''The Chocolate War'' is a 1974
young adult
A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...
novel by American author
Robert Cormier
Robert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925 – November 2, 2000) was an American author and journalist, known for his deeply pessimistic novels, many of which were written for young adults. Recurring themes include abuse, mental illness, violence, ...
. It was adapted into a film in 1988. Although it received mixed reviews at the time of its publication, some reviewers have argued it is one of the best young adult novels of all time. Set at a fictional Catholic high school, the story depicts a secret student organization's manipulation of the student body, which descends into cruel and ugly mob mentality against a lone, non-conforming student. Because of the novel's language, the concept of a high school
secret society
A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence a ...
using intimidation to enforce the cultural norms of the school and various characters' sexual ponderings, it has been embroiled in censorship controversies and appeared as third on the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
's list of the Top 100 Banned/
Challenged Books in 2000–2009. A sequel was published in 1985 called ''
Beyond the Chocolate War''.
Plot
Jerry is a freshman attending an all-boys Catholic high school called Trinity while coping with depressive feelings and existential questions that stem largely from his mother's recent death and his father's enduring grief. Jerry quickly is recruited onto Trinity's football team, where he meets Roland "The Goober" Goubert, a fellow freshman and instant friend.
Vice-principal Brother Leon has recently become acting headmaster and overextends his rising ambition by committing Trinity to selling double the previous year's amount of chocolates during an annual fundraising event, quietly enlisting the support of Archie Costello, the genesis and leader behind The Vigils: the school's cruelly manipulative
secret society
A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence a ...
of student pranksters.
Archie arrogantly plans to alternate between betraying and supporting Leon in a frenzied series of
power plays. His first "assignment" is to incite Jerry to refuse to sell any chocolate for 10 days. However, Jerry, inspired after reading a quotation inside his locker: "Do I dare disturb the universe?" from
T. S. Eliot's "
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", commonly known as "Prufrock", is the first professionally published poem by American-born British poet T. S. Eliot (1888–1965). Eliot began writing "Prufrock" in February 1910, and it was first publishe ...
," feels strangely determined to sell nothing even after the ten days have passed, thus estranging himself from both Leon and The Vigils.
At first, Jerry's refusal to cooperate with the corrupt school culture and fundraiser is seen by many classmates as heroic, but the gesture threatens Brother Leon and The Vigils' ability to coerce the student population. Leon presses Archie to put The Vigils' full force behind the chocolate sales, so they set up Jerry as an enemy for the rest of the student body to harass through bullying, prank calls, and vandalism. Only The Goober remains Jerry's friend but does little to protect him. Ultimately, Archie enlists the school bully Emile Janza to beat up Jerry just outside the school, but, even in the aftermath, Jerry maintains his defiant nonconformity.
Finally, Archie concocts a showdown: a boxing match at night between Jerry and Emile. On the football field, the match is watched by all students, who can select which blows will be laid during the fight through a randomized lottery system; however, the fight ends when a teacher shuts down the electrical power on the field, and Jerry is brutally injured in the ensuing darkness. Half-conscious, he tells The Goober that there was no way to win and he should have just complied, conceding that it is best, after all, ''not'' to "disturb the universe." Though Archie is apprehended as the mastermind of the fight, Brother Leon intervenes on his behalf and privately praises his efforts in the unprecedented success of the chocolate sales. Leon implies that next year, if he is officially made the new headmaster, he will work to preserve Archie's power.
Critical reception
The book was well-received by critics. ''The New York Times'' wrote "''The Chocolate War'' is masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful; complex ideas develop and unfold with clarity."
Children's Book Review Service wrote "Robert Cormier has written a brilliant novel."
Cormier explained in an interview that he was "interested in creating real people, dramatic situations that will keep the reader turning pages."
He went on to say that although some adults dislike the book because of the topics discussed, "the kids can absorb my kind of book because they know this kind of thing happens in life."
[
The ''New York Times Book Review'' declared "Mr. Cormier is almost unique in his powerful integration of the personal, political and moral" and ''The Australian'' wrote that young readers "recognised his vision as authentic and admired his willingness to tell things as they are". However, the book has been banned from many schools and it was one of the more challenged books of 2006, for its sexual content, strong language, and violence.
Reviewers compared the book to '']A Separate Peace
''A Separate Peace'' is a coming-of-age novel by John Knowles, published in 1958. Based on his earlier short story "Phineas", published in the May 1956 issue of ''Cosmopolitan'', it was Knowles's first published novel and became his best-know ...
'' and ''Lord of the Flies
''Lord of the Flies'' is a 1954 novel by the Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves. Themes i ...
''.
Reception
Awards
''The Chocolate War'' has received the following accolades:
* 1974 School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...
Best Books of the Year
* 1974 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
The American Library Association's Best Fiction for Young Adults, previously known as Best Books for Young Adults (1966–2010), is a recommendation list of books presented yearly by the YALSA division (Young Adult Library Services Association
Th ...
* 1974 New York Times Notable Books of the Year
''The New York Times Book Review'' (''NYTBR'') is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times'' in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. It is one of the most influential and widely rea ...
*1979 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
*1991 Margaret A. Edwards Award
Challenges
According to the American Library Association, ''The Chocolate War'' has frequently been banned and challenged in the United States over concerns about the book's sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint and violence. The book landed on the list of the top ten most banned and challenged books in 2001 (3), 2002 (3), 2004 (1), 2005 (4), 2006 (10), 2007 (2), and 2009 (10). as well as the top 100 books from 2000 to 2009 (3). When the book reached the number one spot in 2004, it marked the first time in five years in which the Harry Potter series did not top the list.
Film adaptation
''The Chocolate War'' inspired the 1988 film of the same name, directed by Keith Gordon
Keith Gordon (born February 3, 1961) is an American actor and film director.
Early life
Gordon was born in New York City, the son of Mark, an actor and stage director, and Barbara Gordon. He grew up in an atheist Jewish family. Gordon was insp ...
. It starred John Glover, Wallace Langham
James Wallace Langham II (born March 11, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the role of Phil the Head Writer on ''The Larry Sanders Show''. He has also played the roles of David Hodges on the crime drama television series '' ...
, Ilan Mitchell-Smith
Ilan Mitchell-Smith (born June 29, 1969) is an American academic and former actor, best known as a co-star of the film '' Weird Science'' (1985).
Acting career
Mitchell-Smith's very first passion was ballet. He studied as a child and even won a s ...
, Jenny Wright
Jennifer G. Wright (born March 23, 1962) is an American former actress who made her film debut portraying the role of Cushie in the comedy-drama ''The World According to Garp'' in 1982. That same year she made an appearance in the live-action/anim ...
, Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin (born February 27, 1962) is an American actor. He starred in '' Full Metal Jacket'' (1987) as Animal Mother, as well as in the television series ''Firefly
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 ...
, and Corey Gunnestad.
References
External links
"The Chocolate War" on Google Books
Robert Cormier's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chocolate War,
1974 American novels
Novels by Robert Cormier
American young adult novels
American novels adapted into films
Novels about boxing
Novels about bullying
Novels set in high schools and secondary schools
Pantheon Books books
1974 children's books
Children's books set in schools
Children's books about bullying