Conformity In The Chocolate War By Robert Cormier

Throughout the novel, Anthem, and a speech from Fountainhead, written by Ayn Rand, it expresses the argument between individualism vs collectivism. An individual is a person who has control of his or herself, while a collectivist is someone whose hard work benefits their society. Although, another ideology that Ayn Rand mentions in her literature is egoism, throughout her books the significant meaning of being an egoist is considered a good thing, but in our modern society today we consider it a trait reflected by a selfish person.

The poem “Invictus” by William E. Henley, and the novel Anthem by Ayn Rand, both have common themes that discuss the importance of individuality. Each of the themes that these works have to offer will be discussed throughout the paragraphs of this essay.

The concept of what is "individuality" and what is not has plagued and delighted man since the dawn of time. “All the Pretty Horses” by Cormac McCarthy adds 302 more pages to the pile of all the works that have been on the quest to define individualism. In this novel, McCarthy takes us through four faces of the key character’s life, John Grady, to portray the idea of illusory individualism. He contends that John Grady is simply a product of a society in contrast to his (Grady) notion of free will. Simply put: Grady has no alternatives but an obligation to conform to society. McCarthy uses him to create the platform in which to comment on oppression of individuality, expectation of conformity to the values of the society and the fact that

Can something so sweet like chocolate be the reason for someone's demise? The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier follows the story of a young boy named Jerry Renault not wanting to participate in his prestigious Catholic High School chocolate sale. However, this decision has dire consequences. This novel illustrates the theme of power and how it is used to psychologically manipulate and threaten the students of the school. Power and manipulation are explored throughout the book, from the characterisation of Brother Leon and Archie, to the conflict.

This ideal has been a staple of American life since the Revolutionary War. In fact, American authors often write novels about Katnisses or Trises fighting and even superseding corrupt governments and tyrants (Collins; Roth). However, these stories are often exaggerated and romanticized, yielding an inspirational, yet overdone plotline. Realistic writer Robert Cormier challenges this common theme by writing The Chocolate War, a story in which the protagonist isn’t necessarily a “good guy” and likewise does not “win”. In his novel The Chocolate War, Robert Cormier uses the cruelty of some characters and the indifference of others to show that it takes many

Jerry Renault in The Chocolate War appears to be “going with the flow”—trying out for football, checking out girls—but his inner character drives him to differ. He fights to grasp his feelings and lacks self-confidence when he needs it most. As Jerry begins to unearth his inner-self, other obstacles and ideas dealing with certain emotions arise. As he progresses and reaches a level of comprehension, he grows closer to his goal—a sense of self-rule.

Think about if the boys were the ones who had the tea parties, and the ladies were the ones who had the boxing matches- it doesn't make sense, right? In today’s society we see women as the gentle sex, the women are seen to be the ones who wear dresses, cook, and do “girly things”. On the other hand we see men as strong, hardworking, in control, and ready to fight. This comes into play in the book The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. In the book there are boys like Archie and Carter the leaders of the Vigils, who follow the male gender stereotypes, and are manipulative and use violence to show they have power and control. The author, Cormier shows he believes this is wrong, because he gives evidence of the pain and negative outcomes of the fighting.

Individuality arises when an individual encounters and endures a life, taking their first step with their family which is the first society an individual faces. Through their lives, individuals promote their own exclusive originalities, while Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem characterizes a totalitarian society suppressing individualism. In the society depicted in Anthem, individualism is oppressed by the society imposing children live away from their families which is one form of totalitarian dictator’s authority. The intention of totalitarian dictators enforcing the arrangement of children living apart from their families is to impede individualistic society- avert dissimilarities transpiring in the process of family influences in education, forfend the enlightenment of emotions, and the establishment of collectivism.

There are many societal ideals that influence individual behaviour. In our society, these may include peace, freedom and equity. In Ayn Rand’s novella Anthem, the ideals that influence the protagonist are collectivism, equality, unity, liberty and harmony, as seen in the naming of the characters. These ideals are the reason Equality 7-2521 describes himself as a sinner and a criminal; they affect how he views himself. A societal ideal, in this instance collectivism, deeply affects every individual’s identity and purpose in life. Additionally, collectivism impedes the imagination and creativity of each individual. When Equality 7-2521 discovers electricity and learns how to

Being an individual is a very hard goal to achieve. In the book The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier the protagonist Jerry Renault is faced with the problem of whether or not he should stray away from society and become an individual or conform like the other kids. Jerry pays the price for not conforming in the end for something so little as being different. Being different is sometimes looked down upon in our society, therefore making life harder for people who choose to be different.

In a society where conforming is normal, individualism is a necessity to be oneself. The first example of being oneself is of Clarisse. Montag and Clarisse are walking in the moonlight on their way home when Clarisse says, “Isn’t this a nice time of night to walk? I like to smell things and look at things, and sometimes stay up all

Do you stand alone as a unique and special individual? Since the beginning of American history there have been struggles for individualism. The American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the separation from family life are all examples of individualism in American history. Individualism is an American paradigm designed by the modern societal structure that is an altered idea of the foundation by immigrants. In today’s society the struggle for individualism is more personal and represents how American values have shifted since the beginning of American history.

A huge increase in individualism came about because of organic solidarity resulting in a breakdown of moral and ethical boundaries

The Chocolate War is a story which takes place in New England in the 1970's. Most of the events happen in a Catholic school. Since this school was exclusively for boys, they were constantly trying to prove their power over each other. The story is told in third person omniscient. The story's mood is suspenseful. With each page turn one wonders if Jerry will take or refuse his chocolates. The protagonist of this story is Jerry Renault and the antagonist in Archie Costello. Jerry is a very quiet fifteen year old boy. He is also the quarterback for the Trinity High junior varsity football team. He is a very troubled individual due to his mother's

During a lecture in 1907, William James said "the philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly means. It is only partly got from books; it is our individual way of just seeing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos" (Bartlett 546) Individuality has been a prevalent theme in every type of literature for quite some time. Whether it is a character discovering his/her individuality or the author expressing his, literature is full of distinctness. The term individuality changes meaning with each person it meets. That is what makes the dynamic word so great. Throughout particular works read this