There are several differences between Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War and its movie adaptation by Keith Gordon however there is as many, if not more, similarities. Both the book and the film follow the major theme of disturbing the universe, which is essentially what Jerry does throughout the plot. The term “disturbing” is to interfere with the normal arrangement or functioning of something. In a literal sense, the term “universe” is a world in which something exists or prevails, but in a figurative sense it could be, threw the novel, interpreted in three different ways. Keith Gordon’s revamping of The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier respects the theme of disturbing the universe. Both adaptations show the disturbance of Trinity’s universe, Jerry’s private universe and his family universe. …show more content…
More precisely, he disturbs the universe of Trinity. “No. I'm not going to sell the chocolates.” (Cormier, pg. 00) This part of the book is followed to the letter in the film adaptation mainly because the entirety of the plot is based on Jerry refusing the chocolate sale. After hearing his name called, he refuses to accept and sell the chocolates unlike every other student at Trinity and in doing so he sways the balance of power off of the Vigils and Brother Leon and onto himself. Afterwards, they cannot urge him, no matter how much he is intimidated and even disciplined, to do what they want. Part of their power has been taken away by Jerry’s actions. This pushes them to do things they would not generally do. The normal arrangement and functioning of Trinity has essentially been interfered with and