Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War

Robert Cormier wrote The Chocolate War, inspired by his son who refused to sell chocolates in a school sale. The book was published in 1974 and garnered critical acclaim and notoriety. It was so reputable that a film adaptation of the novel followed in 1988. Although the movie was not as renowned as its literary counterpart, the two were destined for comparison as the author’s message was lost in the film adaptation of the novel. The book was more believable than its film adaptation because the movie’s alternate ending warped the main message, directorial choices changed the story’s credibility and its ending was illogical.

First and foremost, the film’s alternate ending warped the main message. To recapitulate, the protagonist was Jerry

In fact, it incited numerous instances of censorship on the novel. In 2004, this novel topped the list of the most challenged literary works of the year, according to the American Library Association:

"The book drew complaints from parents and others concerned about the book 's sexual content, offensive language, religious viewpoint and violence. (ALA 2005)"

This was the first year after which J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series was not in first place. The Chocolate War broke that winning streak because of its uncompromising content. Besides, there truly was "sexual content":

"(...) Archie had pulled open the door to one of the stalls and confronted Janza sitting there, pants dropping on the floor, one hand furiously at work between his legs." (Cormier 99)

The novel did, in fact, utilized "offensive language":

" ‘We might just make a quarterback out of you yet, you skinny little son of a bitch.’ " (Cormier 76)

And violence manifested in the following manner:

"Janza’s fist caught him at the temple, sending Jerry reeling. His stomach caved in as Jan’s fist sank into flesh. He clutched at his stomach protectively and his face absorbed two stunning blows - his left eye smashed, the pupils crushed. His body sang with pain." (Cormier