Tolog Review: The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War
by Robert Cormier 
reviewed by Francesca Legaspi 

Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War is a young-adult fictional novel, which focuses on the life and challenges faced by a teenage boy named Jerry Renault. Throughout the novel, Jerry struggles with emotional conflict it’s okats and constantly contemplates the true meaning of life and what his purpose in the world is after he is burdened with the grief of his mother’s death. The novel mostly takes place in Renault’s school, Trinity School, which is controlled by the deceptive, secret, and largely feared gang of students who call themselves “The Vigils.” The novel constantly shifts between the perspectives of multiple characters, which provides readers deeper insight into the personality and actions of each of the characters, allowing the reader to develop a stronger sense of the growing tensions and hardships faced by them as they attempt to conquer their internal and emotional conflicts as time progresses.

The narrative’s main plot revolves around Jerry Renault, who has the constant desire to challenge the ideas of fate, destiny, and the limitations of what he is capable of accomplishing in life. After grieving the heavy loss of his mother, he decides to experiment with the idea of fortune and live a life that pushes him in contrast to his current normal and uneventful everyday life. The Vigils are a rebellious and powerful gang that attempts to cause disorder within the school and disturb the regular everyday routine. As the school begins their traditional annual chocolate sale, Jerry chooses to defy refuses to sell chocolate in an attempt to oppose fate and chances by committing an act so rebellious and unconventional. As the novel shifts between the viewpoints and mindsets of each of the characters, the readers are able to the struggles and conflicts each character undergoes and how the annual chocolate sale affects each of them and sparks changes in their lives and attitudes. Through the progression of time, the reader becomes more aware of Jerry’s constant struggle in dealing with his emotions and personal problems, as well as the many obstacles preventing him from truly developing as a person, such as a dictatorial priest, Brother Leon, and the ever cunning and fearsome Archie Costello, better known as the powerful leader of the trouble making Vigils. Each has committed himself to ruin Renault’s life and make his miserable for their own personal reasons, and only adding on to the list of conflicts and burdens that Jerry is faced with in his life.

Cormier masterfully reveals the corruption of Jerry’s school system through numerous literary techniques. He satirizes the education system and emphasizes the theme of violence through Brother Leon’s tactic of attempting to instill fear in students and force them to conform when he used his teacher’s pointer, flicking it out at students,” as a means of punishment, even if they did not truly deserve it. In addition, he relates Jerry’s experience with Archie to the experiences of many modern teenagers as they struggle to find their true identity, as well as discover who is genuine and who is ingenuine in their lives. In describing Archie as someone who “could be a wise bastard one minute and a great one the next,” he relates the message that not everyone is genuine or true and that one should make careful decisions in choosing who they are influenced and advised by. Overall, after reading this novel, I was captivated by the plot and was interested in how Cormier allowed the reader to experience multiple sets of completely different perspectives, yet still deftly use these various accounts to add detail and suspense to each part of the story line. I found the story unpredictable and absolutely enthralling, though I would not recommend it for those who have trouble with an abundance of violence, as violence is one of the main themes of the book. I myself found this book to be exciting and I could not put it down once I had begun reading. Not only did I love the storyline, I could also relate to many of the lessons learned in the novel, and I most certainly recommend it to anyone who is interested!