Contents Introduction Chronology

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Chapter 1: Background on Robert Cormier 1. The Life of Robert Cormier Sylvia Patterson Iskander

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Robert Cormier’s young-adult books are controversial for their serious subject matter and pessimism. Cormier says his pessimism is an antidote to the artificial world of television.

2. The Chocolate War Was Inspired by an Event in Cormier’s Life Robert Cormier, Interviewed by John Cohen

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The genesis of The Chocolate War was a real-life incident in Robert Cormier’s family when his own son refused to sell chocolate for his school fund-raiser.

3. Robert Cormier Wrote The Chocolate War from His Emotions Robert Cormier, Interviewed by Geraldine DeLuca and Roni Natov

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Robert Cormier says he began writing for young people because he was attracted by the emotional drama of the teenage years. When his son decided not to sell chocolate for his high school fund-raiser, Cormier freed his imagination to envision possible negative outcomes of that defiance, and The Chocolate War was the result.

4. Robert Cormier Explains His Pessimism Robert Cormier

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Cormier explains why he can be a man who delights in happy endings but also writes books that end on a note of darkness.

Date: July 10, 2009

Comp Specialist: adarga

Edit session: 588

5. Cormier Broke New Ground with Honest, Realistic Young-Adult Fiction Patty Campbell

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Robert Cormier transformed young-adult literature. He tackled serious subjects with uncompromising honesty and brilliant writing.

Chapter 2: The Chocolate War and Peer Pressure 1. The Chocolate War Shows the Power of Peer Pressure in High School Joyce Moss and George Wilson

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The teenage years are a time when acceptance by one’s peer group seems exceedingly important. In The Chocolate War, Jerry takes an unpopular stand by refusing to sell chocolate for his school and suffers greatly for his actions.

2. The Chocolate War Incites Readers to Activism Sylvia Patterson Iskander

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The ending of The Chocolate War is unexpected—we assume that the hero who stands up against peer pressure will ultimately triumph. Jerry’s defeat, however, does not mean Cormier has written a novel about hopelessness; Cormier is showing the reader that activism is the way out of hopelessness.

3. The Chocolate War Is About Taking a Stand Against Evil Patty Campbell The Chocolate War is the story of one boy’s opposition to the forces of evil. Jerry is defeated, but he holds fast to his principles. His defeat was not inevitable—if he had support from at least one other person, he would have prevailed.

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4. The Chocolate War Is About Changing Male Roles in the 1960s and 1970s Yoshida Junko

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The Chocolate War is a quest novel with the protagonist, Jerry, seeking a new male identity in a turbulent era. By refusing to sell chocolate, Jerry is really rebelling against gender stereotypes.

5. The Chocolate War Breaks the Taboos of the Genre Anne Scott MacLeod

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Cormier is a maverick young-adult fiction writer in that his novels are more political than individually oriented. In The Chocolate War he explores the power of peer pressure to conform, and as a writer he himself does not conform to the dictates of the genre.

6. The Desire to Be Accepted Compels People to Conform David Rees

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Cormier’s major theme in The Chocolate War is that people have a desire to be accepted. This desire can be exploited by others for their own purposes.

7. The Chocolate War Is About the Misuse of Power Theodore Weesner

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The theme of The Chocolate War involves the use and misuse of power within society. Although the characters are two-dimensional, they are drawn accurately enough to make this a compelling story.

8. The Chocolate War Is Not Realistic Norma Bagnall

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It is not realistic to write about a world in which only evil is present. Cormier is a brilliant writer, but The Chocolate War is inappropriate for young people because of the author’s sense of hopelessness.

Date: July 10, 2009

Comp Specialist: adarga

Edit session: 590

9. The Chocolate War Is Realistic Betty Carter and Karen Harris

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The assessment of The Chocolate War as unrealistic and hopeless is inaccurate and unwarranted. The story is a metaphor for the nature of tyranny. Although no one came to Jerry’s defense, the ending was not inevitable.

10. The Chocolate War Is Too Brutal and Raw Fred Inglis

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The message of The Chocolate War is ultimately wrong, and the content is too bleak and gross for children. All institutions are not corrupt, and heroism is not a dead end.

11. The Message of The Chocolate War Is One of Despair Rebecca Lukens

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Violence begins and ends The Chocolate War. Jerry’s vicious beating ends the book on a note of despair: The world is evil, and it is futile to fight against corruption and evil.

Chapter 3: Contemporary Perspectives on Peer Pressure 1. More Laws Are Addressing Cyber-bullying Ashley Surdin

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The increase in cyber-bullying has led states to pass laws requiring school districts to develop policies to combat it. The issue is clouded by the desire of educators to respect the right to free speech, which they must balance with the need to protect their students against harassment.

2. Programs That Educate Prevent Bullying Gerri Hirshey The information age has broadened the domain of the school bully and increased the prevalence of bullying. Many programs are being developed to curb bullying. Among the successful programs is Names, a program sponsored and supervised by the Connecticut office of the Anti-Defamation League that focuses on exposing students to the differences between people and teaching them empathy.

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3. Bullying Is Often Motivated by Homophobia Jane Close Conoley

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Teens who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered are at special risk for bullying in high school. Additionally, teachers often do not intervene in episodes of bullying of teens who are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered.

4. The Desire to Fit In Can Be Lifelong Dolores T. Puterbaugh

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It is normal to want to fit in during the adolescent years; however, for many people, a desire to conform extends well beyond adolescence. Giving in to peer pressure in adulthood often takes the form of displaying or wearing a symbol to show support for a cause, instead of actually doing something for that cause.

For Further Discussion For Further Reading

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Bibliography Index

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Date: July 10, 2009

Comp Specialist: adarga

Edit session: 592