Ralph Waldo Emerson quote relevance to The Chocolate War The quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment,” relates to the central theme of The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier in many ways. One major theme of The Chocolate War is to be yourself no matter what other people think. Jerry spoke his mind about not selling the chocolates like everybody else. Jerry did not do this because he wanted attention, he did it because he wanted to say no to the system at Trinity. He was being himself in a world that was trying change him and make him something he is ultimately not. Emerson’s quote has a major relevance to The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier because of the many things Jerry Renault says and his act completing the greatest accomplishment of being yourself.
Emerson’s quote “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment” has a very important message. Emerson is trying to convey the message of self-acceptance. He is saying that being yourself is a greater achievement in your life than anything else because
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One section is when Jerry thinks, “They tell you to do your thing but they don’t mean it. They don’t want you to do your thing not unless it happens to be their thing, too” (Cormier 259). Jerry thinks about saying this to Goober when he found him after he is knocked out from the boxing match. Jerry is trying to admonish Goober that the Vigils will manipulate people into believing that they can do whatever they want, but actually they only want people to do what they say, and what they like. This quote from the novel works in many situations. Jerry followed Emerson’s quote very heavily. He wanted to be himself and do his own thing, which he did. He told Goober this because there are people in the world that will try to make you not be