vigils. Led by Archie Costello, The Vigils run the school and no one defies them. No one. Jerry’s assignment: Trinity is beginning its annual chocolate sale fundraiser, and Jerry must refuse to sell for ten days. Soon, Jerry’s act tears apart the school—morale for the sale drops, and the evil Brother Leon grows more in debt and more desperate. To make things worse, after the ten days are up, Jerry continues to refuse the chocolates, forcing Brother Leon to enlist The Vigils’ help to sell the chocolates.
So The Vigils are helping.. what’s so bad about that?
That’s like the principal letting the bullies run the school. Brother Leon will do anything to sell those chocolates, and that means turning a blind eye to everything Archie does, including violence. The whole mood of the book is a very dark and somber one, starting with the opening line “They murdered him.”
Well.. there’s a happy ending.. right?
Hah. That’s the scary part of the story. Without giving away the ending, I’ll say that Archie wins—and gets in no trouble—while Jerry ends up lying on the ground, bleeding with broken bones. In fact, throughout the whole story, Archie sees no consequences for his actions. Is that a good message?
What about parents? Or teachers?
Nonexistent in the story. Jerry’s mother is dead, while his father is constantly working. He’s only in the story to prevent Jerry from being an orphan. Likewise, most of the teachers in the school are absent from the book, although the ones that are seem downright corrupt. And the fact that the school is Catholic makes absolutely no difference—religious morals play no part in the story. It’s basically kid vs kid.
Are there any good messages?
There is a bit of a theme about not conforming, however I’m wondering how effective it is. Basically, Jerry stands up and “disturbs the universe” and what does it get him? Broken bones. If anything, this book would scare people into going with the crowd, as to not end up like Jerry.
Offensiveness?
There is virtually no swearing in the book, and no sex either. The only “offensive” topic dealt with is masturbation, but face it—if your kid is reading this book, he/she will already know about it. Besides that, there are a few fist fights, including a boxing match at the end. No guns or anything horrible like that.
If I want more of this?
There was a movie version of The Chocolate War, and there is a sequel, called Beyond the Chocolate War, but I haven’t read it, so I can’t give any info there. Robert Cormier is also the author of numerous other books, so check those out if you like his style.
All in All
While I question the morals in The Chocolate War, I still recommend it for seventh-ninth graders. It is of decent length (236 pages), but it is a very quick read. Those sensitive to violence probably should skip it.
The Chocolate War
Robert Cormier
ISBN 0-440-94459-7
Reissued now in hardcover with a new introduction by the author, Cormier s chilling look at the insidious world of gang intimidation and the abuse of ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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