Robert Cormier Essays

The classic novel, "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier, begins with the novel's main protagonist, Jerry Renault, playing at a school football game. During the game, an unknown assailant attacks him with something violently. He is briefly injured from his fall. He proceeds to get up after he has recovered, but he is attacked several more times. After the game, he proceeds to the bathroom, which his injuries make him vomit. Later in the novel, Jerry's school is preparing to do its annual chocolate

In The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, Jerry Renault, a teenage boy, refuses to sell chocolate. At Trinity high school there’s a group of students who are known as the Vigils. These kids are the ones assigning other students to do bad things. Each assignment that is being given is different. To begin with, Trinity high school does a fundraiser each year. For this year’s fundraiser each kid at Trinity is to sell chocolates. The leader of the Vigils is a guy by the name of Archie. He assigns a freshman

happened to a boy named Robert Cormier. He had a very rough life and this is one of the many examples of that. He eventually beat his challenges and he had a very successful writing career. On January 19, 1925, in Leominster, Massachusetts, Robert Cormier was born. His dad, Lucien Joseph Cormier, who was a factory worker and was married to Irma Margaret Cormier. One of his challenges was that his family didn’t have a lot of money since they had to raise eight children, including Robert. Also, he lived during

too. It’s a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don’t disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say.” (Cormier 259) This statement made by Jerry to Goober at the end of The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier sums up Jerry’s experience in not conforming to the expectations of his school and his peer group. It is easier to follow the crowd than to stand up for what you believe in. Robert Cormier uses Jerry’s experience in refusing to conform and participate in his school’s chocolate sale to highlight

guilty, and no matter what you say you will be found guilty. You must comply, the students, the headmaster, everyone is on my side, and I will stop at nothing to make you comply. From Mr. Trent to Harry Flowers, Mr. Hairston to Archie Costello, Robert Cormier makes strong use of psychological manipulators to drive some of his main characters close to or past a point of breaking that often give his writings their dark tones. The issue of manipulation is a keystone of the relationship between Harry Flowers

One Theme of the novel “The Chocolate War” by Robert Cormier is to always stand up for yourself. In the passage, Jerry Renault refuses to sell the chocolates and his freedom even though the entire school is. When the Vigils hear that he has not followed his assignment, they plan revenge. They tell Jerry that he must take the chocolates, and that they are letting him off easy. The next day, Jerry again refuses to sell the chocolates even though the Vigils told him to take them. He knows what

Robert Cormier explores the unavoidable ideas of reputation, manipulation, power and violence through his captivating teenage novel “The Chocolate War.” These four components of the novel are deeply analyzed and scrutinized through the protagonist and antagonist in order to leave the reader thinking about their lives and the world around them. Cormier uses the idea of reputation throughout his novel to highlight both the emotion of which the protagonist, Jerry endured whilst he contemplated “disturbing

The short story “ The Moustache,” by Robert Cormier, involves an young man by the name of Mike. When he goes to visit his grandmother, who is in a nursing home, she mistakes him for her husband. Her husband was also named Mike. He learns that adulthood has more to it than it seems. This story teaches that you should enjoy your youth. The vivid details show how much Mike’s grandmother remembers and how the bad memories are damaging her internally. In the scene “,I wanted to say, ‘Nana,

With a title like The Chocolate War you would think it is nothing more than a feisty Willy Wonka fan-fiction, but this book has more caused controversy than you would believe. Published in 1974 by Robert Cormier, the book has received praise from many critics and has won several awards. What was supposed be seen as an innocent tale about a young boy being a leader of a cult has been challenged by several schools and has been officially added to the American Library Association's list of banned books

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

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

the halls. Robert Cormier uses both a student and teachers point of view to create a powerful novel that involves both the abuse of power and evil within. Looking back on the events of his son’s and his life, Robert Cormier not only shows the battle of power and evil, but also how the 1970s and 1980s impacted his life the most in The Chocolate War. Understanding a little about Robert Cormier will help understand how he came to be as a writer and how it influenced his novel. Cormier

their hands. 10) The main setting of Robert Cormier's novel The Chocolate War, published in 1974, is Trinity High school, an all-boys high school. The story is set in the time span to capture Jerry’s start of his Freshman year in high school, to the end of it. The author decides to use a straight line approach to the time, as he switches between different point of view to give a more descriptive narrative. With this straightforward manner, Cormier adds emphasis to Jerry Renault’s characterization

In both “The Chocolate War” and “DNA” the bullies are presented as mischievous and threatening characters throughout. In the play “DNA” we have a psychotic gang leader called Phil who dictates to the rest of the gang members with his iron fist. However in “The Chocolate war”, we have Archie Costello who rules through manipulation and the tradition of the vigils and the box of marbles. Both “The Chocolate War” and “DNA” contain other supporting bullies and victims, for example in “DNA” we have Cathy

and a Dream III” by J. Cole and the short story “The Moustache” by Robert Cormier. Through both texts there is a similar theme, as well as a similar analysis strategy. The common analysis strategy through the texts is conflicts with themselves or with others. J. Cole emphasises this theme by summoning memories of a conflict he had with himself in the past and how he had a dream, but not enough money. On the other side, Robert Cormier emphasizes the theme through Mike 's grandmothers conflict with her

Stephen King’s Cujo is definitely not a book for all ages, but it is appropriate for students in high school. By the time you get to high school, you’ve already been exposed to foul language and violence. Reading this as a 10th grader, I had no challenge in reading the book, it was a fairly easy read and did not take very long to read. Swearing is used frequently throughout the novel, maybe even excessively in some scenes. In particular, almost every time Gary Pervier speaks he swears. Within his

Risky Robert It is 1974 and a middle aged man finally has accomplished his life goals. He has written a massive success story, but is immediately met with backlash with threats to get the book taken away completely. He could have easily complied to all demands from the critics, but he takes the risk of a lifetime that could put his whole career at risk. This is the exact risk that Robert Cormier took which dignified his position as a legendary author. His novels through the mid to late 1900s made

Effects in the Past for The Mustache “The Mustache” a short story by Robert Cormier. Tells the story of a kid named Mike has a nana who is sick in the nursing home. When he goes to visit her, she thinks he is her dead husband. She tells mike, who she thinks is her husband, that she is sorry for something she was wrong about. One theme from “The Mustache” by Robert Cormier is that things in the past affect you for a long time. In the beginning of the story Mike's mom tells how

The Chocolate War: Bad guy wins Many stories have been told time and time again, and of those stories the good guy usually wins; but the chocolate war doesn’t play by normal rules of storytelling. Throughout the novel, we see Jerry put up with so much crap. We see him stand up for himself. We see him do what he wants. We see him make his own way and follow it. Naturally, we’d expect him to win in in the end. Well he doesn’t, he gets his ass handed to him and his face smashed to a pulp by Emile Janza

the rich and the poor, dark and light, love and hate….these opposites seem to coexist in our world peacefully, never veering off the path life has made for them. They say opposites attract, but how do they attract within us? The book Heroes by Robert Cormier contains the recurring theme of love and hate, making the story more emotional and complex as it develops. Events throughout the story help to contribute to this theme and emphasize the importance of it. The “love triangle” occurring between