The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War was written by American author Robert Cormier and first published in 1974. It is a serious novel for young adults, particularly boys.

The protagonist, Jerry Renault, is undone by a group of bullies, in a sometimes fantastic, yet realistic and rather brutal tragedy. Cormier's book is unique because is revolves around an incident of bullying. The story is gritty, makes no stereotypes, and is morally challenging for even an adult reader.

Jerry's mother is recently deceased, and the novel describes his loneliness and sexual frustration, which leads him to ponder the phrase, "Dare I disturb the Universe." Cormier does not however, believe Jerry is the agent of his own undoing. When Jerry provokes his school's secret society, "the Vigils," by bucking the school's traditional chocolate sale, the ensuing torment, coupled with the apathy of teachers, reveals for the reader an unflattering side of humanity. Jerry is neither made out to be a heroic or a moral person, His character is above all realistic, a normal boy, who becomes a tragic hero in the circumstances. Unlike Lord of the Flies, it is not human nature, but human culture which the author vilifies.

The Chocolate War, together with the sequel Beyond the Chocolate Wars, and I Am the Cheese, have been referred to as a "trilogy" by critics, since their frank treatment of good and evil, in the framework of the young adult novel, established Cormier's reputation as an author.